Feathers everywhere!

[Miss Lydia]

This is what has me concerned that this is not just molting. My 2 cents

You can see mites and lice so all she needs to do is look her duckling over real good or go and run her hand under and through their bedding [watch out for poop]and most likely if she has mites they will crawl up on to her hand and lice congregate around the shaft of the feathers around the vent and under the wings close to the body. Mites are tiny like tiny specks of pepper, lice look like grains of rice. Pics on line.

 

[CharS]

I have already checked them & I can't see any mites. I've checked their house & pen, barring the odd big black beetle & a moth or 2 I've found nothing. They are preening a lot more than normal, a good hour or more each time. Paying a lot of attention to swiping their feathers through their beaks & what I would describe as nibbling? I'm not sure, at the base of their fluffy feathers, wing feathers, chest. Then when they shake their heads to get rid of the excess water, a feather will fall off/out of their beak. On their chest where i can see some skin, there are like blue/grey coloured spikes coming through the skin. I haven't seen them preening since about 2pm today which is strange considering that's all I've seen them do for 3/4 days now!

Im trying to rule out everything anyway. I've changed their pellets, changed all swimming water, put fresh straw down (I do this anyway) gave them a hose down, I will get a parasite treatment just in case too. I'm hoping it is just a molt as they are 10wks.

 

[Welshies]

I have already checked them & I can't see any mites. I've checked their house & pen, barring the odd big black beetle & a moth or 2 I've found nothing. They are preening a lot more than normal, a good hour or more each time. Paying a lot of attention to swiping their feathers through their beaks & what I would describe as nibbling? I'm not sure, at the base of their fluffy feathers, wing feathers, chest. Then when they shake their heads to get rid of the excess water, a feather will fall off/out of their beak. On their chest where i can see some skin, there are like blue/grey coloured spikes coming through the skin. I haven't seen them preening since about 2pm today which is strange considering that's all I've seen them do for 3/4 days now!

Im trying to rule out everything anyway. I've changed their pellets, changed all swimming water, put fresh straw down (I do this anyway) gave them a hose down, I will get a parasite treatment just in case too. I'm hoping it is just a molt as they are 10wks.

Definitely a molt. Don't do the treatment. The spikes are the new feathers, and I wouldn't treat them unless needed because ducks are extremely hardy and rarely need medicine.

 

[Ravynscroft]

I have already checked them & I can't see any mites. I've checked their house & pen, barring the odd big black beetle & a moth or 2 I've found nothing. They are preening a lot more than normal, a good hour or more each time. Paying a lot of attention to swiping their feathers through their beaks & what I would describe as nibbling? I'm not sure, at the base of their fluffy feathers, wing feathers, chest. Then when they shake their heads to get rid of the excess water, a feather will fall off/out of their beak. On their chest where i can see some skin, there are like blue/grey coloured spikes coming through the skin. I haven't seen them preening since about 2pm today which is strange considering that's all I've seen them do for 3/4 days now!

Im trying to rule out everything anyway. I've changed their pellets, changed all swimming water, put fresh straw down (I do this anyway) gave them a hose down, I will get a parasite treatment just in case too. I'm hoping it is just a molt as they are 10wks.

Definitely a molt. Don't do the treatment. The spikes are the new feathers, and I wouldn't treat them unless needed because ducks are extremely hardy and rarely need medicine.

X2!

Yep, those are brand spanking new feathers coming in... getting a parasite treatment to keep on hand is a good idea, just in case... they'll probably not preen much as those spikes come out a bit more, those are bluish cuz they're blood feathers and tender, if any break they will bleed just an fyi... next once those come out more you might notice a bunch of grayish/whitish flakes on them and in their pool, kinda like awful dandruff (I call it chaff)... that will be the sheath of the pin feathers flaking off as they grow...

Glad you switched off the layer pellets... and extra bit of protein wouldn't hurt either, maybe a handful of good quality cat kibble to replace the protein the new feathers are using...

 

[Welshies]

X2!

