How NOT to Raise Ducks in the Winter

There are some things you should do when raising ducks in the winter. There are some things you shouldn't do. Let me give you my winter duck tips.
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About Gold Shaw Farm: Gold Shaw Farm is more of a farm-in-progress than an honest-to-goodness farm. Our dream is that someday we are able to transform our 150+ acre parcel of land into a regenerative and productive homestead and farm.

[@freidapauline6372]

Do you know that you are helping a 79 year old urban-living woman get through this time period--love your personality and I crack up every time I hear "Release the Quackers!" (As a Quaker I change it to suit my own needs!!!)

[@GoldShawFarm]

That warms my heart to hear!

[@CelticRootsFarm]

That’s one reason we love our homesteading community. We have always been able to count on our fellow homesteaders... and even those that can appreciate this type of sustainability like yourself. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas.

[@plankface]

Aww Freida! ❤️❤️ Agreed, Morgan is awesome. I laugh at his sideways close ups.

[@be6715]

I think it is a riff on 'Release the Kraken!' It is from a movie.

[@CelticRootsFarm]

@@be6715 Clash of the Titans perhaps?

[@ttba_1878]

So different from last year when you were dragging the water around by sledge.

[@ambert.3792]

oh man! what a throwback! the sleds with all the HD buckets was a trip.

[@crystalmania1934]

Lmao I remember that

[@joshyaks]

Toby at 4:35 - "Hooman paw! I've never seen THAT before!"

[@Kingsman4101]

I know he ran up and started smelling the old feet...lol

[@Pavaroso]

So much joy at the happy finding some smelly feet.

[@donnaml8776]

Lol yeah,I got a kick out of that too lol 😝

[@chevalierduval5759]

Even cats are curious on that. Incredible tastes of our animals

[@kagetupa701]

My ducks love the snow, they look like they are swimming in the snow because you can’t see their feet haha

[@dekomazuda4068]

I am the wife but I don't work so I start and clean the snow off my husbands car in winter instead.

[@arthas640]

Same here, my dad did it for my stepmom since he was an early riser and i did it for my parents too since the cold doesnt really bother me. It's a really nice thing you can do for someone to help them out or just to be nice since not freezing your butt off first thing in the morning and not having to scrape ice off for a few minutes is a nice way to start your day.

[@shammi8133]

I was driving through New Braunfels TX today and I saw written in the dirt on the back of another truck "Release the Quacken"

[@KaitlynBurtonISaGOD]

Awe u starting ur wifes car was so wholesome

[@donnaml8776]

Happy wife, happy life ♥️

[@be6715]

And sweet!

[@ildlyn8966]

extra polution in the atmosphere so wholesome

[@marcelacecil3036]

I see a long happy marriage in your future!

[@KaitlynBurtonISaGOD]

@@ildlyn8966 well arent you a ball of positivity

[@vincenttriemert7403]

As soon as you said how much damage can three little ducks do, I started laughing real loud

[@donnaml8776]

Always better to learn from someone else’s mistakes, lol.😛

[@willowgutierrez6415]

I was an RA in college and caught a prank in progress. There was a rivalry between two of the floors and one released a wild duck on the other. In the short time it took them to catch that one duck, the amount of poop was shocking. The perpetrators had to clean it up and that was punishment enough I'll tell you.

[@murrrriel]

The deep bedding even generates a little bit of heat to warm up the space

[@be6715]

I would think there is probably some composting happening at the bottom, and that would generate heat for sure.

[@GoodPersonTestWebsite]

@@be6715 yes, that's exactly how deep bedding works.

[@vineyardchickshomestead]

First year we had ducks, I accidentally put their food in the heated bowl! They had warm food and an ice rink when I returned! 😞

[@jacqulinejackson4822]

GOOSE AND ITS SELFIE IS CUTE LOL

[@taha2674]

Haha funny fact is that I've been following you for like one year and plus and still each week i can't wait for monday and thursday to come ,you 're really entertaining us god bless you:)

[@GoldShawFarm]

Thanks for watching and following along!

