Are they moulting or is there an issue?

[Feltonistas]

Hello there, my ducklings are now around 6 weeks old and they are getting balder and balder. I just wanted to post some picks to make sure it is normal moulting and transitioning to adult feather or there's any issues. Excuse the pics, but I can't get any closer, they are absolutely terrified of anything that moves

 

[Jenbirdee]

it doesn’t look normal , check them carefully for parasites.

 

[Feltonistas]

it doesn’t look normal , check them carefully for parasites.

Yes, it seemed a bit excessive. There are no visible parasites, I checked. I thought it might possibly be that they go caked with food and water one day, I rinsed them and saw this, maybe they got irritated. They were dirty for maybe 3 hours, I was away, but it was stuck on them

 

[Miss Lydia]

What do you feed them?
Could they be eating the feathers off of each other?

Mites remind me of pepper but they move fast. You'll have to hold them to really get a good look at their skin.

 

[Feltonistas]

What do you feed them?
Could they be eating the feathers off of each other?

Mites remind me of pepper but they move fast. You'll have to hold them to really get a good look at their skin.

I feed them crumble made for ducklings from hatch to 12 weeks. I'll try to get a good look at them. I don't think they are hurting each other, I've not noticed any issues. If it's mites, what's the treatment?

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Are they in poopy conditions? This might be ammonia burn.

 

[Feltonistas]

Are they in poopy conditions? This might be ammonia burn.

Not really, I clean their enclosure every day and they have space outside in the garden during the day when it's hotter. The only thing I could think is when they created that paste with food and water that dried on them, but then I cleaned them off

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you see mites then get a spray that is safe to use on poultry. One I can think of is Poultry Protector. There are probably others too just make sure you are careful spraying around their head. I usually put the spray on my hand and rub it around their head and face that way they aren't breathing anything in. There are powders too but you really have to be careful with them they aren't good to inhale for them or you. Is it warm enough for them to swim if not outside maybe let them have a warm bath inside that way you can really see down to their skin. But make sure they are dry before putting them back outside if it's cold or cooler temps.