Duck plucking chest feathers out

[DuckyBabies]

My cayuga drake apparently has been plucking his chest feathers. I’ve always noticed since I got him that he had a little of a “bald spot”, but now it is a bald patch that is pretty decent sized. I’m not sure if he is doing this during preening, because that’s where he always preens or if he is doing it another time. I never see him messing with it and he is healthy otherwise. Is there a reason he may be doing this?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Does he lay down a lot? Could be rubbing them off. Does he breed a lot?

@chickens really have you've seen this? I've seen it on Tom turkeys, but not my muscovy.

 

[chickens really]

Self pecking and can be from stress. I just cured one from That by getting rid of a few Ducks and moved her to a different pen..

 

[DuckyBabies]

I only have him and another drake. So he hasn’t been mating and he gets along well with my other drake, so that’s a non-issue. He seems totally normal and everything is business as usual, just the missing feathers.

 

[DuckyBabies]

The top is a picture of where he is bare. It’s very hard to see, but it’s the brown spot and he has like one black hair hanging from it now. The second picture is just to show how adorable he is haha

 

[chickens really]

Stress then because of no females....

 

[DuckyBabies]

Stress then because of no females....

Really? Do you think it is something he will get over after mating season is over? I don’t have enough space to get the amount of girls that both of my boys would need.

 

[chickens really]

Really? Do you think it is something he will get over after mating season is over? I don’t have enough space to get the amount of girls that both of my boys would need.

Definitely once mating season is over hormones go back down. Does your other Drake try to breed him?

 

[DuckyBabies]

Definitely once mating season is over hormones go back down. Does your other Drake try to breed him?

When breeding season first started, they had to be separated because my other drake was being aggressive towards him. I integrated them back and they have been perfect ever since .

 

[chickens really]

When breeding season first started, they had to be separated because my other drake was being aggressive towards him. I integrated them back and they have been perfect ever since .

Well just keep watching him because I think he is possibly avoiding any conflicts with the Pekin.