[@mcknightsnow]

Takes shoe off Toby dog “ wait let me smell this,HOLD ON! Let me smell!”

[@KARIS1961]

How much damage can they do? Crying!!! 😂 I let mine in the kitchen for five minutes and it’s completely destroyed. 😃😃😃

[@donnaml8776]

😳 oh my!

[@arthas640]

I do construction work and had a... well i wouldnt quite call them a "hipster" but something close to it, i.e someone who saw alot of adorable ducks and chickens in blogs and social media and with no experience with them thought "i should get some!" and figured she could keep a couple in her tiny yard and medium sized house. She was having me do some work on her house and mentioned she was getting some birds. I tried telling her that I had raised chickens and turkeys (no ducks though) and they're fine outside but she was convinced she could bring them into her house if it was cold out or if racoons started coming around. I tried explaining to her the ungodly mess they create and the fact that they peck and bite EVERYTHING and will eat anything they come across that has a fun texture or appearance and I'll never forget the last words she said to me: "how bad could it really be". I dont know how it turned out the first time she brought them inside, but with my prior experience, i can safely guess.

[@donnaml8776]

@@arthas640 🤦🏻‍♀️ why do some people want to treat animals as humans. They are not human, and people who try actually hurt the animals in their attempt to humanize them.

[@arthas640]

@@donnaml8776 true that. Some animals like cats and dogs do fine indoors because of 5000+ years of careful breeding while some small animals like turtles and gerbils do fine because they like tiny spaces to scurry around and hide in, but ducks need wide open areas to poop indiscriminately in

[@b19931228]

4:34 I like how you took off your crampon boot and Toby is just *eager* to sniff your freshly liberated foot.

[@DanielSoomil]

Seeing the snow already has me excited to see how the duck pond looks in the spring.

[@tvm-manducktv8375]

Please see my KZbin😊😊😊

[@onetuliptree]

Toby grabbed a piece of salad for himself, Lol.

[@flatcapfiddle]

My friend used to save the shells from his eggs after cooking and would crush them up and feed them back to the chickens as a way of improving calcium intake and digestion.

[@dogeyanimates2130]

My little farm is weird, we give all the eggs to our neighbors, we don’t eat eggs much.

[@Sammyconray]

3:39 Bouncy bouncy ooh such a good time.

[@Randomgamingplus]

Great video. After seeing your friend raising ducks inside the bathroom, this takes a whole new term of "release the quacken".

[@missarielle2]

Marriage Pro Tips in addition to pro duck tips!! Nothing makes you feel more loved than having your partner do a little annoying chore for you. Starting the car, making the coffee, filling the gas tank... The old saying actions speak louder than words.

[@barrywest3758]

The camera got Goosed! LOL, thanks, I enjoyed 👍

[@horace6851]

Me: never intending to raise animals, GSF: winter duck raising instruction, me: uuu, lets watch right away!

[@jessicaoppegard6578]

Same 🤣🖤

[@heelerhealer7552]

I agree, and believe your advice about always starting your wife's car IS some of the best that you have ever given! Goes a long way.

[@AlexRYT]

I have 18 ducks and 3 chickens, they all sleep together in an unused shed , this will be their first winter :)

[@pacificcastaway9972]

lol, he's takes off his boot and the dog immediately starts checking out the smells.

[@builtontherockhomestead9390]

A few years ago I brought a sick drake inside and even a sick duck can destroy a bathtub.

[@diceportz7107]

I use an old dog kennel. and yes, there is still poop everywhere.

[@arthas640]

@@diceportz7107 having raise chickens i can say that birds are one of the only animals capable of spraying/launching their poop quite a distance. I once found poop inside of a hanging feeder, meaning that bird had to leap at least 4ft up and 4 foot over _while pooping_ and had to get that poop into an opening less then a foot wide while doing so, all for the sake of pooping in her own food. And yet, she did just that. My mom once had a chicken get inside her house and it managed to get poop several feet up her wall, jump on toher kitchen counter, and spray poop all over the counter while in a blind panic. Many bird species will poop to lighten the load before they fly or flee a threat so if they get stressed out (like if they arent used to being inside a house) they will start pooping alot more.

