Drake is hard molting AGAIN?

[graypes]

Hi! Today while out in the run, I noticed my 1.5 year old runner drake take out two of his wing feathers, both secondaries. He and his mate went through their hard molts back in august when the mate was sick and he kept her company in her little isolation quarters ( xxxxlarge dog crate with blanket over top, as prescribed by doc). Bc of the light they did their molts early and I thought that was that. After the wings, I reintroduced them to the normal daylight schedule and they have been going through one LOOOOOONG soft feather molt ever since. For the drake, it seems like his head, neck, and long side-of-belly feathers are constantly molting.

They have lights on timer in their coop and get 12 hours daylight currently. Mate hasn't resumed laying since august. It has gotten colder here, so not sure if that could have induced a second hard molt. But that worries me that he could be going through the hard molt as temperatures start to dance around freezing in the next couple weeks (0ºC/32ºF)

Any advice on how to get my drakes feathers sorted for winter?? Two hard molts in 3-4 months seems really stressful for his tiny lil body!

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Feed him good. Can we have pictures

 

[Miss Lydia]

Why do you have lights on? That just screws them up. I guess you can tell I am not a proponent of using lights. I think for their health it's best not to. Poultry deserve to have a break from laying, it's hard on the females to be laying year round.

 

[graypes]

Why do you have lights on? That just screws them up. I guess you can tell I am not a proponent of using lights. I think for their health it's best not to. Poultry deserve to have a break from laying, it's hard on the females to be laying year round.

Honestly, I wanted to go the natural route this year, as last year the two were indoor ducks and didn't have much of a choice in terms of their daylight schedule (now they have a solid electrified coop). They aren't egg-layers, they are solely pets, so I totally agree.

I hesitated to drop their lights back down once the daylight started diminishing, for fear they would hard molt again. I know its kinda dumb, but I was nervous another hard molt would cut back on their life cycle somehow? I don't really know what my endgame was but I was just being an overly (and stupidly) cautious duck parent I think lol

How do I transition them into the natural light schedule without shocking them too much? I'm in western MI so sunrise is 7:45 and sunset is 5:20 right now I give them +2 hours artificial lights, which go on at sunset and turn off at 7:20

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Honestly, I wanted to go the natural route this year, as last year the two were indoor ducks and didn't have much of a choice in terms of their daylight schedule (now they have a solid electrified coop). They aren't egg-layers, they are solely pets, so I totally agree.

I hesitated to drop their lights back down once the daylight started diminishing, for fear they would hard molt again. I know its kinda dumb, but I was nervous another hard molt would cut back on their life cycle somehow? I don't really know what my endgame was but I was just being an overly (and stupidly) cautious duck parent I think lol

How do I transition them into the natural light schedule without shocking them too much? I'm in western MI so sunrise is 7:45 and sunset is 5:20 right now I give them +2 hours artificial lights, which go on at sunset and turn off at 7:20

The easiest way to cut back on your ducks life cycle is to create an unnatural environment that in turn creates more stress. You don't need to transition them just turn the lights off and they'll be fine. As far as hard molting they need an increase of protein. The best way to do this is to mix in a higher protein feed transitioning them over a 10 day period until they are on the higher protein feed. There are protein add-ins, but most have added calcium which isn't good for your drake. As for the slow molts, some are slow some are fast and I've found over the years that no two molts seem to be the same.

 

[graypes]

Feed him good. Can we have pictures

They get a healthy serving of BSF larvae and greens/veggies as treats! They eat purina all flock and have continual access to grit.

Oh no! Don't get me started with the pictures! Once I start, I cannot be stopped!! lololol
Here he is snacking on parsley with his bff


blurry but he's a sweet boy, excuse the beak shed, it's been dry up here lately, I've got a little lanolin balm for poultry feet that *does work* on their winter beaks, but its heavily scented like vapor rub, so I try not to use it near their noses if at all possible (suggestions for bill moisturizer are welcome!)


