Why did I bother??????

[Wifezilla]

I lock my ducks in a secure night pen to protect them from predators. I was letting them sleep in the run but then an Owl got one of my drakes. There is no heat in the pen, but there is a big dog igloo. They have the option to sleep in there if they want. If not there is open area in the run. Give them the option. They will sleep where they need to to be comfortable.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Unless the news is pulling my leg NC is getting snow. or so I thought. Don't know much about ducks though.

Well here in Central NC we got a dusting of snow overnight with rain at the moment temp right at 32 so some of the roads are bare and others are sheets of ice. Not equipped with salt trucks so it is a good time to stay off the roads and hope it warms a little as the day goes along. SE NC is probably a little better than here. The mountains to the west must be getting snow.
As for the ducks have you ever seen ducks resting in the water at night while the top was slowly freezing with a skin of ice? Your ducks should be fine. Ducks are usually smart enough to find better conditions if they are unconfortable. leave the coop open so they can get in if wanted. Remember they come equiped with water resistant down suits that are better than anything you could buy for yourself! Actually the heat here is more a threat to your ducks than the cold will ever be at least until NC freezes over. LOL

 

[spud1035]

News Flash Folks .................. They are DUCK'S !!!!!!!! they just so happen to love the cold, no need to slam them up into a coop. Most of you Duck folks don't actually know you are doing more harm than good by warming your duck's in coop's and Bldg's. Just because you are cold the same doesn't go for duck's, if you keep them warm you are preventing their down from forming and it will just make them even more susseptable to a chill. so please just leave them be they are trying to tell you something even though you won't listen.

Agreed, my duck have never had heat in their pen and they do just fine. Mine are locked up at night for protection and get some straw in the corner if they want to stay in that spot. Plus I never feed or water them in their pen to help keep the mess less. I bust up the ice in the pond for em and beg to go in no matter what the temp and it's been in the teens and single digits here.

 

[Country Parson]

My ducks will lay on bare ice and snow all day long. As with my Geese (pilgrims), they seem to get angry when I don't let them out (even in bitter cold, high/freezing winds). I do lock them up at night since we have a big Coon problem around here. FYI, I'm in Northern Ohio if that tell's you anything about how cold it gets. But I also had geese/ducks in Northern Michigan (almost to the Mackinaw Bridge), and they still loved being outdoors in the worst possible weather.

I think you should lock them in at night----not because its cold but because of predators.

 

[KansasKid]

Quote:

A duck's body temperature is feverish compared to ours setting at about 104˚ So they can definitely handle the cold.

 

[JosieR]

Mine go in an unheated house at night, it's insulated and has an attached run. I did put a line of hay bales around the attached run to block the wind since it's elevated and has been teens and single digits and windy at night. They will go in their house if it's very cold or windy but they lay out in the run too. Big issue here are predators.

No water/food overnight since it will just freeze and make a mess.

I've stacked some hay on one side of thier ramp to give them a spot out of the wind and off the snow to hang out. They're mostly sitting on the hay around it, with their feet pulled up under them to stay warm. Before they were in the shade, in the snow

I'm cold FOR them, but I'm not fussing after them. As long as I've given them an option, if they prefer to sit out in it, I guess they know better than I do.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Muscovies have had a rough time the last few days temps into 1 to 5 degree at night and mid teens during the day, I can tell by the way the are walking and looking it's not been easy on them. Maybe the wind has something to do with it although they have places outside where they can get in out of the wind. They are from 7years to 2years, we had temps up to 40 today they thought it was spring, except for the snow and ice all over the ground.

 

[crj]

Here in Southeastern NC we had a nice break today. We don't usually get the snow like the rest of the state. I'm along the coast. We have been in the teens for the last few nights which is unusual for us. This is the first time I've had ducks so it is a learning experience.

I have the duck coop just in case the ducks want protection from the weather. I do have a duck that does go in and lay an egg in there every morning. I'm wondering why the other female duck hasn't laid an egg yet. Anyway, they were happy with the 50 degree weather we had today. Good for me because I was able to run the ice out of the hoses...... lol.

Yes, I figured the ducks will go where they are comfy. Now, to make shelter for my 2 new turkey hens.... hmmmm. Oh, thanks for the input!!!! Can anyone tell me why they love tree trunks so much? Mine find a tree and sleep around the base of them as if they are hailing a tree trunk god of some kind......... roflol!

 

[Bleenie]

I finally ended up heating my duck coop a while ago when we were having temps around 10F and lower. My poor Muscovies were actually shivering while they were out in their run resting, that's what finally made me do it. My little bantam cochins were just fine though, lol. You wouldn't believe how much happier they looked being able to get into a warm house.... 20 ducks in an 8x5 house was pretty comical but thankfully the cold weather is gone... for now anyway. (also, they did fine after i took away the heat lights)

Don't heat unless they look like they're having a hard time with the cold. DO lock them up away from predators though.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! I had a group of 6-week-old ducklings (Anconas and Pekins) out in our 10* record cold this week with no heat. They hunkered in a corner of a Silkie coop at night and ran the run, splashed around in the dishpan waterer (when it wasn't frozen), and only complained when the water had froze up again.
They came through it just fine.

Lisa