[@vincentvm3]

If u ever plan to get more chickens, get swedish flower chickens, they are very pretty with a mille fleur pattern and lay 180 eggs average a year. They are also very durable against the cold. Highly recommend them to everyone if you are looking for more and beautiful chickens! They also have sweet characters.

[@gothic_oma]

Thanks for the recommendation! I'm going to look into them. ☺💛

[@KlutzyNinjaKitty]

There's also Wyandotte chickens! They're supposedly reliable egg and meat producers while also being very cold-hardy. Though I've heard that they can be noisier than most other breeds and have big personalities.

[@vincentvm3]

Klutzy Ninja Kitty Being from the netherlands our wyandotte chickens are mostly bantams, they get broody very often so they aren't reliable egg producers for me that wouldn't be a good choice but if they are like that in usa then it could be a good idea!

[@SB_whatevers]

I've owned swedish flower hens. They are beautiful and cold hardy, but because they are a landrace, they are "flighty" (as in, not docile). There's also a small genetic pool and few breeders. Other more common breeds that are cold hardy, cheaper, and more docile are probably a better idea.

[@vincentvm3]

@@SB_whatevers the small gene pool indeed is true, i am from the netherlands and the swedish flower hens i currently own are the sweetest and friendliest chickens i ever had and so far are my go to breed after having chickens for 8 years. But that is my personal experience and i did spend a lot of time with them(hatched them in my brooder during lockdown). But for a farmer like morgan a rhode island red is probably a better idea since they seem to be very friendly even if you dont have the most time for them.

[@ozarks_onna]

"Dude! Not cool." I laughed so hard.

[@tvm-manducktv8375]

Please see my KZbin^_^

[@sabrakt]

You make all this look and sound so easy, it almost makes me wish I had my own duck farm. But then I remember I'm a lazy city guy so that's probably not a good idea.

[@Nirrrina]

I know right? I keep watching these farming channels so much that Google now thinks I'm a farmer. I keep getting ads for farm animal projects & crop seeds. I live in a one bedroom apartment. Shoot I'd probably forget to feed my current 2 cats. Except I keep getting ambushed by the girl for canned food every single time I go anywhere near the kitchen! They also get dry & of course fresh water always.

[@gothic_oma]

@@Nirrrina Haha, me too!

[@mikekristin7201]

I have 5 ducks and live in Chicagoland. You can do it I believe in you @front_yard_ ducks on IG

[@Nirrrina]

@@gothic_oma Yay I'm not alone! I think my cats might be a little too spoiled. I was just eating a cherry laffy taffy& there was no question that my boy cat was going to get a little piece. Damn cats a foodie. Still he'll taste the weirdest things.

[@gothic_oma]

@@mikekristin7201 Omigosh, I went to instagram and loved your videos!

[@jessiewatson9515]

I’ve always started my ducklings off indoors but yeah the little poop producers need constant clean up ! And sending tidal waves out of the bath tub when they are swooping about ...floods !!!

[@janetleegreen8891]

Yet so fun to watch 😆😆😆

[@colin5924]

Love the channel, quickly becoming a fav here on KZbin! Happy holidays from IL

[@tvm-manducktv8375]

Please see my KZbin😊

[@mercy92399]

I’m glad you are smiling.

[@NedAndre]

As a Mainer going through my first winter with ducks, this was very informative!

[@alfilkemper9240]

My husband put a small heater with a timer on the floor of the passenger side of the car. The heater starts up about 30 min. (or longer as temp. decreases) before we have to use it; the inside is warm, the windows are clear (or at least makes it easier to remove the built up snow), the side mirror covers are removed (covered with plastic grocery bags) & away I go! This saves gas, zero pollution & even the steering wheel is warm, his thoughtfulness & innovation is greatly appreciated ❣️

[@catedoss1556]

I love that Elmer Fudd hat. Looks cozy. I’m in the burbs outside Denver where we get 10’s below zero a handful of times a year and over 300 days of sunshine. I love watching you and Toby and the Quacken, and it makes me grateful to be aging quietly without ducks in my bathroom. 🤣🤣❤️❤️❤️

[@jaredt6093]

💯 On the pro tip! Since I go to bed super late, and my wife went to work early, I would clean off her car before going to sleep. 10/10 would recommend.

