Hi all,
We have a small flock of 5 ducks, 4 khakis and 1 cayuga. We are absolutely enamored. This will be our first winter with them. Here in northern Utah, the winters can be very wet and cold. I'm not worried about housing, as they have an insulated house we close them in at night, as well as a lamp more for light than heat. We got a heated water bowl, but the question I have is about our outdoor hose & such. I don't really want to bring the messy waterer inside to fill it a couple of times a day, but I worry about leaving the hose hooked up outside (that the hose bib will freeze/burst).
Is there a setup that would allow me to keep the hose hooked up and keep using it, without having it freeze? I was wondering about trying to rig up some sort of heat lamp or something out there, but there is no plug near the faucet. Does anyone just leave it hooked up and use it? Also, do you get something to keep their pond/pool from freezing and let them swim, or just take the swimming parties away until spring? I can't imagine they will want to swim in 25 degree weather, but you never know with those silly creatures. I just filled their pool, and although it's mid to high 40s here today, they are out doing their usual "Yay!! New water!!" routine. So fun to watch them.
We have a small flock of 5 ducks, 4 khakis and 1 cayuga. We are absolutely enamored. This will be our first winter with them. Here in northern Utah, the winters can be very wet and cold. I'm not worried about housing, as they have an insulated house we close them in at night, as well as a lamp more for light than heat. We got a heated water bowl, but the question I have is about our outdoor hose & such. I don't really want to bring the messy waterer inside to fill it a couple of times a day, but I worry about leaving the hose hooked up outside (that the hose bib will freeze/burst).
Is there a setup that would allow me to keep the hose hooked up and keep using it, without having it freeze? I was wondering about trying to rig up some sort of heat lamp or something out there, but there is no plug near the faucet. Does anyone just leave it hooked up and use it? Also, do you get something to keep their pond/pool from freezing and let them swim, or just take the swimming parties away until spring? I can't imagine they will want to swim in 25 degree weather, but you never know with those silly creatures. I just filled their pool, and although it's mid to high 40s here today, they are out doing their usual "Yay!! New water!!" routine. So fun to watch them.
