2-Year Old, Tiny Duck Never Molted Properly

[3bird]

Hi All.

This is Martha.

She is a two-year old silver Appleyard who has really never fully molted (hard molt) and never developed her blue wing bars. She is our tiniest girl and often our broodiest girl. She's got all kinds of quirks such as hopping (we call her our jumping bean) and a very distinctive quack. She appears generally pretty happy (for a broody girl) and forages with her sisters and eats lots of slugs and snails et al. She eats fine and isn't afraid to eat, but she's just so tiny. We'd like to put a little meat on her bones. We thought about offering her some small minnows. What ideas do you have?

 

[Jpat]

Shes cute!

What do you feed them?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe try adding some dry cat food or dog food to their feed. Its great for molting birds and can add a bit of substance to her. I use it as a treat along with meal worms. You can sprinkle some on their feed too. Just get small size kibble so it's easy to swallow. Something in fish. I give dog food since I have dogs they get salmon and pea.

 

[3bird]

Shes cute!

What do you feed them?

She is such a cutie! She has free choice 16% layer feed and they forage at least an hour twice daily (and often all day in the summer). They also all get soup (peas and greens with a meal worm crumble) 2x/day.

 

[3bird]

Maybe try adding some dry cat food or dog food to their feed. Its great for molting birds and can add a bit of substance to her. I use it as a treat along with meal worms. You can sprinkle some on their feed too. Just get small size kibble so it's easy to swallow. Something in fish. I give dog food since I have dogs they get salmon and pea.

That's a great idea. We do give them dry cat food sometimes in the winter. Maybe we'll see if we can separate her and give her some. Thanks!

 

[HuffleClaw]

She might be a Bantam appleyard! @chickens really what do you think?

 

[chickens really]

She might be a Bantam appleyard! @chickens really what do you think?

I think it’s got a spinal deformity. Possibly dwarfism..

 

[Texag87]

We have a K/c that has a spinal deficiency like that. She is the loudest and the one who wants to go broody. She has to be run out of the coop every morning because not only is she guarding her eggs but the others as well.