Vacationing with Ducks: How do you deal with water in freezing temperatures (or not freezing temps) while away?

[Tookie]

Hello!
So I haven't been away during winter while I've had my ducks, and I'm not sure how to deal with water while away. I did some searching on here with no luck. I will be gone for 7 or 8 days, the 24th - 31rst or 1rst, so about a week. I do have a neighbor who watches my birds while I'm away but I don't want to make her have to come every single day to change duck water. Before I had ducks she would come every other day to check up on my chickens. She's watched the ducks once before for a few days and I didn't have a good water set up and she had to change the water everyday, so I felt bad making her do that and don't want to do that to her again.
So anyways, how do you all deal with duck water while on vacation, with freezing temperatures? Although I'm all ears for ways that don't involve freezing temperatures, since it may not even be a big deal. In the day it won't be freezing but a few nights may freeze.
Thank you in advance for all your suggestions!

 

[CHlCKEN]

If it’s possible for you then you could throw in a trough heater, but I know extension cords/power can be an issue. Honestly though it may just be easier to just ask your neighbor to break the ice in the mornings.

 

[beaks_and_bills]

It's normal for it to get well below freezing where I live. We use a small water heater than can be hooked up to some extension cords from our chicken coop to the duck pen, then can be placed in their water. It keeps the water from freezing and they love standing and splashing in it for extra warmth!

 

[ruthhope]

Please ask your neighbor to come daily! It's for the best interests of your ducks. When I am away, my friend comes in twice daily. Give her a nice thank you gift!!

 

[LydiaB]

I use heated water buckets for my ducks. Here in Wisconsin you don’t have much choice- it’s highs in the single digits some weeks, sometimes the high is below zero.

 

[Tookie]

If it’s possible for you then you could throw in a trough heater, but I know extension cords/power can be an issue. Honestly though it may just be easier to just ask your neighbor to break the ice in the mornings.

That would be possible, my coops are close to our house and work shop and we already have extension cords running right near it for our aqua ponics. I think it would be much easier to ask my neighbor to break the ice, and so far it seems only a few nights will freeze.

 

[Tookie]

It's normal for it to get well below freezing where I live. We use a small water heater than can be hooked up to some extension cords from our chicken coop to the duck pen, then can be placed in their water. It keeps the water from freezing and they love standing and splashing in it for extra warmth!

Good idea! What do you have the water in?

 

[Tookie]

Please ask your neighbor to come daily! It's for the best interests of your ducks. When I am away, my friend comes in twice daily. Give her a nice thank you gift!!

I think I may just ask her to break the ice in the morning when it freezes! I will have to get her a gift along with the eggs she collects!

 

[Tookie]

I use heated water buckets for my ducks. Here in Wisconsin you don’t have much choice- it’s highs in the single digits some weeks, sometimes the high is below zero.

I saw those and they would be excellent, but I just then have the problem of water running out. I was trying to look for automatic waterers that were heated, but I didn't find much. Although then I would have the issue of hoses freezing with the automatic water.

 

[Tookie]

So what do you all do with water while away, excluding the freezing factor? Have someone come everyday to refill? Do you have an automatic filling system?
Originally I was going to attach a float valve to a goat trough, and have that automatically fill up, but that wouldn't work with freezing so I can't do that. I only go away once during the winter so freezing really isn't a issue at all except for once a year.