Winter water heater?

[zeberman]

Just about fed up with the water freezing, although I know winter's now just about done, somehow we just keep getting snow!! (western PA) So, wondering if anyone's found a really good solution that works well for the ducks. Ive read a couple older threads, and it seems like maybe a heated bucket would work? Are there any smallish heated troughs out there? I just feel like the bucket is a little odd shaped for the ducks, like too tall and too deep where I think they would like something a little more trough-shaped. thanks.

 

[Eggcessive]

The easiest heated waterer is a heated dog bowl that holds at least a gallon of water.

 

[countrygoddess]

I have a question. I don't keep ducks so it's purely out of ignorance, not a challenge at all. What do wild ducks do in winter? Like, the ducks in Alaska or far northern Canada? Do they absolutely HAVE to have water to swim in at all times?

 

[countrygoddess]

Or are you talking about their drinking water? Can they use chicken nipples? But this brings me back to my previous question: What do wild ducks do for drinking water in the winter?

 

[Apyl]

I dont give water for my flock to swim in in the winter. They also eat snow when their weter freezes. I have yet to have an issue doing it this way. Now when it starts to thaw, they go nuts in the puddles making up for lost time lol.

 

[zeberman]

ill try looking into the heated dog bowl. I see them eating snow and actually they love the snow, they will sleep outside and let the snow pile up on their heads. I figure if they didn't like it they would go inside. However, they THOROUGHLY enjoy it when I bring out the bucket to refill their containers with fresh water every morning so its really just a matter of giving them options. I have a heated chicken waterer but its so shallow its not useful for the ducks. they like dunking and splashing.

snow babies sad about their frozen pool

 

[zeberman]

ha just thought this was funny. taking a slushy bath.

 

[Going Quackers]

Heated bucket, trust me they work and they'll make beyond enough of a mess with it... i personally see a dog bowl becoming a bath but maybe that is just my ducks lol

Here is what i use...


Now if your speaking of an actual pool in which to bathe? you can do troughs with heaters i have one for my horses which magically turns into a duck trough now & again lol That said i generally don't have the pools out for the birds in the extreme part of winter, it just gets to cold for that. I had one of my younger birds covered in ice recently because she went the horses trough when it was much to cold to be in open water, thankfully the barn is quite warm and she was ok but i wouldn't want a habit of that.

They do eat snow/ice i see it all the time even today, we were frozen this AM and they were eating the ice i knocked from all the water bowls, i generally use rubber livestock types for water when it's not too cold out, banging them out in the morning, but i would not rely on it as the only source of water, wild ducks are in the know where to find open water even in the most extreme times, domestic ducks have to rely on their people.

 

[garew]

What do wild ducks do in winter?

I believe most if not all ducks will migrate south for the winter. We get 100,000+ Canadian geese every fall and spring here in Denver, usually they have ducks tagging along.

 

[Amiga]

Or are you talking about their drinking water? Can they use chicken nipples? But this brings me back to my previous question: What do wild ducks do for drinking water in the winter?

Ducks also need to be able to wash their heads to prevent infections of the sinuses, ears and eyes. The wild ducks who stay here (some mallards, mergansers, and others) generally go to open running water in rivers and brooks for their drinking water.