Help! Bought a duck @ fair & feathers aren't water proof?

[AliciaM]

I bought a duck like that and was realy worried at first.. it was the first part of spring and still pretty cold and wet.. After he would take a bath or when it rained, I would put him in the chicken coop in a small pen with a heat lamp... If it got cold out, I would put him in the pen with the lamp.. I did this for probably a month until it warmed up and then left him out with the rest..
I realy didnt have to worry about him getting in the pool because he didnt know how to get in it. (I had to build him handicapped ramps) by the time he molted into his drab feathers, he had the natural oils and was fine.. Now he is a gorgous bird..

I dont know why he was like this, but i was told that a previous owner never gave him swimming water and he would bathe in the dust like chickens do.

 

[Snakeman]

Maybe this is dumb but, is your new duck a Muscovy? I don't believe you mentioned a breed. That might explain the lack of oils.

 

[janastasio]

Its very normal to wash any bird prior to showing to get them in their best condition. Ducks will do most of it themselves if provided with a clean environment. We wash and shampoo any ducks that are all white or have alot of white to get them bright and clean before we show. This is usually done 2-3 days prior to the show to allow them to begin producing oils again and be in top condition. Excellent suggestion about giving the breed of duck. We own a silky duck and they do not produce as much oil as other breeds.

 

[donnavee]

Well I sure hope she gets her oil back so she can swim like a normal duck. I feel so sorry for the little thing - never thought about anything like this. I also knew it was common to wash chickens, but ducks seem pretty clean. Well, except the other one likes to eat dirt - guess it's a duck thing.

 

[donnavee]

By the way, it is a bantam duck, Black East Indies - not a Muscovy.

 

[donnavee]

Update. The little fair duck is doing much better. She jumped in the water on her own today and the water rolled off her feathers as it should - I have seen her preening quite a bit as well. She is still very timid and doesn't seem to trust us very much, but she gets a little braver each day. I'm hoping she will adjust to her new home in a few weeks.