Winterizing Duck Coop

[Callduckies]

When does everyone winterize their ducks coop/run in the winter. I'm in Wisconsin and it's my first year with ducks.

 

[CHlCKEN]

@aart I feel like I’ve seen some good advice on this from you at least once before.

 

[aimee750]

I'm in Iowa, so pretty similar climate. I have taken away their pool already and added leaves to the coop. I will put up a wind block on their run and change over to heated water bowls once we get colder.

 

[aart]

@aart I feel like I’ve seen some good advice on this from you at least once before.

Not about ducks

 

[CHlCKEN]

Not about ducks

I feel like coop winterization is mostly universal… but then again, I wouldn’t really know since winter forgets to even happen down here lol.

 

[aart]

I feel like coop winterization is mostly universal… but then again, I wouldn’t really know since winter forgets to even happen down here lol.

I don't give advice if I don't have first hand experience similar to the situation being asked about. I do have winter but I've never had ducks.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

That really depends on your setup. The only winterizing I do is swap their buckets out for heated ones, drain their pond and throw chopped straw over their bedding. At my old house I had an open air coop and all I did was wrap a canvas tarp around it to block the wind leaving 6” at the top and kept their stock tanks open for swimming all year round, but that was a much warmer climate. Usually I make these changes when it starts to consistently get below freezing enough to cause a thin layer of ice to form on their water.

 

[DoodlesDuckies]

I am in north central WI.
I took their water/food and pool out of their run. They still have 2 kiddie pools to play in the yard. They will get fenced in a 100 x100 area soon and put in hut at night.

Their hut/run is 6x12 with a small shelter attached. I just started using plywood for around it with vents at the top of hut. Straw in the run/hut.

Soon pools will get pulled and all the fun will stop.