Help my duck preene

[UrbanGiant]

I have a duck in my house who has a malformed beak. She has trouble preening and I'm wondering the easiest way to help her remove the old feather shafts from around the new feathers on her wings without hurting her.

 

[AidKD]

Maybe try a comb? It shouldn't hurt her if they're ready to come off. What's her beak like?

 

[UrbanGiant]

This is Geri.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Geri can't reach her preen gland? There are others that have duck like Geri I believe @WVduckchick has one. Let's see if she can reply

 

[WVduckchick]

My duck with the malformed beak wasn’t curled up like that, it was missing sections on the sides of the beak. He had the center line out to the tip, but the sides of the top of his bill curved in. He also didn’t preen well, but well enough to get by, and didn’t require any extra help.
Geri is adorable. I would think that a deep bath would enable her to work the feathers off. Even a small baby pool should be sufficient. I would try to find ways to get her to do it herself, the less physical help from you, the better.

 

[UrbanGiant]

My duck with the malformed beak wasn’t curled up like that, it was missing sections on the sides of the beak. He had the center line out to the tip, but the sides of the top of his bill curved in. He also didn’t preen well, but well enough to get by, and didn’t require any extra help.
Geri is adorable. I would think that a deep bath would enable her to work the feathers off. Even a small baby pool should be sufficient. I would try to find ways to get her to do it herself, the less physical help from you, the better.

Yeah we put her in the tub twice a day and she tries to preen in there. I was just wondering if I should be trying to help her, her wings look so scraggly with all these new feather protruding out of old shafts. She lives in the house because our other ducks try and beat up on her. I call her my wife's emotional support duck. She wonders around the house and will chirp and quack at my wife's feet until she gets picked up and set on her desk. Then she curls up in front of her and just chills.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yeah we put her in the tub twice a day and she tries to preen in there. I was just wondering if I should be trying to help her, her wings look so scraggly with all these new feather protruding out of old shafts. She lives in the house because our other ducks try and beat up on her. I call her my wife's emotional support duck. She wonders around the house and will chirp and quack at my wife's feet until she gets picked up and set on her desk. Then she curls up in front of her and just chills.

Geri sounds like a very spoiled duck . Good for her.

 

[UrbanGiant]

Geri sounds like a very spoiled duck . Good for her.

Yes she is. The ranch supply store actually gave her to us because they know we have had other birds with scissor beak and things like that and no one was wanting her. My wife makes her diapers and actually bought her a stroller to take her on walks with us. We have even taken her with us to the ranch supply store a couple of times and it's always fun to watch people reaction when they think there is a dog in the stroller or carrier and a duck pops out.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I bet that is a treat to see.

 

[WVduckchick]

Yes she is. The ranch supply store actually gave her to us because they know we have had other birds with scissor beak and things like that and no one was wanting her. My wife makes her diapers and actually bought her a stroller to take her on walks with us. We have even taken her with us to the ranch supply store a couple of times and it's always fun to watch people reaction when they think there is a dog in the stroller or carrier and a duck pops out.

Bless you and your wife for saving her and giving her a good home.
Being a spoiled house duck, the preening issue is probably less of a “problem” than if she were outside. I’m not really sure what else to suggest though. I noticed my Garth looked wet all the time, due to his lack of proper preening, and he rarely got in the water. He’d sit along side and watch the other ducks swim. He also couldn’t fly because he had double angel wing. I honestly didn’t expect him to survive so long but he was 2.5 years old when I rehomed him.
(I recently re-homed him along with 20 other drakes, as I was overrun with excess drakes!)