Ducklings- rough rough down and badly

[JeanetteMack]

Pictures attached of 3 week old ducklings with rough badly heads

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Are they still on a heat source? If so, it might be too close to them.
What type of brooder are they in? How many are there? How is their feed and water set up?

 

[JeanetteMack]

They are in an store with lots of fresh hey and a litter tray filled with water - and open mesh door for light - I got them on Sunday delivered from a farm - they just have heat at night if it’s cold - normal chicken feeders for holding the non -medicated poultry crumb- I have five.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

So they came to you like this? Can you take a pic of the brooder set up?
Might just be overcrowding at their previous location. It will take time to rectify issues with a new set up. Instead of hay, might want to try straw or pine shavings. Hay molds very quickly and is not good for birds once it molds.

 

[JeanetteMack]

So they came to you like this? Can you take a pic of the brooder set up?
Might just be overcrowding at their previous location. It will take time to rectify issues with a new set up. Instead of hay, might want to try straw or pine shavings. Hay molds very quickly and is not good for birds once it molds.

Yes they came like this - Thank you for this advise- we've just sat for and hour cleaning each one with warm water and soft towels it looks like growned in soiled mud that has become very hard- they look better but a lot of baldness on some heads - like you say possible overcrowding- will change the hay - I gave pine shavings I use for my chickens- thanks again - I was concerned it was some sort of mite or disease?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Give them time to bathe everyday in nice warm water hopefully that will help. Bless those little heads.

 

[JeanetteMack]

Give them time to bathe everyday in nice warm water hopefully that will help. Bless those little heads.

Thank you I will

 

[Miss Lydia]

If they had mites letting them bathe daily will help get rid of them but you'd also see them, tiny blk specks that move fast.

 

[KaleIAm]

Aww, poor sweethearts. I also think daily warm water baths/swimming is likely to help. Then after return them to a nice warm, dry place where they can preen and dry and hopefully begin to fluff up. But I'm just guessing about the baths helping, I've never seen this before.

For my ducklings I put them in my bathtub for about 15 minutes daily, or until they started to get tired. Then I put them back under their heat lamp on a towel until they were warm and dry.

 

[JeanetteMack]

Aww, poor sweethearts. I also think daily warm water baths/swimming is likely to help. Then after return them to a nice warm, dry place where they can preen and dry and hopefully begin to fluff up. But I'm just guessing about the baths helping, I've never seen this before.

For my ducklings I put them in my bathtub for about 15 minutes daily, or until they started to get tired. Then I put them back under their heat lamp on a towel until they were warm and dry.

Thank you - hopefully some warm bathing will help x