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Ducks bathing in winter

 
pollinator
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Do ducks need to bath all year long? I am just wondering how to give ducks a bathing spot in dead of winter.  A heated stock tank that I can drain to the outside?  I believe ducks need swimming water to  mate, but since its not mating season can I skip it?  But they need water to clean their bills too dont they?  

I obviously dont have ducks now, but would like to in a few years.  
 
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No, they don't need their whole body in - just their heads. They just really love getting in - and will try to swim, even in a large cattle mineral tub. I try not to encourage them getting into the water, in the coldest parts of winter.
 
Jeff Marchand
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How do you allow them to get their heads wet but prevent them from bathing?
 
Carla Burke
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By using watering sources too small for them to get into. So for example, a 2 gallon bucket, instead of a kiddie pool. Here's a link that shows a few other options that not only help keep the water clean, but keep the ducks from getting in: https://www.thehappychickencoop.com/best-duck-waterer/
 
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Jeff Marchand wrote:  A heated stock tank that I can drain to the outside?

Temperature is one of those relative things. Getting out of a hot shower into a 15C room would seem to me, much colder than getting out of a cold shower into that same room. For that reason, my gut feeling about a heated stock tank is that I wouldn't do it.

We don't get much super cold weather, but if they're calling for freezing, or we get snow, I use rubber buckets with relatively small surface area for the ducks. They will still try to have a "sponge bath duck equivalent" and make plenty of mess, but they've been OK.

However, yes, they need to clean their nares and eyes daily. The easy way to encourage that is we soak whole wheat overnight, drain it, and pour it into the bottom of the bucket. The ducks all love to dive for it! It also gives them the extra B vitamins that ducks need, so it's a double win.
 
Carla Burke
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Oh - and my ducks actually all seem to prefer mating on the ground.
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