[@bellasteppedonmahtoez932]

So I was watching your videos and after you talking about the bigger plastic tubs and I just got one and they work really well so thanks for recommending my ducks play with the water so much

[@KatieZornes]

We raise ducks here, but I haven't wanted geese (because they scare me a little),. That being said, every time a goose goes for the camera, I can't help but appreciate their little noggins. I'm warming up to them! Thanks for sharing! :)

[@rogerhuber3133]

My experience in NW Arkansas with my ducks is they are messy! I originally kept them in a pen in my garage but it got so messy they had to move outside. After building them a nice secure home they discovered the pond around 6-7 months old and never came back. I love these guys and they provide a huge amount of entertainment for the money. Mine live outside and we have extreme temps from 5* up to 100*+. In the winter when everything is frozen including my pond they still live on the pond. They keep an area about 12-15" round cleared of ice with their body temp. Ducks must have water so they can flush out their nostrils. It's vital to their health. Swimming and splashing is needed to keep their feathers healthy too. They don't roost but do squat down and rest wherever they are including in the snow. Ducks are very durable and easier to tend than chickens. My chickens have a nice coop but the ducks prefer the outdoors all the time.

[@oakyafterbirth2801]

My fiancé and I LOVE your channel! Another great video and such sage advice!!!! ☺️

[@katiea.584]

Your smile.."like a jackson pollock painting with duck poop right!?!" Hahahhaha the Best!

[@trishhamilton2049]

You have great life advise... I love your channel! Although this is kinda common sense about wild animals and living outdoors. We have a huge bag of corn but own no ducks... we just love to feed them at the park and anywhere it is ok to. I love those crampons I use them during the winter for walking around as I watch others slip and slide like they had never seen this thing called...."winter" 🤣😂

[@stevedurr2149]

you need to build Allison a cover parking area! ASAP!

[@TaterGrabbinBass]

Small solar powered water heater to “heat” the water from freezing and keeping the water tanks insulated during the cold winter months is what one friend does. He made some sort of blanket/heating pad type thing and put it around the water tank and it never freezes even in the coldest of days. It’s a semi “homemade” Mcguyver setup.

[@anariel8216]

This was very good information! I live in Minnesota and in a few years time I'm going to get a small farm and raise ducks, geese, chickens, and dairy goats. Thank you for talking about winter care for waterfowl in Northern climates! Keep up the great content

[@TheLittleGrayBarn]

I love the winter tips and tricks. Thank you for putting out this video. We recently moved from Arizona to Michigan to start our farm adventure and this whole winter thing has been a bit of a learning curve!

[@GardenJensJourney]

Great tips!! Thank you. I've been raising birds for 5 years now and still learned some great tips. Thank you!!

[@gaylewatkins4685]

Morgan, thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. You have helped so many people with their farm. You have a great channel and I never miss a video.

[@louimarco341]

I was thinkig to have a farm and i lourn so much from you tnx brother big hi from north africa

[@michalrzmichalrz6656]

I think you could have easily squeezed a Dr Strangelove 'purity of essence' joke in there somewhere.

[@CelticRootsFarm]

In case anyone is interested...A few tips to stop water from freezing so fast. OLD RUBBER TIRE METHOD... cover the bottom with foam and then fill up the inside of the tire with spray foam. Once dry, you cut out a spot in the foam for you rubber water bucket. It definitely takes the water a lot longer to freeze using this method since the water is insulated. Another good one is the SALT METHOD (Another great one if you don't have electricity). Measure 1/4 to 1/2 cup of salt. Pour it into a 20oz container and fill to the top with water. Place it in the water bucket so it floats there. This method works because salt water has a much lower freezing point and will slow the freezing process around the bottle. Plus the ducks and or chickens will move the floating bottle around the surface of the water causing the water not to freeze as fast. We have about 40 ducks and 30 chickens on our homestead and just purchased a HEATED HOSE that cost about $150 and it saves us so much time and works GREAT! We also use heated buckets and waterers. Keep up the great work guys!!! We love your channel!

