What To Do With Ducks In The Winter?

In the freezing winter, ducks will need some assistance from you to live their life comfortably. Don’t worry, it’s easy to take care of them and won’t even be time-consuming for you.

So, what to do with ducks in the winter? You need to build them a shelter house, provide heat, insulated floors and ensure the diet is nutritious enough. That’s all you need to do to ensure a comfortable winter for the ducks.

Below, we’ll discuss these steps in length so that there’s no confusion left in your mind.

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What Type of Shelter Do Ducks Need in the Winter?

A wooden outdoor shelter would be best for ducks in the winter. Here are some things you need to keep in mind while building the shelter house –

Space

The first thing is to make sure there’s enough room for all the ducks to live there comfortably.

Based on the sizes of your ducks, you need to make a calculation of the amount of space you need before you get on with the construction of the house.

Draft-Free

The house should be draft-free, as drafts can create cold air currents that can make the ducks unnecessarily uncomfortable. However, the design should make sure the space is well-ventilated as well.

Straw on Floor

During winter, the floor can get really cold. So, line the floor with enough straw so that the feet of ducks don’t get cold.

Artificial Lighting

Lighting plays an important role in how many eggs are produced by the eggs during the winter.

If you want egg production to be constant, you’ll need to install an artificial lighting facility inside the shelter house. And if eggs aren’t an issue for you, then you can skip the artificial lighting.

Door and Nesting Boxes

For safety purposes, get a solid door. Also, nesting boxes can be a useful addition.

Where Do Wild Ducks Sleep in the Winter?

During winter, migratory wild ducks usually form communal roosting flocks. The number of ducks present in the flocks can be in the thousands.

As they roost together, it offers them a feeling of safety and also grants them collective body heat produced by the large group.

Wile ducks that don’t migrate normally live in their preferred wintering region. These ducks also roost together and often can be seen huddling with each other during winter nights.

How to Keep Ducks Warm During Winter?

Here are some tips for you to keep the ducks warm in winter –

Build an Outdoor Shelter

To keep them comfortable, you can build an outdoor shelter. We’ve detailed in the article what kind of shelter you need to build for them.

Heating

Ducks are able to regulate their own temperature. So, heating isn’t absolutely necessary. But it would be nice to keep the heating system available in case you need them during extremely cold nights.

Insulation and Raising the Duck Coop

In freezing weather, raising the duck coop by an extra foot can make the ducks more comfortable. As a result, they won’t be in direct touch with the frozen ground.

If you’re living in an area that regularly witnesses snow, you should also add insulation to the floor. It will prevent the cold from seeping into the duck coop and maintain a comfortable environment. In addition to all these, you also need to keep straws on the floor of the coop.

Are Ducks OK Outside in Winter?

Ducks can self-regulate body temperature and normally would be ok outside in winter. Wild ducks stay outside in winter and they don’t face many problems due to the cold.

So, on normal winter nights, ducks outside should be just fine. That said, if the temperature falls under 20 F, then it can be a problem for ducks, and they might begin to develop frostbite.

In fact, in the last couple of years, we’ve seen ducks dying from cold in Michigan.
Another thing to factor in is the age of the ducks. Ducklings are more vulnerable to cold than adult ducks and may benefit from additional protection during the winter.

Do Ducks Need a Pool in the Winter?

Ducks need access to a water source to cleanse themselves and swim even in winter. Yes, they don’t swim as often as they do in summer, but they still enjoy swimming in winter. It’s important for the duck’s health that there be a water source where they can swim freely.

There are some easy ways you can prevent a pond from freezing during the winter. You can use a pond aerator to increase the movement of the water and stop it from freezing.

Another option is to tie a large number of milk jugs and place them into the pond. They will keep floating inside the pond and won’t let it freeze.

How Do Wild Ducks Stay Warm in the Winter?

In winter, wild ducks huddle together during the night and keep themselves warm from the heat generated by their body. That’s a pretty effective way that keeps them safe from cold and also gives them comfort.

What Do Ducks Eat in the Winter?

During the winter, the diet of ducks mainly consists of seeds and aquatic vegetation. You can give them acors, which are high in fats. Corn is another high calory item and a great option to keep them warm during cold nights.

Ducks like to eat grass and various plants. That might be difficult to provide during winter, but you can give different vegetables and fruits instead.

Conclusion

Caring for the ducks in winter is quite easy in my opinion. Once you create a proper shelter for them, they require minimum maintenance and care for their survival.

On top of that, if you manage to give them a water source for swimming as well, they will be as happy as they are in summer.

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