Best method to lower fowl duck odor?

[Emmyjim]

What is the best method to eliminate or reduce the foul odor from a duck? Would letting my duck bathe in warm bathtub water reduce the stinky smell? Is there anything I can add to the water that will remove the duck's odor and won't cause "wet feather syndrome"? I don't want to strip the duck of its natural oil.

 

[Emmyjim]

And also, I think my duck is a mulard (Muscovy and Pekin hybrid).

 

[Isadora]

Does your duck have water to bathe in on a regular basis?
The ducks themselves should not have an odor, though they can make their pen quite the muddy stinky mess if it doesn't properly drain or have enough substrate.

 

[fatty and friends]

as long as ducks swim in clean water daily they shouldn’t smell bad, do your ducks swim everyday?

 

[Galaxyfalcon]

What does their living environment look like? Do they have a yard to run around and/or what does their coop consist of? They could pick up a bad smell regardless of bathing if the environment is poopy/old bedding.

My other thought could be a health condition like kidney failure which has a distinct odor but that's hard to diagnose without a lot of other information/vet visit.

 

[Galaxyfalcon]

as long as ducks swim in clean water daily they shouldn’t smell bad, do your ducks swim everyday?

Fatty and Friends! I just realized you're on this forum. I think I follow you on Instagram.

 

[fatty and friends]

Fatty and Friends! I just realized you're on this forum. I think I follow you on Instagram.

yep, my ducks are the instagram ducks who go on adventures and think they are puppies

 

[KaleIAm]

So, all birds have a faint bird smell even when they are clean. It isn't strong smelling, though. Personally, I like it.

My own ducks have never smelled badly even when their pool has been frozen over for days. But they do, always, have a faint bird smell.

To give your ducks the best chance at smelling fresh I recommend allowing them to bathe in clean water that you change daily. They don't need anything in this water. They drink the water they swim in. Also give them plenty of substrate to sleep in and spot clean it daily, or as frequently as possible. If they are crowded and sleeping in their poop they might be smelly because of that.

You could also try a product called sweet pdz in their coop. It absorbs amonia and smells. You just sprinkle it on their bedding.