How Do I Keep Chickens and Ducks Warm in Winter? | Our Top Tips

[@lovlimeg]

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[@lovlimeg]

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[@mima4392]

This is my first yr./winter with my ducks, Khaki Campbells. Four are 7 months old and are outside in a shed with an attached 20 x 20 foot run all 1/4 inch hardware cloth. And four are inside that are 5 wks. old and getting feathers. I've had them outside in a big great dane dog cage in the day and brought inside the house at around 4, but now the temps are getting cold. I live on Long Island, NY. The rest of the wk is suppose to be mid to upper 70s. I no longer use the heat lamp inside. When can I put them with the older birds and keep them outside? I'm a wreck. Thanks for any advice.

[@ttater_tott]

Hi! The general rule of thumb we use is start at 90 degrees for ducks. Reduce the temp by 5 degrees per week. So at 5 weeks they should be just fine in temps around 60, and 55 at 6 weeks. If you add extra straw to their sleeping space in the shed they can snuggle down in the shed and cuddle to keep warm. When we combine babies with older birds (chickens or ducks) we usually put them together at night when everyone is calmer and relaxed. This makes the transition easier but be mindful of the babies being attacked is a possibility. I hope this helps! You can follow us on other social media platforms for faster responses from us! Facebook, Instagram, and twitter

[@mima4392]

@@ttater_tott Thank you for the advice. I haven't had the babies loose in the run with the older ducks yet. They are in the run in the big great dane dog cage. Leaving at night with the older ones is what I'm worried about. I've read good and bad things. The older ones are 2 drakes and 2 females, the babies are 4 females. I wanted the drakes to have at least 3 females each. I'm already over my limit for where I live. Thank god they're quiet.