Cold weather and ducks

[Jared_elder3]

I currently live in northern Iowa, it’s been known to get pretty chilly up here, it goes into the negatives every so often. So what can I do with my ducks? What is the coldest they can stand? I plan on having heated water bowls and a heater inside where the nest at night but how much can they really take? And what about letting them roam? Is the cold ground bad for their feet? I was think that since I only have 2 ducks for the time being that I could possibly move them into my basement or my garage for the coldest months but I’m not sure how much it would smell as they are still in a brooder right now, I take very good care of them and clean everything twice daily so not sure if that would make a difference. And just not sure on how much room they need to roam if being inside would be to confined for them. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Knighstar679]

Most ducks can do pretty well in the cold so long as they have a way to get out of the wind and snow they do ok. For their house many put down extra straw for them. If you insulated your duck house it will be even less of a worry. Just be careful with heat lamps as they can cause fires with the bedding if they fall.

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is a good question for @Isaac 0

 

[Isaac 0]

I currently live in northern Iowa, it’s been known to get pretty chilly up here, it goes into the negatives every so often. So what can I do with my ducks? What is the coldest they can stand? I plan on having heated water bowls and a heater inside where the nest at night but how much can they really take? And what about letting them roam? Is the cold ground bad for their feet? I was think that since I only have 2 ducks for the time being that I could possibly move them into my basement or my garage for the coldest months but I’m not sure how much it would smell as they are still in a brooder right now, I take very good care of them and clean everything twice daily so not sure if that would make a difference. And just not sure on how much room they need to roam if being inside would be to confined for them. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!!

I live in Iowa too, my ducks fared the winter of 2019 fine, even when it got down to -35F. For mine, I use five-gallon heated water buckets, I insert them into the ground to help keep the water warmer, and so the water is level with the ducks, its a good idea to put a board over the top so they can't jump in, as there is always the chance they could drown since there is not much traction if a bucket. I've never used a heat lamp with full-grown ducks, because its not needed, they do well at acclimating to the temps, but if there were to be a power outage and the temperature in the coop dropped the birds may suffer from hypothermia, you also have to be careful with any heat source, because your coop will be at an increased risk for catching on fire.

My birds will roam as long as there isn't snow on the ground, The cold doesn't seem to bother them, but the snow does. Ducks don't need heat, but it is important you provide them with a draft-free area, thawed water/feed, and plenty of bedding, give them that and they will be fine.

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[blackandtan]

Agreed with Isaac. I’ve kept ducks and geese with no trouble through Northern Ontario winters, here I can easily get nights into the -40s and -50s. They don’t like the wind but mine never had troubles with the snow, on sunny -20 days they’d be out happily playing in the driveway, they even learned to snow bathe!
I used to always check the feet of my birds, and the chickens combs/wattles, turkey heads, and I’ve always been surprised how warm they stay.
I have a separate “bedroom “ area in my coop and I kept a heat lamp in there, it’s very secure and well wired to prevent fire hazard, and I have a small genny just for the coop in case of power outages. Everyone always argues that a heated coop poses an extra risk for the birds if they suddenly lose that heat source but the thing is, it’s not meant to make it t-shirt weather in there. Mine just stabilizes the temp so it doesn’t dip much below -20 or so on the worst nights.
I have yet to find a water heater that will keep it liquid in my winters, this past year I used a stock tank heater in an xL cooler with a window cut in the side, big enough that even a goose can get her head in there and wash. It worked ok but still froze overnight. No big deal, you just get used to bringing a fresh bucket out morning and afternoon.
And I use a ton of straw! Waterbirds are messy and always wet either from drinking and making a mess or pooping and making a mess, and they can really stink up a coop! Straw keeps them dry and as a bonus poo pancakes freeze into it and it’s easy to peel up the frozen damp flakes.
Good luck with your duckies!

Edited for spelling!

 

[Isaac 0]

I forgot to mention ventilation, you should have plenty of ventilation in your coop, high humidity/ammonia in a small coop is just asking for a whole lot of trouble.

 

[Jared_elder3]

Most ducks can do pretty well in the cold so long as they have a way to get out of the wind and snow they do ok. For their house many put down extra straw for them. If you insulated your duck house it will be even less of a worry. Just be careful with heat lamps as they can cause fires with the bedding if they fall.

Ok thank you that helps a lot I was worried about what to do, but I plan on having a fully enclosed nesting spot with a heat source just need to find something that is fairly safe for it! Thank you

 

[Jared_elder3]

I live in Iowa too, my ducks fared the winter of 2019 fine, even when it got down to -35F. For mine, I use five-gallon heated water buckets, I insert them into the ground to help keep the water warmer, and so the water is level with the ducks, its a good idea to put a board over the top so they can't jump in, as there is always the chance they could drown since there is not much traction if a bucket. I've never used a heat lamp with full-grown ducks, because its not needed, they do well at acclimating to the temps, but if there were to be a power outage and the temperature in the coop dropped the birds may suffer from hypothermia, you also have to be careful with any heat source, because your coop will be at an increased risk for catching on fire.

My birds will roam as long as there isn't snow on the ground, The cold doesn't seem to bother them, but the snow does. Ducks don't need heat, but it is important you provide them with a draft-free area, thawed water/feed, and plenty of bedding, give them that and they will be fine.

Lots of good advice thank you, i was worried since at my place it was even getting down into -50 at times in 2019 but it takes some weight off my shoulders knowing they will be well acclimated

 

[Jared_elder3]

Agreed with Isaac. I’ve kept ducks and geese with no trouble through Northern Ontario winters, here I can easily get nights into the -40s and -50s. They don’t like the wind but mine never had troubles with the snow, on sunny -20 days they’d be out happily playing in the driveway, they even learned to snow bathe!
I used to always check the feet of my birds, and the chickens combs/wattles, turkey heads, and I’ve always been surprised how warm they stay.
I have a separate “bedroom “ area in my coop and I kept a heat lamp in there, it’s very secure and well wired to prevent fire hazard, and I have a small genny just for the coop in case of power outages. Everyone always argues that a heated coop poses an extra risk for the birds if they suddenly lose that heat source but the thing is, it’s not meant to make it t-shirt weather in there. Mine just stabilizes the temp so it doesn’t dip much below -20 or so on the worst nights.
I have yet to find a water heater that will keep it liquid in my winters, this past year I used a stock tank heater in an xL cooler with a window cut in the side, big enough that even a goose can get her head in there and wash. It worked ok but still froze overnight. No big deal, you just get used to bringing a fresh bucket out morning and afternoon.
And I use a ton of straw! Waterbirds are messy and always wet either from drinking and making a mess or pooping and making a mess, and they can really stink up a coop! Straw keeps them dry and as a bonus poo pancakes freeze into it and it’s easy to peel up the frozen damp flakes.
Good luck with your duckies!

Edited for spelling!

perfect thank you so much!!