Duck feathers everywhere.... but no bald ducks (Pics)

[FisherMOM]

We have little duck feathers everywhere that the
ducks go these days.... yet the ducks are far from bald!

Is this normal? They are 9 or 10 weeks old.
It doesn't seem that the feathers just drop off
any time.. it is usually when they are drying off or cleaning
themselves. Yet I took Gretchen to school yesterday for pet
day at the elementart school, and she shed a fair number
there too. One little boy said that I should sell them to the
kids for 10 cents a piece! lol. I said, "nah, they're free!"

Does anyone think it is a deficiency?

My ducks seem normal... (as normal as Pekins can be!

)

I titled this one.... "Getting your ducks in a row" Gretchen is in the middle.

the feathers are this size....

and here is a small sample of feathers on the ground.

 

[sandspoultry]

They are molting

 

[FisherMOM]

I forgot to mention.. they are only 9 or 10 weeks old. they molt that young?

 

[ticks]

They are 9-10 weeks old. I better enjoy my little ducks now then

 

[FisherMOM]

Pekins grow fast.. not sure about the ones that you have.

They still have a little yellow fuzz around their beaks.They quack and squawk... all females. Lucky me!

 

[ticks]

I have Rouens I was looking at youtube vids. They grow fast. These are Rouens at 3 weeks
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Rouen+ducklings&hl=en&sitesearch=#

 

[scrapmom5]

My ducks (runner and Pekin) went through the molt at 10 weeks...it lasted a couple of weeks then ended. Once it ends the feather storm will end. From what I understand ducks and chickens will molt once before they reach their sexual maturity then they will molt once a year after that. It is a normal yet messy trait of fowls. If you watch you will see the wild birds in the area take them for whatever purpose they deem necessary.

 

[raindrop]

It is totally normal. Mine are 11 weeks and have been molting for a few weeks now, the males are getting more "grown up" looking coloration. I forget the exact names, but I read in Storey's Guide that ducks have 4 plumages, down when they hatch, then baby feathers, then adult non-mating feathers, then their breeding plumage. They go back and forth between the regular feathers and breeding feathers each year.

 

[FisherMOM]

Thanks!! I have looked and looked online for answers.

I thought they were too young to molt.. but I guess not!

 

[greyfields]

Totally normal.

I have somewhere around 70 ducks and geese wandering around my farm. Every morning I go out there and it looks like a pack of dogs had mauled them all. But, it's just normal for growing waterfowl. There will be feathers everywhere.