Winter weather

[happy duck]

Thank you and yes I am new. I actually have pine and aspen shavings pretty thick in their house and also a good thick layer in the run. Also, half of the run is covered so it stays nice and dry. Mine are only 9-10 months old so I am learning the ropes.

That is great! Sounds like what you are doing is great...keeping them lots warm!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

At what temperature is it too cold to let the ducks out in the run? This morning it was 9 degrees when I gathered eggs and let them out. I put them back up in the duck house 15 minutes later (with food and water) because they looked frosty and they were all laying down. It is now just 33 degrees and I am thinking about letting them out to play. I do have clear plastic wrapped around the run to help block the cold wind. I just want them happy and healthy.

33 F is not cold at all for ducks.
You may be cold but your birds aren't.

Very cold here in South Africa

I don't believe it gets cold during mid summer in South Africa. Do you think the mid 80s F is cold? But since you are in S. A. it is 30C.
Do you speak Afrikaans, Sotho or Zulu?

Thank you Miss Lydia. At what temperature should I just keep them in the house? Nine degrees and snow seem too cold.

Ducks are more cold tolerant in general than chickens.
I have Mediterranean breed (heat hardy) chickens down to -20F. Most species of ducks should be able to handle much colder than that.

 

[quackiemama]

33 F is not cold at all for ducks.
You may be cold but your birds aren't.

I thought it was mid summer in SA.
Do you speak Afrikaans, Sotho or Zulu?


Ducks are more cold tolerant in general than chickens.
I have Mediterranean breed (heat hardy) chickens down to -20F. Most species of ducks should be able to handle much colder than that.

Thank you, I was mainly just asking if below freezing (it was 9 degrees when I let them out yesterday morning) was ok to let them play and run outside in the snow. I have learned since that yes it is quite alright as long as they have some dry ground and the option to go back into the duck house if they choose to. Sweet things look so much more delicate than they really are. I was comparing to some chickens I guess, my neighbor is diligent about putting his chickens up when it is below 32 degrees so I was not sure. I appreciate the knowledge as I am still learning how to be a duck mama!

 

[Miss Lydia]

And if you feel more comfortable keeping them in then do so. My Runners on their own choose to go in and take a breather from the extreme and they have taught my Muscovy's to do it too. They do have some common sense in that tiny brain. lol

 

[chickens really]

I have Call Ducks. I have straw down in the Coops and in a corner of my Run. My Runs are covered and wrapped in vapour barrier plastic to block out the wind. I have a heat lamp in my pens for the extreme cold. Extremely cold is -15C or when the Arctic air comes down and we get -28C.
My Ducks get out on warmer days to swim and forage.

 

[Kkrista123]

Ducks can withstand cold temps easily but it's a general rule to watch for frostbitten feet below 20 degrees!

 

[Kkrista123]

Have any pictures of your feathered babies?! Your pic looks too cute!!

 

[quackiemama]

Have any pictures of your feathered babies?! Your pic looks too cute!!

Why yes I do! I am just gonna watch them and let them choose. This is their 1st winter and my 1st with ducks so I am probably overprotective. I was concerned with their feet but since half of the run is covered and with pine and aspen shavings and straw they can get to a dry place outdoors as well with access to their house. You are right Miss Lydia they are smart little cookies and I have seen them run in their house when they hear a hawk or to get out of the wind. I have put up plastic around the run as well to protect them from the high freezing winds we are expecting this week. I just added some pics that I posted on another thread yesterday. Some are from warmer weather.

 

[3bird]

It seems your question has been answered by many more knowledgeable than me, but I thought I'd add our protocol for what it's worth. We have six silver Appleyard ducks on the coast of Maine. Their run is predator-proofed and covered, and they have 24/7 access to it unless it's approaching -5 to -10F. When it gets that cold, we lock them in the duckhouse after dinner with no food or water until morning. Our duckhouse is elevated (~4x8') and has a deep bed of shavings and straw. We are quite generous with the straw, especially when we're approaching single digits. As you can see in the picture, we wrap three sides of our run in plastic to protect from wind.

Our guys like to be out and swimming if it's in the 20sF and up, but otherwise they come out, have their soup, slide around a bit and head back into their run. When I check the camera during the day, they are often snuggled in to the duckhouse dozing when it's cold.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hey good to see ya'll. Those babies sure know how to throw a party!!