Easy WINTER DUCK RAISING Guide

[@lindashobe-e7j]

Great video! We recently adopted a neighbor’s free range mallards they did not want. So we are “flying blind” on this. We have had them a few months and we love them. They are totally free range, our neighborhood in Fort Worth is rural with 2 acre lots. It can get really cold here but we rarely get snow. They love their baby pool, we change the water every day. They currently eat deer corn, henscratch, frozen peas, and adore watermelon, their favorite. I’ve spoken with the feed store and once area insects are gone due to cold we will be adding a high protein duck food to their diet. From what you are saying, regarding water…if we set out one of those black rubber feeding bowls in the winter, we don’t need to have the 48” plastic toddler pool they can get in. That makes life easier for us. Thank you! Love the design of your duck mansion and the hints on how to keep making bedding deeper til time to clean it out.

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

Glad you’re enjoying the ducks 🦆 you have it all worked out and that’s great.

[@BeeKindSweetFindsLLC-ei2nq]

I want to thank you for sharing your place with all of us. You took my winter worries away.

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

@@BeeKindSweetFindsLLC-ei2nq 😃

[@daisysfarmsonnotalottaacre4895]

I love this guy.

[@Alexisnotmyname1]

Thanks for the video the main reason why I watched this is because when I went to go look at my ducks in the morning there pool and waterer was frozen

[@HVACRILLA]

Awesome enclosure! Really learned a lot. This is our first year raising ducks and my wife and I are gearing up for the Nebraska winter. Lots of great material thank you.

[@ericstarszak2076]

Thanks for this video. My first winter with 8 chickens and 4 ducks in Colorado at 5700 feet. I appreciate your technique and sharing!

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

Awesome, best of luck 🍻

[@finehowareyou]

i'm in Colorado too! 8,200'. researching how to keep ducks in the freeze. how has it worked out for you?

[@4AMFARMS]

I've got 12 ducks as well as 25+ chickens, our Duck house was built over the spring to house the ducks separately. Now our biggest issue this year is the snow, freezing rain, sub zero temperatures and ice. Since we are in southern Missouri I didn't even think we would have these polar blast but we do, you've got some fantastic idea that we're definitely going to implement right away starting with the straw & the feed bins. We already use the deep layering method with our goats & they stay warm and toasty in their barns. Thanks for great tips and information I know it's going to make a huge difference for my flock. Thanks again Jani

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

No worries, Thanks. Best of luck, stay warm down there.

[@melissaandjason]

Thanks this really helped answer most of my questions. This is our first year with ducks. Slightly worried because I used chicken wire on their coop window… 😳 Great coop you built I love it 👌👊 Gonna go grab a couple of those heat pucks, thanks again! Subscribed ✌️

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Michael-gu8ck]

Fascinating to see your attention to detail, Chad. Not a trait that i have naturally.

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

I really try to. Some say I have a critical thinking mind. But I just like to have fun. Planning the rabbitat these days so I’m ready for the build, trying to think of everything.

[@MooseSanchez-zz8si]

Thank you for the info.

[@kellyhensley690]

Thank you for this! Your place is amazing and your animals are wonderful😊

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

You are so kind, thank you. Chad.

[@mikemason4758]

This was actually super helpful.

[@stephaniemeadows6796]

I’ve raised mine on chicken feed and cracked corn they have did great the corn more so when it’s colder scratch too

[@vilee5237]

New duck Mama here. They laughed when I put siding on my duck coop, lol! Someone asked me where the hot tub and slad bar was?

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

well what did they think you were just gonna leave ur ducks in the open? Gotta protect them from the weather right. They are hardy but the winter winds can be nasty. Glad you got ducks hope you're having fun.

[@CVTDiaries]

I literally just took in a duck today that appeared out of nowhere at my jobsite. Idk what kind of duck it is but it’s not wild, it’s very friendly. I have raised ducks before from ducklings so I know how much work they can be but I love them! They’re so funny. One shouldn’t be too bad though. I have chickens but idk if I should mix him in with them. For now I plan on keeping him/her separate and let him/her free range when I’m home after he’s gotten comfortable in the little pen area. I def need to get a rubber tub for the water and straw.

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

@@CVTDiaries sounds like a good plan, hope it all works out 😉

[@Jenny-si7ui]

Always happy to see and dreaming hobby farm in my future 😉

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

Thank you Jenny hope you can someday, it's a great way to live.

[@yeagerxp]

Excellent work and very Informative 👍👍👍 . Thanks for sharing. And NO! you have not gone overboard with the duck coop. If you are gonna used an animal for food you should consider it's welfare while it is alive. Looking forward to your rabbit condo build. Will it be ELMER FUDD proof. LOL

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

Agreed. I know I joke about it, but the fact is that something that would cost 25k if I hired a contractor I can build for just the cost of materials and me having a bit of fun too 😝 So why not build some cool structures eh. Thanks for ur support.

[@leonafaryna7617]

I think your attitude ensures animals are treated humanely.

[@ginaphillips6857]

Super helpful! Thank you

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

Awesome 😎

[@codyhanna1544]

❤❤❤

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

🤙

[@DeborahRudningen]

I like your garbage can feeder idea, but how did you keep the grain from running out?

[@janicel97]

Great ideas.

