Indian Runner still has not had full molt

[auce99]

This was what I was thinking when I saw the photo. The raggedy flight feathers look like the girls that were getting harassed by the drake in my flock. He would not leave them alone and I think they were just not getting enough protein to keep up with the harassment, chasing, mating. It never stopped.

I ended up rehoming the group of 4 ducks that he targeted. The girls are healthy at the new place and my kept ducks all look nice too.

I work from home so get to watch them all day. The one girl he kind of actually harasses is actually doing quite well - she's faster than him. I don't see him harassing Onyx. He'll chase her down to mate, just like any of the girls, but I've also seen him back down if she stands her ground when she's 'not in the mood' for it.

 

[auce99]

More protein won't induce molt.. reduced protein (or nutrition/intake) MIGHT. Or will it?! Yes, in my experience (hair loss after bariatric surgery) and also done commercially to maintain production schedules. But is it necessary??

Reduced lighting can be used to induce molt.. another commercial and usually otherwise natural process.

You're fighting genetics here rather than something you've caused, IMO, since this one is the outlier. They haven't read our books about what they "should" do to be considered normal or average.

Even when a bird does molt, they don't always molt out or replace the feathers we think they should, again in my experience.

Hope she molts soon enough and continues to thrive!

We don't get those long winter nights down here... I could see the lighting issue. That's actually a very interesting theory.

But you may be right - I might just be fighting genetics. I just want to make sure she's healthy and this is not cause for more concern, more than anything.

 

[CoriM]

I have a duclair duck who is 2 and hasn't had a full molt. I keep praying. Her feathers are outright moldy, and started turning pinkish probably just before she turned 1. She is my favorite duck too - just an awesome personality. I don't have any males, and I would actually say she's a top-dog in my flock, no one would dare pick on her. She looks terrible despite eating Mazuri, oyster shells, organic kale, mealworms treats, etc. She has constant access to swimming water, gets to forage several hours a day and is highly loved. All my other ducks look great but she looks like she's been abused. I've inspected her oil gland and it seems fine. If you find any solutions, let me know!

 

[Lauraduck]

I'm so glad I found this thread! I've been having the exact same issue with my Runner girls. I live in Hawaii, so we don't get "winter" here. I have 4 runner girls and a drake. The oldest is 3 years old now and has never molted her flight feathers- they looks like old toothpicks. My other two girls are going on 2, and they're looking raggedy too with old flight feathers- see attached picture of Patch- she's one of the 2 yr olds. My youngest duck is 9 months old so I'm not really worried about her.
We put the drake in jail periodically to give the girls a break. They get an awesome diet of forage, Mazuri breeder, nutrena Allflock, dried soldierfly larvae and other treats, So protein and nutrition is not their problem.
They get plenty oyster shell too which they eat.
Now, the other weird thing with my runner ducks is they never stop laying eggs which is crazy! They lay year round so we make sure they get plenty of goodies to eat.

Any ideas about those wing feathers? Thanks for taking the time to read this super long post. My drake always looks perfect. He's almost 2 as well and he had a full molt in the fall.

 

[CoriM]

This thread triggered me to revisit this issue as I think my duck who is not molting also laid through most of winter and the egg shells are so thin they often break in the nest. I had no idea there was a connection between laying and molting. When they stop laying in fall/winter, you can expect a molt. If a duck goes broody, after hatching the ducklings, she will molt. You can try to force your duck to go broody, but it's pretty involved and I don't think I have it in me...I don't have any males either, but I might try to get some fake eggs and just leave them in their nesting area to see if my girl would decide to go broody on her own. Anyway, there's a couple articles here about the molt and going broody:

https://www.tyrantfarms.com/duck-mo...times one of our ducks,molt is soon to follow.

https://www.tyrantfarms.com/why-and-how-to-make-a-duck-go-broody/

 

[CoriM]

The implant Deslorelin can stop a duck from laying and also trigger a molt. I might look into it, just for the health of my girl. It's mentioned in the Tyrant Farms article I linked above, and I also see a thread about from BYC: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/can-someone-ask-tudybot-for-me.1591183/page-8#post-27084163

 

[Loving my girls]

Do you have supplemental lighting in their coop ?
If my understanding is correct a lot of the moulting starter is the light, ie shorter days. Perhaps that may help explain it.

Just to mention that I have a 5 year old hen who moults front half one year then back half the next - very weird. Never seen it before.

Hugz

 

[CoriM]

I give my girls no supplemental lighting.
For anyone interested, more info. on Deslorelin:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hormone-injections.1569227/#post-26643191

 

[Lauraduck]

The implant Deslorelin can stop a duck from laying and also trigger a molt. I might look into it, just for the health of my girl. It's mentioned in the Tyrant Farms article I linked above, and I also see a thread about from BYC: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/can-someone-ask-tudybot-for-me.1591183/page-8#post-27084163

I have tried both... Chloe who is 3 now went broody and hatched 11 babies last summer. I thought "this is great! She will take a break from laying and molt those sticks!" No luck. A week after hatching day she was back to laying. Still no wing molt. Maybe these ducks are just ridiculously overly productive. Chloe did go on to develop egg laying issues in the fall and the vet did give her the Deslorelin implant. I think the implant saved her life- she stopped laying and is doing really well now. But still no wing molt.

I hope my 2 year old girls don't end up like her too! Not sure if there's anything else I can do. They just keep on laying eggs...

 

[Lauraduck]

Do you have supplemental lighting in their coop ?
If my understanding is correct a lot of the moulting starter is the light, ie shorter days. Perhaps that may help explain it.

Just to mention that I have a 5 year old hen who moults front half one year then back half the next - very weird. Never seen it before.

Hugz

Just natural light here. Their egg production is the same all year round and only the drake has had a proper molt.