Are my ducklings molting??

[DandyAndMahi]

Hi! I’m not sure how old my ducklings are but I’m guessing they’re about 3 or 4 weeks old?? The yellow one is Dandelion and the brown one is Mahi and they’ve recently just started to loose their feathers. I know they’re supposed to molt, but I wasn’t sure if they actually are molting now cause they’re so young! Mahi has just started to crack a couple little baby quacks here and there too. Are my ducklings molting?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Looks to me they are growing in new feathers on their tails and at the age they are can look pretty scarce in the down dept.

 

[DandyAndMahi]

Looks to me they are growing in new feathers on their tails and at the age they are can look pretty scarce in the down dept.

Oh I see! Thank you so much

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Agree, about 3-4 weeks old and at that age the first real feathers start to shoot in. If you observe while they are napping, you may notice one of them squeaking and jumping up as if bitten by an ant. It seems that the new feathers are causing some discomfort when growing through their skin, like when babies get their first teeth.
I love to hear them start to quax at this age: Peep, peep, peep, quax!

 

[Patch6713]

What would be an age for a first molt? I've got some 3.5 month Anconas that for the last few days have been picking at their feathers a bunch and seem to have some pulled out, especially on their neck. Is this a normal age/time of year for a molt or just normal duck behavior.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Are they pulling their own feathers or each other’s? Usually around this time they have a molt and grow in their adult feathers and the hormones are starting to make their presence to. So you’ll begin to see mating behavior starts out with play mating then the real thing begins around 4 months on.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

You mean a real molt? - Not changing from down to feathers?
That depends more on the time of year than on the age of the birds. The farther north you live, the earlier they will start with their fall-molt.

 

[Patch6713]

Are they pulling their own feathers or each other’s? Usually around this time they have a molt and grow in their adult feathers and the hormones are starting to make their presence to. So you’ll begin to see mating behavior starts out with play mating then the real thing begins around 4 months on.

It appears that they are only pulling out their own feathers.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Juvenile molt is usually around 4 months.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do they have a way to clean themselves in a pool? Sounds like they maybe over preening? Then again the feathers maybe loose and they are pulling them out Best thing would be to post pictures of what your seeing.