Do your ducks sleep outside or inside at night?

[tweetysvoice]

We created our run today and added the chickens and ducks. The chicks can be locked up in the coop at night, but the ducks have a dog house that doesn't have a door to close (just plastic covering to keep out wind/rain). We put them in, but they run right back out as soon as we leave. It's now almost midnight and they are still out there quacking around and having a good ol'e time with the mud pit they created. Do you ducks actually sleep in an open bed, or do they sleep right on the ground in the pen? I'm being a nervous-nelly mom and worried that it might be too chilly for them (50 degrees overnight), since this is the first time they are outside.

Here they are before they decided to leave the duck house (again) - notice the nice mud bath?

 

[billw]

I don't think our ducks sleep much at night and they never go inside. I only see them sleeping during the day and they only go inside if the weather is beautiful (for humans).

 

[Lute]

I read somewhere that you can train them to go into the pen at night but it'll take about 2 weeks. Personally I'm just leaving mine out. If it makes them happy, I'm happy.

 

[Oregon Blues]

My ducks sleep "outdoors".

However, they are in a very secure raccoon and owl proof night run. They go into their coop to eat and to lay eggs. Then they go back outside to sleep.

During the day, they are in a much larger and slightly less "Fort Knox" day pen, but they are still protected from coyotes and stray dogs.

It's 9 AM, I just checked the temperature outdoors. 26 degrees F, and all my birds are outside. 50 degrees shouldn't be a problem. I probably won't get weather that warm in the middle of the day. Don't forget, they are wearing waterproof down jackets.

 

[Lacrystol]

My ducks sleep in the coop with the chickens and ever morning they come out with them. At night they go back in on there own, they are the last ones to go in... So my ducks sleep outside..

 

[Highlander]

Mine all troop back to their coop at night but not until it's fully dark. If there's even a chink of light left they will be outside causing a ruckus, but they are happy to go to bed once it's dark.

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

Mine all troop back to their coop at night but not until it's fully dark. If there's even a chink of light left they will be outside causing a ruckus, but they are happy to go to bed once it's dark.

And then the dusk to dawn light comes on and they get up again!!

 

[TrellasMom]

I am getting a duckling soon, and I have a pen for the duck and chickens. But the chickens have a door in there coup that I shut at night but I read where ducks don't like to be unclosed, so I don't have a door for the duck coup. I'm really wanting to put my duck inside at night. I have a hug dog crate that I can put in my bedroom. I would feel ALOT safer with Willow sleeping inside in the crate. I would put hay and stuff in there for a bed. In the morning I would let Willow outside for the day. Would that be okay?

 

[Birdydeb]

This was an old thread but this is a good question anytime. Is your duckling going to be a pet since you are only getting one? If that is the case then I don't see why it couldn't sleep in your bedroom at night. you might want to check out the threads concerning pet ducks. If it is not a pet you might want to consider getting another. Every chicken or duck needs a buddy for companionship unless you are committed to be its companion. My ducks sleep inside their house at night. I started them when they were young on going in to it to sleep and all I have to do is go in the pen and say, "let's go guys" and they get in a line and waddle in. Their house is 8x10 and they waddle in and settle down in the straw for the night. Once in awhile they go in on their own. If I didn't lock them up at night they would gladly hunker down along the fence and sleep outside where they would get picked off by raccoons because we have a LOT of raccoons. While we were building their house and they were young....they slept inside in a dog crate....I carried them out and put them(6) in a run each day. Something with 6 that was not a whole lot of fun as they got bigger. But it worked for awhile. Hope this helps.

 

[TrellasMom]

Yes she will be a pet. I'm Homeschooled and home ALL day long. So I will be with Willow ALOT. I have read where it says to get 2 for a friend. But it also says that if you can spend ALOT of time with it you could have one. Thank you. Your answer really helped. I might train it while it's young to sleep inside the crate and in the morning go outside and get fresh air.