Too hot?!

[4Duckssofar]

I’m in the UK, I have 5 Aylesbury ducks in a pen indoors, they are 10 weeks old, a couple of them have started to pant but it’s only in the evening. The current indoor temperature is 68F is this too hot for them? The problem is the outside temperature has been dropping on and off down to 26F in the evening so I’m guessing this is too cold to put them outside permanently. What do I do?! Please help.

 

[Katicorn]

We have the same problem in the North Carolina mountains. Wild temperature swings. Its just easier when its just cold!

Today we went from 35 to 68F. The garage got toasty. I raised the lamp and opened the cardboard walls for ventilation. It will go down to 41 during the night and I know I’ll be closing and lowering the lamp a little later tonight. I aim for them not to be sleeping UNDER the light but on the edge. It takes a lot of tweaking as the temps drops.

The best advice I got was create a litte cardboard cabana over a small section of the brooder, if they go under it for shade, its too hot.

My ducks are almost one week, and Im trying to accomplish 80-85F overnight now v. 90F. Its a game in colder climates. They snuggle no matter the temp, so that even adds more difficulty to reading was they want.

***At 10 weeks your ducks should be fine with no heat source, from what I‘ve read. AT Sub 20F people seem to pull out the lamps for outside pens. 26F might be a bit much for ducks that haven’t been acclimated ( spend small amounts of time at lower temps). Can you lower the inside temperature down to 63ish and just throw more blankets on yourself?

 

[3xhhheather]

I’m in the UK, I have 5 Aylesbury ducks in a pen indoors, they are 10 weeks old, a couple of them have started to pant but it’s only in the evening. The current indoor temperature is 68F is this too hot for them? The problem is the outside temperature has been dropping on and off down to 26F in the evening so I’m guessing this is too cold to put them outside permanently. What do I do?! Please help.

Those temps should be fine as long as they're fully feathered and are protected from the elements. I would slowly introduce them to that temp though, if you can that is.

Are they sleeping on top of each other? That could be raising their body temps and causing them to pant.

 

[4Duckssofar]

Those temps should be fine as long as they're fully feathered and are protected from the elements. I would slowly introduce them to that temp though, if you can that is.

Are they sleeping on top of each other? That could be raising their body temps and causing them to pant.

I think they are fully feathered now. Their house is protected from the elements. They’ve been out on warm days and seem ok.

They don’t sleep cuddled up together anymore and usually lay in a circle just so they can see each other.

I just want to be sure they will be ok to manage the cold night time temperatures.

 

[3xhhheather]

I think they are fully feathered now. Their house is protected from the elements. They’ve been out on warm days and seem ok.

They don’t sleep cuddled up together anymore and usually lay in a circle just so they can see each other.

I just want to be sure they will be ok to manage the cold night time temperatures.

They look fully feathered, so they should be able to handle those super low temps. Just ease them into it so there’s no shock

Aylesbury are larger birds so it could just be that causing them to pant, not sure how hot it gets in your area but you may need a fan during that season or give them access to water at night.

 

[4Duckssofar]

They look fully feathered, so they should be able to handle those super low temps. Just ease them into it so there’s no shock

Aylesbury are larger birds so it could just be that causing them to pant, not sure how hot it gets in your area but you may need a fan during that season or give them access to water at night.

Thank you so much for your re assurance