MALLARD THREAD...not rouens, Mallards!

[DuckLadyRo]

Hmm, I'm not really sure what the shaking is, but it seems a lot of peoples ducks do it so it must be fine! I hope they stop chasing each other and calm down! They are gorgeous ducks! Is Max missing some of the webbing on his right foot?

Thank you all, they are beautiful brothers, the pictures don't do them justice. They've just started to molt and I've been collecting the prettiest breast feathers! From what I've read on BYC the shaking seems to be normal.. weird, but normal! When we got Shadow his webbing was torn ( I realized I totally mixed up my left and right when describing the birds!! Shadow is on the left, and Max on the right!), it seems to be slowly healing itself and it doesn't seem to be hurting him or affecting him at all - it almost looks like a healed wound so we're not sure if it'll close up or not... I keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get torn worse! Should I be more concerned?? I'm completely learning as I go, I just ordered a raising ducks book from online and should be here by Friday!

 

[DuckLadyRo]

My ducks also shiver/shake their head and it makes them look angry :0 Sometimes they proceed by pecking or a launch attack lol

My drakes are acting very nasty right now, like the pecking and chasing each other and other females. It's the season.

Max and Shadow are pretty!

Good to know! I'm such a nervous duck mommy! This is their first "mating" season, and with no hens.. I think I'm the next best thing in their eyes! And thank you, their colors are absolutely gorgeous!

 

[NathanZee]

Thank you all, they are beautiful brothers, the pictures don't do them justice. They've just started to molt and I've been collecting the prettiest breast feathers! From what I've read on BYC the shaking seems to be normal.. weird, but normal! When we got Shadow his webbing was torn ( I realized I totally mixed up my left and right when describing the birds!! Shadow is on the left, and Max on the right!), it seems to be slowly healing itself and it doesn't seem to be hurting him or affecting him at all - it almost looks like a healed wound so we're not sure if it'll close up or not... I keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get torn worse! Should I be more concerned?? I'm completely learning as I go, I just ordered a raising ducks book from online and should be here by Friday!

Just wait till the blue wing feathers come out, those are gorgeous! Oh so Shadow's webbing is torn. I don't think you need to worry about it, just watch it to make sure it doesn't get infected or something. He should be totally fine. That's great you are learning more about them!

 

[DuckLadyRo]

Just wait till the blue wing feathers come out, those are gorgeous! Oh so Shadow's webbing is torn. I don't think you need to worry about it, just watch it to make sure it doesn't get infected or something. He should be totally fine. That's great you are learning more about them!

I didn't think the blue feathers came out!!! I can't wait... looks like I'll be making earrings! Thank you for all your help!

 

[NathanZee]

I didn't think the blue feathers came out!!! I can't wait... looks like I'll be making earrings! Thank you for all your help!

They might not come out, ducks don't molt their wingfeathers everytime they molt, but they might! I suppose they will be good for earrings!

 

[Kroelies]

The wing feathers should mold around August I think, I go around the neighborhood to collect them and they are gorgeous indeed! The ducks look so funny when they've lost their flight feathers, like they have duckling wings Your drakes will also start to look like girls around that time e

 

[NathanZee]

The wing feathers should mold around August I think, I go around the neighborhood to collect them and they are gorgeous indeed! The ducks look so funny when they've lost their flight feathers, like they have duckling wings

Your drakes will also start to look like girls around that time

Strangely a lot of my ducks are molting now, and one buff hen lost all her wingfeathers, the other buff hen lost her speculum (they are tan so not quite as cool), and all the other ducks aren't losing their wings.

 

[DuckLadyRo]

Strangely a lot of my ducks are molting now, and one buff hen lost all her wingfeathers, the other buff hen lost her speculum (they are tan so not quite as cool), and all the other ducks aren't losing their wings.

Since these are my first ducks I'm not really sure about molting schedules, but I have noticed tons of little fluffy feathers around the pen, along with larger breast feathers I've started collecting! Hopefully some I'll get some beautiful wing feathers! How scruffy do they start looking?

 

[NathanZee]

Since these are my first ducks I'm not really sure about molting schedules, but I have noticed tons of little fluffy feathers around the pen, along with larger breast feathers I've started collecting! Hopefully some I'll get some beautiful wing feathers! How scruffy do they start looking?

Those are pretty feathers! They can start to look pretty funny, especially if they are going into eclipse. Are the feathers that are growing in on your drakes brown and tan or are they the same color?

 

[DuckLadyRo]

Those are pretty feathers! They can start to look pretty funny, especially if they are going into eclipse. Are the feathers that are growing in on your drakes brown and tan or are they the same color?

I can't really tell what's growing in... and since they are still a little human wary - I can't easily pick them up and manhandle them.. The feathers that are currently molting the most seem to be the breast feathers, I believe those are the spotted/striped ones.. when I was watching them yesterday I notices tiny little feather on the underside of their wings, but I don't know if those are new feather - or just tiny old feathers! I have so much to learn!!