Ducklings with bald spot on head

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

I have 10 one week old ducklings of different breeds, and I noticed yesterday that my two buff orpingtons have both gotten a bald spot on the tops of their heads. It's a little worse than it looks in the picture. They're the only ones like that, but I'm not sure if that's normal "losing their down", or something else? They are just as happy and playful as all the others! And I've never noticed any of them picking on each other. Any ideas as to what it could be? Thanks in advance!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yellow ducklings look alot more bald when losing down than other ducklings that have color. If you don't notice excessive itching and scratching. [there will be some when losing down] I mean to the point of making their skin red and raw, I'd just watch especially since they are eating and acting normal in all other ways. And so cute, I have 2 Buffs mine are 5 yrs old.

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

Yellow ducklings look alot more bald when losing down than other ducklings that have color. If you don't notice excessive itching and scratching. [there will be some when losing down] I mean to the point of making their skin red and raw, I'd just watch especially since they are eating and acting normal in all other ways. And so cute, I have 2 Buffs mine are 5 yrs old.

That's reassuring, thank you! They've all scratched a few times but not excessively. I like the buffs a lot, they are one of friendliest breeds of the bunch!

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

I've been keeping an eye on the bald spots, and noticed a few other breeds with little bare places that aren't as bad. A few spots seem to fill in but then it gets bad in another place; the Buff Orpington's backs are really bare now. And also I've noticed what looks like crusting around one's eye. I haven't seen any mites but maybe I don't know what to look for or they are too small?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

They look like normal ducklings losing their fluff and growing feathers. When they lose around the eyes at first it can sometimes look terrible, but nothing looks like mites to me. Unless there is actually discharge coming from the eye I wouldn't be alarmed. Also large bald patches are normal each duckling loses their down in different amounts in different places.

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

They look like normal ducklings losing their fluff and growing feathers. When they lose around the eyes at first it can sometimes look terrible, but nothing looks like mites to me. Unless there is actually discharge coming from the eye I wouldn't be alarmed. Also large bald patches are normal each duckling loses their down in different amounts in different places.

Ok thank you very much . These are my first ducklings and google hasn't been very helpful, so I wasn't sure what was going on.