Fanned feathers?

[wallawu]

I have a 6 month old Welsh Harlequin that has just in the past few days started showing feather issues. I had a 50 pound bag of feather fixer for a potential molt (have a Black Swedish female that's almost a year old) and I started feeding that yesterday. Initially I figured this may be her getting picked on, but the feathers on her neck and head look fine. After watching them interact last night and this morning, it looks like the drake Black Swedish that's almost a year old chases her away from the water buckets, which I find odd.

Just a little back info, we have 7 ducks: a male and a female BS, and a male WH we got last April, then 2 Cayuga females and 2 WH females we got in September. They've all been healthy up to this point, but this is our first spring with mature ducks.

All of the other ducks have beautiful, smooth feathers.

Anybody seen this? Thanks

 

[chickens really]

I think it's just from the Drakes Breeding her....Do they have a larger bowl of water to breed in?....If breeding on the dirt they get a bit ruffled looking......


Cheers!..

 

[wallawu]

I have two buckets that are probably almost a foot high that some of the determined ones can get in, but I've never seen her in it. We put a pool out a few times a week so they can bath and all that, but don't leave it out because the grass underneath dies, and it seems to attract more bugs.

She hasn't started laying eggs yet. We put them out with the others about 2 months ago because I read 4 months would make them developed enough and since it was winter there wasn't much desire from the drakes. I guess that has kicked in now. Will the feather fixer help this situation at all?

 

[chickens really]

In my opinion , No feed will fix the attempts of a Randy Drake.....She does not need to lay eggs to breed......get larger bowls of water out for breeding......I'm sure that is why she is rumpled ......



Cheers!

 

[wallawu]

Sorry, I know that, I meant is it bad that they're being this rough before she's started laying eggs? The 1 yr Black Swedish lays pretty much every day, so I'd like these girls to follow suit.

 

[chickens really]

As long as she is not being injured from the Drakes......My one Hen is my Drakes favourite too....She flirts to much so he cant resist her.........She looks a bit ratty these days....

Enjoy them Ducks.....


Cheers!

 

[wallawu]

Thanks! I also notice that they've been going under the house when they're in the pen, and sometimes crawling out and escaping--we're talking a 4 inch gap to get out the other side, so I put some 4x4s down to keep them from getting under there. I think maybe she was going under there and backing up trying to get out and maybe pushed those feathers up. The combination of stopping that and the feather fixer have her looking much better.

Also, 3 days ago a Cayuga started laying eggs and today a WH did, too. I'm excited about eventually having 5-6 eggs a day, and having plenty to give to friends, family, and my clients.

Thanks, again!