Winter ready?

[Featherlove23]

This being my first time having ducks I have no idea what I'm doing this wind. Spring and summer was a breeze. But not the nights are getting colder and our neighbors trees are just starting to change color. Fall is just weeks away probably even sooner. So with that being said, how do I winterize my coop for ducks. Chickens I already know as I've raised them before. But do ducks swim in the winter? How does that work? How warm do I need the coop to be. It's averaging about 45 at night right now.

 

[Callender Girl]

My runner ducks are easier to care for in the winter than my chickens are. Ducks seem to enjoy the cold and snow much more than I do!

Mine live in what is really just a wood-framed, 3-foot-by-10-foot box, wrapped in hardware cloth for the walls. It has a roof with a door that opens on the top on one end and a door for them that opens on the other end. In the winter, I put a tarp over the top and add plywood walls to both ends to keep snow from collecting inside the shelter and offer more of a windbreak.

It gets cold here -- sometimes days below zero in a row -- and they seem unconcerned. In fact, when the chickens are snugly cuddled up in the coops, the ducks are often lying out in the snow. Ducks are built to be waterproof, and as long as there is open water, they will want to climb in.

I don't leave their kiddie pools out in the winter -- I once read about a goose that got its feathers frozen to the ground after going for a swim!

But I make sure the runners have a water bowl deep enough to dunk their heads and keep their nares clean. Of course, since they are ducks, that means I sometimes see someone trying to bathe in the too-small water dishes. No incidents of frozen feathers, though!

Hope this sets your mind at ease, at least a bit!

 

[Canadian Wind]

It also depends on the breed of duck. With Muscovy, if they have large caruncles they may get frostbite. I would let my ducks out every day if the weather permitted. The only time I kept them in their coop was when it was stupid-below, like around -30 or -40 Celsius.

If you're concerned, you can get some foam sheets and place these on the outside of the coop, but I wouldn't really bother with that as it will mess up their internal thermostat. Think going outside in the cold from the relative warmth of your home.

I also gave mine fresh water in containers in the morning and evening, with their feed.