[@donnaml8776]

I just wanted to say that I’ve enjoyed this video very much. It’s very informative. I truly enjoy seeing all the fowl that you have. I think it’s amazing that you can honestly call yourself a “fowl farmer” - you had a dream, put your heart and soul into it, asked all sorts of questions and sought out answers. Amazing! With each video I can see growth in your knowledge and confidence and your desire to share and help others is commendable. The commercial - 🎶“you’ve come a long way baby, yeah” 🎶 keeps going through my head, lol. I’ve lived in North Dakota and Alaska and they both have the -40° winters (with a tremendous amount of wind 🌬) it’s tough going. But, You’re both making it work. 👍🏻 Good job, thanks for sharing!

[@emilioalberto6967]

Remember... Walking in the sand... You, fine sir, have good taste in music - speeding it up made that pic of the three ducks destroying that bathroom THAT much funnier!

[@AkashA3007]

From India 🇮🇳 💘 😻 💜 💛

[@ritamulloy3522]

They all look so happy and healthy! Keep up the good work 👍⭐️💕

[@selectivires]

Morgan :takes off shoe Toby: allow me to introduce myself

[@chickenmomma9239]

You are such a model for humanity. Thank you.

[@kathiesanders1533]

I love your videos. You are so knowledgeable. Thanks for sharing your farm life

[@GoodPersonTestWebsite]

I went and bought one of those rubber pans this past Saturday after seeing them in your videos. My ducks are loving it. It's larger than the previous waterer I had for them so they can actually climb in when they don't have access to the pool. They also have a standard waterer they share with the chickens that they can't make as much of a mess with so they have clean drinking water, too.

[@Frisbeegrl11]

I raised chickens, ducks, and turkeys when I lived in MA. Ventilation is key! I used the same deep bedding method you used and my birds were MUCH happier.

[@mjgbabydragonlet]

Thanks Morgan! I was lovely to see this today!

[@ripplehillhomestead2979]

I am so glad to have connected with you guys on CH. Your Videos inspire me to pump more content thank you.

[@Camel9991]

I'm from Poland and it's really nice to watch videos like this one, cause I can relate to my country's climate and it remembers me the times when as a teenager I had to take care of my parents' geese, ducks and horses and as you said the water management was crucial.

[@Camel9991]

but I must say temperatures as low as -30C are very rare in Poland nowadays.

[@5Worthingtons]

Thanks for the info and the laughs!

[@happynowfarms]

Thank you for the videos. I am new to Farming and am just starting out and the videos have been extremely helpful for my growing Farm!

[@maggievedrenne7379]

Another great video. Really help me with my chickens.

[@dbales8288]

For a few years now, I have considered getting waterfowl over poultry. I now have just over a doz ducks and my girls recently started laying eggs. Altho I live in the desert southwest, I really enjoy your channel! With Toby, you have allowed so many people the opportunity to see the Maremma Sheepdog at work. The Maremma was in my top 2 LGD breeds of choice for our farm. I have found a Maremma breeder who's pups are raised around ducks and chickens among other livestock. Because of your guidance, I will be choosing that breeder over another breeder. I hope to add a Maremma pup to our farm sometime next year. Thank you so much for your videos and channel!! I am enjoying your adventures! STAY WARM!!!

[@dianecharles881]

Super great advice!!! First time having ducks !!! Never knew about the sand !! Thanks

[@donaldwatson7698]

05:56 - morning rush hour, Vermont style.

[@WomboShlongo]

So glad I got recommended these vids. Had some whacky tobaccy and some munchies and was completely enthralled by all your videos! So wholesome and light-hearted =) Give Bruce some scritches for me!

[@interestedobserver9352]

Your personality is helping you and your audience get through these rough times - your presentation is informative but also humorous. BTW it's nice of you to start your wife's car, but if she's working and getting the benefits, she's earned that little perk!

