One Duck Out - Ideas?

[3bird]

Hi, Guys!

It's been getting cold here in Maine (finally!), and being relatively new duck parents, we are of course ridiculously nervous about our feathered family and making sure we are doing right by them as winter sets in. I know, I know. Ducks have the best little down jackets, and ducks do great in the winter, but we still get nervous as we see the temps drop and hear the wind howl outside. Increasingly, the view we get overnight is this one:

Six ducks in and one duck out...and it's always Amelia who is out. :-(

Usually three of the girls are on their nests, the boys are in the middle of the house, and one girl is blocking the door at the top of the ramp. To be fair, we have not actually seen Amelia's efforts to enter the duckhouse thwarted, but on these cold, windy nights, we're making the assumption she would like to be in the house with the other six. They all get along at other times, but Amelia, post injury, certainly took the lowest rung on the pecking order ladder.

Are there any ideas about what we should do? We've considered building a mini duckhouse in the run big enough for two ducks and stuff it with plenty of straw so Amelia can at least get out of the wind. We also considered stacking hay bales around the portion of the run under the duckhouse to make that whole area more protected. Other ideas? We considered plastic, but they really hate plastic, and I'm not thrilled about stapling a bunch of plastic up.

Here's the set-up:

Thanks in advance!

 

[chickens really]

I lock all mine in at night and let them out in the morning..Try that....

 

[3bird]

I lock all mine in at night and let them out in the morning..Try that....

Thanks. Do you give them water in the duckhouse overnight?

 

[chickens really]

Nope....No food or water till morning...They do great...Best wishes...

 

[3bird]

Nope....No food or water till morning...They do great...Best wishes...

They do like to come and go as they please all night, and they often prefer to sleep outside. Maybe we need to establish a threshold for temps/wind when we lock them in. Thanks again!

 

[3bird]

I'm looking at them right now, as the temps are plummeting toward the 20s and the wind is picking up to 20mph with 40mph gusts. Six are inside, but Amelia is out. :-(

 

[chickens really]

I read you don't want to hang vapour barrier plastic?...I do and it works great...Best suggestion is to do what works for your Birds..
Best wishes....

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd make sure once evening comes everyone is inside with the door locked that way all are out of the weather and you'll worry less.

Not many who have adult ducks keep food and water inside because it just doesn't work.

I've had ducks since 2004 and none have died from not eating or drinking over night. They are sleeping if it's dark inside their house.

 

[3bird]

I'd make sure once evening comes everyone is inside with the door locked that way all are out of the weather and you'll worry less.

Not many who have adult ducks keep food and water inside because it just doesn't work.

I've had ducks since 2004 and none have died from not eating or drinking over night. They are sleeping if it's dark inside their house.

Thanks. Do you think we should transition to locking them in every night now or just when the temps/wind warrant it? I check on them during the night pretty often, and they seem to prefer being outside most of the time.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You know it worry's me that some ones laying in front of the door and Amelia is outside by herself. I see my Muscovy's get picky with each other at times the females so makes me wonder if someone is intentionally laying in front of the door. Back in the summer I had to put a few of my Muscovy females in solitary confinement over night because they would keep chasing one of their flock around inside their house. They can be bullies.

As far as when to put tem up and when not to I'd go by the temps and wind. They will get use to going in mine would not be happy being left outside they have gone in for so long.