Will My Ducklings Survive Outside?!

[SarahMcGuire]

So my husband is apparently very allergic to ducks and we had no idea about this prior to getting my ducklings. His eyes swell and his asthma was getting bad so I moved them from our main level (they were in the hall bathroom but on the same level as our bedroom) to the third floor and was able to keep them up there with an air purifier next to the door and a second air purifier on the main level but now that they are getting so big it’s only gotten worse and so I had to move them outside to the duck house. The duck house is all bored up except for a small opening for ventilation at the top of both side walls and I did put a heat lamp out there. We have cold weather coming and I’m worried about them. I put a lot of straw down and there are 16 ducklings in there do you think they will be okay? We are expecting lows of 24 degrees and highs of 40.

 

[Miss Lydia]

How old are they and are the feathered in? And make sure you have that heat lamp very secure.

 

[Isaac 0]

You might find this helpful,

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/when-can-my-ducklings-be-outside-fulltime.1370030/

 

[SarahMcGuire]

How old are they and are the feathered in? And make sure you have that heat lamp very secure.

They are 5 weeks old not fully feathered in but are definitely not far off most of their back is feathered and the chest, just patches on the sides that are still fluffy. The heat lamp is secured with bolts to a wooden beam because I was nervous about it being a fire hazard.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Can you check temps in your coop? 16 ducklings might be fine with a heat lamp but I’d check the temps in the coop. How long have they been outside before this day?

 

[SarahMcGuire]

Can you check temps in your coop? 16 ducklings might be fine with a heat lamp but I’d check the temps in the coop. How long have they been outside before this day?

I will try to find a thermometer.........they have been outside several times for a few hours at a time and they have not had the heat plate in their brooder for a few weeks. Last night was their first night outside in the coop with the heat lamp. I laid several inches of straw on the floor and more around the edges. I have all of the windows latched closed so there is no draft but the top side vents (about 4 feet above their heads) do let air in and I was thinking about covering them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Don’t cover they need the ventilation. Even in dead of winter they need ventilation. What were your temps last night?

 

[SarahMcGuire]

Don’t cover they need the ventilation. Even in dead of winter they need ventilation. What were your temps last night?

The low last night was 37 tonight it is supposed to be 32.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well you really don’t have much of a choice so hopefully they will be fine. If you can get a temp post back and how are they acting. All huddled under the heat or spread out around the coop. And what breed?

 

[SarahMcGuire]

They are under the heat lamp but not right on top of each other and They are a mix I have 2 buffs, 2 black Swedish, 2 blue Swedish, 2 Cayuga, 8 Golden hybrids.