Caring For Ducks in Winter

We’ve had our ducks for over a year on the farm and raised one set of ducklings to maturity. Ducks have personality. They’re a bit cheeky and they like to do their own thing. Lucky, one of our white Pekins, knows to stand next to me at feed time because little grains fall from my fingers when I throw them. Our duck, Truffles, likes to quack loudly and let me know where she is but never come home. So, how do we go about caring for our ducks in winter? They’re fairly resilient but we make sure they’re well protected in the cooler months.

A Warm Dry Shelter

Part of caring for the ducks in winter is providing a warm, dry shelter. Ducks don’t roost like chickens. Despite the fact we made them little trays with hay, they like to snuggle together on the ground in the coop. But the ground is cold, so to care for our ducks we put down fresh hay once a week. This gives them a nice soft bed. (And also keeps them from rolling in chicken poop. They’re not the cleanest!) We’ve also made sure the ducks are protected from the rain and wind. The bottom half of the coop is timber so the elements cannot get in, while there’s ventilation in the top half in the form of a large chicken wire window.

The ducks and chickens are good at regulating their own temperature, so we don’t provide extra heat for the. If the climate you live in is a very cold one, though, you might like to invest in a heat lamp for your ducks. Not only will this keep them warm during the cold months, the light will encourage egg production.

Taking Care of the Ducks’ Diet

Our ducks like to free range. By free range I mean, go way up the back of the property next door and swim to the dam! To give you an idea of how far they will free range I need binoculars to see them. (no joke) But I digress. Caring for ducks in Winter means we sometimes supplement their diet. They do not get as many bugs from the ground so we give them extra green vegetables. The ducks love cabbage! We rarely feed our ducks bread as its not good for them.

Everyone knows ducks love water and they also make a mess of their water bowl. Which drives me nuts! In winter, the water quite often freezes here, so it’s essential to make sure the ducks have fresh water each morning so they can dip their beaks. They do like to swim so I will put a shallow paddling pool for them even when it’s cold.

Want to read more about what goes on at the farm? Try these posts:

Two Years At the Farm

Farm Life Update April 2020

Moving to the Country: Is it For You?