Yep, those are brand spanking new feathers coming in... getting a parasite treatment to keep on hand is a good idea, just in case... they'll probably not preen much as those spikes come out a bit more, those are bluish cuz they're blood feathers and tender, if any break they will bleed just an fyi... next once those come out more you might notice a bunch of grayish/whitish flakes on them and in their pool, kinda like awful dandruff (I call it chaff)... that will be the sheath of the pin feathers flaking off as they grow...

Glad you switched off the layer pellets... and extra bit of protein wouldn't hurt either, maybe a handful of good quality cat kibble to replace the protein the new feathers are using...

I never knew what that was! I thought your chaff was just dandruff so I made them swim twice a day every day... Oh well!

 

[Ravynscroft]

I never knew what that was! I thought your chaff was just dandruff so I made them swim twice a day every day... Oh well!

lol! I found out cuz my first female Call was a single hatch, very imprinted and bonded... she showed me up close and personal what they go through growing up, lol... extra bathing probably helped their itch anyways!

 

[Welshies]

lol! I found out cuz my first female Call was a single hatch, very imprinted and bonded... she showed me up close and personal what they go through growing up, lol... extra bathing probably helped their itch anyways!

I noticed because I pick mine up a lot! They aren't imprinted but I make sure you can handle them and they sometimes eat from my hand.... all that chaff got all over my hands and surprisingly, it's moderately difficult to get off!

 

[CharS]

So their new feathers are coming through nicely! I didn't treat for parasites in the end, & the preening calmed down a little the next day, in fact, their not too bothered at all, their cheat feathers must have been really bugging them, although my garden & their house still looks like someone has ripped open a feather pillow. Ducks are definitely not as simple as made out to be, especially as a newbie who hasn't got the hang of things, give me horses & dogs, I'm a pro. I got a big 25kg bag of growers, which they enjoy at night as during the day they forage when free, my female caught a frog yesterday & devoured it, couldn't believe my eyes, i have no idea how she managed it! When should I change their feed? & what to? I read that layers has too much calcium for the drakes & to mix layers & 50:50 wheat together, is this right? I definitely don't want to be giving them something they shouldn't be having.

 

[Welshies]

So their new feathers are coming through nicely! I didn't treat for parasites in the end, & the preening calmed down a little the next day, in fact, their not too bothered at all, their cheat feathers must have been really bugging them, although my garden & their house still looks like someone has ripped open a feather pillow. Ducks are definitely not as simple as made out to be, especially as a newbie who hasn't got the hang of things, give me horses & dogs, I'm a pro. I got a big 25kg bag of growers, which they enjoy at night as during the day they forage when free, my female caught a frog yesterday & devoured it, couldn't believe my eyes, i have no idea how she managed it! When should I change their feed? & what to? I read that layers has too much calcium for the drakes & to mix layers & 50:50 wheat together, is this right? I definitely don't want to be giving them something they shouldn't be having.

Well, I'm no expert, but I switched my ducks' feed at 10 weeks, and gave them cat kibbles for the molt. I switched them from 18% grower to 16% maintenence ration. I will keep them on that all the time, and give them free choice oyster shell during the laying season. That way, the drakes won't get too much calcium. If I find the hens need extra vitamins when laying, I will give them 18% grower once a day, too.

 

[Ravynscroft]

So their new feathers are coming through nicely! I didn't treat for parasites in the end, & the preening calmed down a little the next day, in fact, their not too bothered at all, their cheat feathers must have been really bugging them, although my garden & their house still looks like someone has ripped open a feather pillow. Ducks are definitely not as simple as made out to be, especially as a newbie who hasn't got the hang of things, give me horses & dogs, I'm a pro. I got a big 25kg bag of growers, which they enjoy at night as during the day they forage when free, my female caught a frog yesterday & devoured it, couldn't believe my eyes, i have no idea how she managed it! When should I change their feed? & what to? I read that layers has too much calcium for the drakes & to mix layers & 50:50 wheat together, is this right? I definitely don't want to be giving them something they shouldn't be having.

I keep mine simple and easy... Purina Flock Raiser from hatch to lay and just offer oyster shell on the side for the layers...

I understand your pillow fight yard, lol.... mine is constantly like that with all the different ages I have...