[@moniquem783]

I find all the winter stuff you have to do fascinating. It never snows where I live, so I don’t have to do anything different in winter. Until a few years ago it had never occurred to me that your pipes would freeze etc. It blew my mind a little. Very sweet that you started your wife’s car.

[@bettinah.7429]

You have come a long way in your well thought out infrastructure over the last few years. Good work!

[@blaze3884]

Ahhh yes....the old fall down go boom on hidden ice lol I've starred in that movie more times than I can remember! Great video!

[@ThaumaturgistGuard]

We use very similar crampons to get to work in winter, which is a culture monument located at the peak of a nearby mountain. They are so worth investing into!

[@roxythecat4720]

This helps a lot! We only have a few ducks but we havent had them through the winter before. Thanks for the tips!

[@diannt9583]

Massachusetts Hilltowns here. I love crampons, very useful. Especially since there is a small slope from the house to the chickens. No ducks or geese... yet...I backpack water down when there is snow cover.

[@rocknloom2474]

I use a heated water bucket for the duck house when they sleep & lay eggs.🥚🥚🥚🥚🥚 It's really a life saver.

[@iw3508]

This video was very helpful especially since I was going to get some ducks and had no clue for the cold environment

[@ervinhull5751]

I have watched for awhile. I decided to get ducks also and ended up in the ER sick as ever. Where I am at it's pretty hard to sell duck eggs so not sure what to do other than just enjoying our flock. Thanks for the great shows bud!

[@Dhemize]

Loved the pic of your friends bathroom! Wish we could’ve seen your first reaction to it hahaha Great vid Morgan!❤️

[@Oldjohn52]

I very much enjoy your videos. The insights and tips you share, while not germain to my life, must be a real boon to people in the spot you were in a couple years ago. You, sir, are a mensch.

[@GoldShawFarm]

So nice of you

[@MamaTtoB-P]

Very awesome video. I'm going to look for them crampons. Those are just what I need in winter. God bless

[@chiefjohnsonBR549]

Informative, Interesting and Entertaining . Thanks 😊. And Dude Merry Christmas to You and Your.

[@robpersons]

I found your farm last night and have been binging the videos. I am living vicariously through you. I am really interested in how you scale this thing and still make it fun. I will be watching.

[@dyannejohnson6184]

My goodness is that a swimming noodle around the water pipe...I love it

[@mcintyrefarm634]

Maybe you should put some of that straw underneath the duck house for Toby, with a big dog bed on top, you could try plexi glass on three of the walls then Toby could keep watch. What a beautiful dog!

[@funnybitchbernice]

Omg I literally just google this yesterday

[@savedbeliever]

Thanks for making me laugh 😂 I needed that,,,and that song,,,oh, no,,, oh no,,,,oh no no no no no 🤭🤣😅 so funny 😀🦆🦆

[@vgil1278]

ooo-I LOVE the sound of all the dragon wings together!

[@heartwork8318]

Love the hat!

[@1enediyne]

We keep fowl up here in Northwestern Canada, down into the -40s in the winter. We use black rubber feed bowls. They are indestructible. Usually one kettle boiled water in a 5 g pail too on the very cold days. Our fowl are in tractors outside protected from the wind, but with new dry bedding every couple of days. We tried keeping them in with the chickens our first winter. Lead to poop ice mountains in the coop and frostbite for the chickens.

[@conflectiz]

I’m not sure why I keep watching these vids. Is it because I have two ducks and 6 chickens? Maybe!!! But I doubt it. There’s something about the way he edits his videos that keeps me hooked. I want to watch more. PS: those are micro spikes, not crampons. Crampons are aggressive with more visible claws.

[@ESPN7554Railfan]

Thanks for all of the info

[@jenmoores3660]

Geese as bodyguards, that's fantastic!

[@juliakovacs4885]

Aww, Toby wanted a piece of salad too!

[@tvm-manducktv8375]

Please see my KZbin

[@jenford7078]

Toby gets gis share of the greens... Love that dog!

[@deniseripp1384]

Learned so much thank you

[@hollyadkins4729]

Good morning ☀️ So happy all is good!

[@GoldShawFarm]

Good morning