Okay, okay, enough glamour shots. It's time to get back to business.
Here are his feathers:

as you can see he's not looking too rough, but he is still shedding off "hard" (and soft) feathers. He did his tail feathers two or three weeks ago

two of four or so feathers in the run. these are the two I watched him preen from his wing yesterday

This feather also came off his wing yesterday, but like the top of his wing, near the shoulder, I presume, so like the softest of the hard feathers
all I had were cards for size comparison so about 7"

oh and here's one last one, better Rez of his stupid little cute face

Sorry for the duck overload!

 

[graypes]

The easiest way to cut back on your ducks life cycle is to create an unnatural environment that in turn creates more stress. You don't need to transition them just turn the lights off and they'll be fine. As far as hard molting they need an increase of protein. The best way to do this is to mix in a higher protein feed transitioning them over a 10 day period until they are on the higher protein feed. There are protein add-ins, but most have added calcium which isn't good for your drake. As for the slow molts, some are slow some are fast and I've found over the years that no two molts seem to be the same.

can I really just turn the lights off? Is there any risk to the laying ducks that they could get egg bound?

Though his mate isn't laying, there are two other ducks who are laying

 

[HollowOfWisps]

can I really just turn the lights off? Is there any risk to the laying ducks that they could get egg bound?

Though his mate isn't laying, there are two other ducks who are laying

You run more of a risk with egg binding the longer you keep the lights on then just turning them off. Providing artificial light past natural daylight hours forces a hens body to produce more eggs instead of taking natural breaks putting their reproductive system into overdrive. My ducks get put away (no added light ever) anywhere from 4pm-8pm depending on the day and I've never once had an issue with egg binding. Also based on your pictures I would not consider that a hard molt. Hard molts look like someone had a pillow fight in your coop/run and the feather loss is much more considerable. It's also normal for at non-molting times throughout the year for ducks to lose a couple of feathers here and there.

 

[KaleIAm]

I would also get them on a natural daylight schedule for optimal health. Since you mentioned that you have access to a veterinarian you could ask them what they recommend regarding how quickly that can be accomplished. My avian vet will answer my quick questions over the phone.

Twice, one of my ducks needed a 10 hour daylight period year around, starting in the summer. So we made a blackout room and put all the ducks in it starting at 5pm. This was under veterinary guidance with no tapering down.

But, if you are feeling apprehensive about it you could just change their daylight by a 1/2 hour each day.

 

[graypes]

You run more of a risk with egg binding the longer you keep the lights on then just turning them off. Providing artificial light past natural daylight hours forces a hens body to produce more eggs instead of taking natural breaks putting their reproductive system into overdrive. My ducks get put away (no added light ever) anywhere from 4pm-8pm depending on the day and I've never once had an issue with egg binding. Also based on your pictures I would not consider that a hard molt. Hard molts look like someone had a pillow fight in your coop/run and the feather loss is much more considerable. It's also normal for at non-molting times throughout the year for ducks to lose a couple of feathers here and there.

Thanks!! I've followed the advice and they are no longer getting artificial light! Making sure they are getting lots of swim time and protein enrichment too while they molt. Feathers are dropping a bit more as expected but thank you you've all eased my mind! I always thought the hard molt was the wing molt but that makes sense. I know what you mean about the pillow fight, every time I go to their coop when their molting I get a momentary heart attack that a predator got in before I realize they're all alive and just molting lol!

I would also get them on a natural daylight schedule for optimal health. Since you mentioned that you have access to a veterinarian you could ask them what they recommend regarding how quickly that can be accomplished. My avian vet will answer my quick questions over the phone.

Twice, one of my ducks needed a 10 hour daylight period year around, starting in the summer. So we made a blackout room and put all the ducks in it starting at 5pm. This was under veterinary guidance with no tapering down.

But, if you are feeling apprehensive about it you could just change their daylight by a 1/2 hour each day.

That was great advice, I did so and they said about the same thing about the tapering down! I had already tapered down the week before to 6:30, so I just shortened the light by 15 min everyday since Monday and now they're in sync with nature!

Thank you all for your advice!