Feather Damage

[Shepherdesscmh]

Hello everyone,

Pictured below is one of our museum's Cotton Patch ganders.
I am trying to figure out what is causing the damage to the feathers on his wings. None of our poultry have ever had external parasites. I have examined him twice in the past couple of weeks and he is in good feather, his weight is (above) normal, skin looks perfect, behavior is normal. This also happened last year, roughly the same time, after a molt. All I can come up with is that either he is over-grooming himself or his buddy (other male goose who shares his enclosure) is chewing on him, although I’ve never seen it.

Am I missing something?

 

[Goosebaby]

Has he been in any fights, specifically involving wing flapping? Feathers can be really damaged when that happens and it’s more obvious with white feathers.

What kind of feed is he getting? Vitamin deficiencies like too little niacin or folic acid can cause poor feathering and poor quality feathers that are easily damaged.

Mites can be tricky to spot, if you’ve seen him excessively preening or itching it could be an indicator.

 

[Isaac 0]

Deteriorating feather quality is often common, and apparent in cases when birds are not bathing in water as much as they should. When a waterbird is not getting in water frequently, the accumulation of debris begins to build upon the feathers, almost always does it being with the wing feathers first, in addition, the lack of bathing promotes an environment in which the bird is less likely to use its oil gland and distribute oils across, and on its feathers.

A good example of early wet feather is the picture below.

Other common causes of poor feather quality may be ectoparasites, poor diet, clogged oil glands, unsanitary pens, or pollutants. Consider each one as a possible cause, and address them all. Oftentimes a molt is required to completely regain the feathers, but try to focus on ensuring the goose gets in clean water at least once a day.

 

[Shepherdesscmh]

Thank you for the bathing suggestion. He has access to a stock tank with clean water for bathing, but I can't guarantee he's actually been using it lately. We will make a point to observe that. Most of the other potential causes have been ruled out. Can you say some more about the clogged oil glands? How would we determine that and what would be a remedy?

 

[Isaac 0]

Thank you for the bathing suggestion. He has access to a stock tank with clean water for bathing, but I can't guarantee he's actually been using it lately. We will make a point to observe that. Most of the other potential causes have been ruled out. Can you say some more about the clogged oil glands? How would we determine that and what would be a remedy?

The oil gland, or "uropygial gland", is located pygostyle, near the bird's tail. In a healthy bird, it is viewed as a small bump, sometimes with yellow-soiled feathers around an indication of proper oil function. In birds where the oil gland is clogged, it is often much enlarged, sometimes ulcerating, and sometimes produces caseous material. For a clogged oil gland, broad-spectrum antibiotics are often indicated.