Help! Muscovy ducklings plucking feathers.

[StarryMaus]

Help please! I have 5 Muscovy ducklings living with 6 chicks of assorted breeds. They are all about 4-ish weeks old and I've found that some of the ducklings have been plucking the new feathers from one duckling. I don't think this is a dominance thing as they're going for the biggest, presumably oldest duck, and even the duck's sibling who is very close to them is doing it. There was a bit of blood so I've put Betadine on the wounds and two of them are looking better, but the latest one on the tail is looking pretty gnarly. I'll attach a photo in the morning when they're awake and I can turn on the light in my sister's room where their brooder lives. I'm a first time duck owner so I have no idea how to tell drakes from ducks or why this is happening. I've only witnessed it happen when I had three ducklings on my lap and they tried to nibble on the area, and when I saw them try I'd grab (gently) and move their heads and hold them there for a bit in the hopes of showing them it's bad but I don't know if that will work. Is there anything I can do? Separating them would be hard as they like to snuggle together and I'm worried they'd get lonely, I also only have the one brooder and another one which is much too small.

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

@Debbie292d

 

[HollowOfWisps]

How big is the space that they are being kept in? What % protein is the feed that you are feeding?

 

[StarryMaus]

How big is the space that they are being kept in? What % protein is the feed that you are feeding?

They're brooder is 58cm by 120cm and has a roof tall enough that they can't touch it with their heads. As for protein I've been feeding them duck starter and peas as the internet says the only thing in duck starter that's not in chick starter is niacin. Attached is the brooder for size reference (without the hurt duck), and a picture of the nutrition table on the feed bag.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

They're brooder is 58cm by 120cm and has a roof tall enough that they can't touch it with their heads. As for protein I've been feeding them duck starter and peas as the internet says the only thing in duck starter that's not in chick starter is niacin. Attached is the brooder for size reference (without the hurt duck), and a picture of the nutrition table on the feed bag.

That brooder is way too small for that many. Not to mention when you combine different types of poultry you need much more space otherwise they will bully each other.

 

[KathiQuacks]

Agreed. At this age, that’s enough space for maybe 3 birds, not 11..