Dirty White Muscovy Duck

[Betsyfet]

I saved a white Muscovy duck from a farmer who couldn’t take care of her. She’s now bug free and laying and seems super happy and healthy...Except, she’s not white. She looks dirty and her feathers are crusty feeling. Her oil gland looks great and I see her preening so I’m not sure what the issue is. She did have areas with no feathers from the bugs and those are all growing back nicely now, but she just looks and feels dirty. She won’t get in water so I don’t know if that’s it completely or what. My other ducks don’t get in the pond every single day, especially when it starts to get cooler and they’ve never had this problem.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

bring her inside and give her a bath with dawn dish soap. don’t let her drink the water though. usually dawn isn’t recommended because it strips the feathers of their natural oil, but if she’s not going in the pond or swimming she doesn’t have any anyways.

 

[Isaac 0]

Welcome to BYC. Could you post a few pictures of the duck?

From how you describe her, it sounds like she may have wet feather. Which is a condition most often caused by lack of bathing, but can also be caused by several other things such as malnutrition, ectoparasites, or a clogged oil gland. Muscovies, unlike mallard-derived ducks, tend to prefer land over water which can make them especially prone to this condition.

Treatment depends on the severity of the wet feather, but slowing incorporating more bathing into her daily routine is a good place to start. Would it be possible the other ducks are bullying her, and that's why she's avoiding the water source? Is the water source a pond, or a kiddie pool?

Here is some info on wet feather.

http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/ar...ck's feather quality,your duck back to normal.

 

[Isaac 0]

Unless her feathers are extremely in poor shape, I wouldn't bathe her personally. I have done it several times, and it tends to send the duck into a wet-dog look for the following weeks.

EDA, I meant don't bathe her in a dawn soap.

 

[LT71689]

Where are you located/are you still getting some hot days in the sun? Maybe set up a hose on a mister and see if she'll get under it? She may not have had a good water source at her previous home so shes not used to it, or may have had something happen that's scared her off getting IN water. Is your water source deep? If so maybe try a kiddie pool or shallow bucket or roasting pan or something that she can just stand/sit in without having to paddle around. My two loved playing with the hose. They loved water anyway but the hose was a game to them, trying to catch/bite the stream, and would of course soak themselves in the process and then have to preen - you might be able to find ways to trick her into it.

 

[Betsyfet]

I did wash her with soap when I got her. Twice. She looked better than now but she still didn’t look or feel fluffy when she dried. And she’s back to square one minus external bugs so it doesn’t seem worth it.

She’s not being bullied. If anything, she tells everyone else to get out of her way, lol!

I’ve started giving her vitamins - multi, B,E and occasionally a small amount of selenium.

I guess I could work on internal parasites next. Like I said, her gland looks fine.
It’s cooling off. She does walk up to the water and drink but doesn’t get in.

I’ll try to take some pictures and post them.

 

[Betsyfet]

 

[LT71689]

How long have you had her? (maybe shes just taking her time adjusting to everything she's been through and healing?)

 

[AltonaAcres]

It just looks like her feathers aren't white..........more buff or chocolate

 

[Betsyfet]

Up close she’s very crusty. She doesn’t feel like any of my other birds.