[@stanleykeith6969]

I had a White Duck when I was a Kid. I raised it from a Duckling. I got it at Easter Time. It would follow Me and the Dog every where. The duck would stay with the dog in its dog house. Those two where best buddy's. I lived in town and along a river. Had a row boat and would go out in the summer months, Several years later, my Mother say there was a lady that wanted my Duck, Mom said it was to Big and the lady had a farm. The next thing, couple days later my Mom had a couple Qt. jars with Duck soup. I took me a long time to get over that. Mom said that was not my Duck, but I knew Better.😩 I guess the Cats 🐱🐱🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆 don't bother the Ducks.

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

Yeah I hear ya. When I was young my parents told me my german shepard Max went blind and they sent him to live on a farm. Well he wasn't blind and there was no farm. Pretty cool duck to befriend the dog though, I wish my ducks would do that.

[@karimayer5433]

This is helpful! What would you say about keeping 5 chickens and 4 ducks together over winter in the same coop/run?

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

it can be done for sure, just gotta keep an eye on the water issue. Ducks will make a mess of the water. Don't put water inside the coop. I use heated poultry drinkers with the nipples and it make zero mess but ducks can't drink from the drinkers so they need a bowl of some kind. Trouble with chickens is their combs and wattles get frostbite it they become wet and it's very cold out. Best of luck.

[@karimayer5433]

Thank you!!!

[@NewHeightsEducation]

Can you share sources of where you purchased the water things and the source of the pump for water?

[@florinzachman-tisca2981]

inspirated congratulatione

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

That's great, thank you.

[@adamalghazali2816]

👍👍👍😊😊

[@melissapin5920]

Where can I find those rubber tubs? My ducks water keep freezing. We’ve gone trough a few different heaters in the last month that did not work. So we want to try this.

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

@@melissapin5920usually the tubs can be found at any farm supply store but it’s not what keeps water from freezing. I’ve also used plastic cement mixing tubs from Lowe’s and they also don’t freeze but I’m using electric poultry waterer deicers. They work great in keeping the water thawed although they have gotten quite expensive now.

[@MihaDuV]

Does the heat puck in the water not burn their beaks, or feet?

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

Not that I’ve noticed and it’s been a few years now. I guess they don’t stand on it but then again it’s thermostatically controlled so it only turns on when it needs to and only keeps the water from freezing doesn’t make the water hot either.

[@dealiahunter6560]

What about the locks on the clean out doors? Raccoons have hands

[@england8186]

👍🌞

[@adamalghazali2816]

Keep going man 👍👍👍👍👍👏🇾🇪

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

Haha I’m working on it 😆 the summer building season will soon be here. I’m designing a custom goose house right now.

[@adamalghazali2816]

😂😂😆😆hahah

[@GrannySanny]

Maybe you should patent your duck feeder. Looks very ingenious.

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

Thanks u so much, but I really can't take credit for the design...I'm just handy enough to build it. Here's a video on it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3bHgZeVp8qKps0

[@daisysfarmsonnotalottaacre4895]

I’ve had a farm for over ten years in IL. And I didn’t even know there was frost free freakin pump. What the heck. I don’t know how to install this thing. But I want it. lol. We have the same bulk feeder tho.

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

It’s life changing

[@lisaboudreau5390]

How many times a day do you fill their water?

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

In winter I fill it only once as they don’t splash around too much, in summer it’s twice or sometimes I just use more water pools.

[@daisysfarmsonnotalottaacre4895]

I’ve had a farm for over ten years in IL. And I didn’t even know there was frost free freakin pump. What the heck. I don’t know how to install this thing. But I want it. Lol

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

@@daisysfarmsonnotalottaacre4895 it’s awesome. Its a frost free yard hydrant and it’s like 8 feet deep. When you shut it off there’s a plunger that closes down a the bottom and weep hole drains the leftover water in the pipe. We trenched everywhere I wanted water a few years ago. It’s life changing.

[@robertarnold4411]

Where did yo get the heat puck for your water?

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

Oh just our local feed shop. Amazon might have it too. They’re made by Farm Innovators and it’s called a waterer de-icer.

[@LowHangingFruitForest]

How many ducks can live in this setup? Or better question? What’s the duck: square foot ratio?

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

Well the duck coop is 200 sq’ and I figure one duck for every 4’ Right now we’re running 20 ducks and that’s probably the most I’ll ever keep even though the coop can hold many more than that.

[@kylesaunders2753]

You kind of remind me of Will Ferrell.

[@paulo-eb4we]

what do you think about the war about russia and ukrain

[@HiddenSpringFarm]

I mean it’s sad but that’s a huge subject. Hopefully it doesn’t escalate to an all out world war. I’m sure there are a lot of duck farmers over there wondering if their ducks are gonna be ok too. 🦆

[@paulo-eb4we]

@@HiddenSpringFarm Thats True i hope their ducks will be safe

[@roycooper7461]

I wanted to watch a good video on how 2 care for my two ducks during the winter on a budget with minimal cost then I thought you were walking back towards your house the new inform the viewers that's a house you built for the ducks....... I'm looking for somebody that builds minimal but safe shelter with nothing but used materials gathered for little or no money not someone who builds a Log Cabin for his ducks that's nicer than my house don't get me wrong you're set up is impressive and that's awesome but you I shouldn't misrepresent the video instead of saying you're going to show how to do it on a budget you should say I'm going to show you how to give your ducks the best possible care if your budget is not an issue

[@stephaniemeadows6796]

They are poo machines lol I have rouen the ones that look like mallards 🦆