Injury underside of the wing

[Learning101]

Hi all, just recently I found injuries underside of both wings of my Muscovy drake. Wonder what could go wrong. He’s living with his one and only gal. Besides there’s bold patches on his wing as well. He got wet feather since august last year. I wash him with Dawn dishwasher as suggested by the internet but it doesn’t work. I think I’ll have to wait another season of molting which I believe it’s gonna take place in june. I wonder if the injuries are caused by over preening or lice issues. Please help.

 

[CloneFly]

Is there any chance of him hitting his wings when stretching/flapping? i,e., in the coop?

 

[Learning101]

Is there any chance of him hitting his wings when stretching/flapping? i,e., in the coop?

No, they don’t have coop. Basically I let them wonder freely in porch even nighttime.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If he’s not hitting his wings on something (and they have a large wing span ) then someone is chewing. Have you looked him over real good for lice or mites? Does he have swimming water?

 

[Learning101]

If he’s not hitting his wings on something (and they have a large wing span ) then someone is chewing. Have you looked him over real good for lice or mites? Does he have swimming water?

They do have swimming water but my drake never touch it because of wet feather issue. So I bathe him weekly using Dawn. Then I decided to bathe him with clean water instead because bathing is a struggle for both of us. Now every time I carry him up he always thought I’m going to shower him and he’ll try every possible way to wriggle his way out of my grasp. Can you brief me how to check lice or mite?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

How long ago did you stop bathing with dawn?

Edit: Depending on how long ago you quit using the dawn I think the dawn might be the cause of this. Dawn is harsh on a ducks skin and removes all natural oils. Daily baths would most definitely cause irritation issues. I can't even use dawn otherwise my skin gets so irritated it cracks, bleeds and scabs over.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Dawn removes any trace of oils from the birds feathers and skin and ours too. I cannot use dawn. I think your only suppose to use it once then keep them out of water for a few days then let them back in to just plain water. When my 2 solid white Muscovy would get wet feather it was always towards the time to start their big molt in the fall so I would just wait it out once they molted and grew their feathers back in they were fine. As for parasites lice attach themselves to the feather shafts look under wings and around the vent area. Mites are tiny and
run fast the ones my chickens got were black so best way to check is ruffling their feathers as you look down at their skin. I actually got them on me when I was holding one of my hens. They are very easy to get rid of on us just bathing will do it. Stick your hand down into their feather also check skin around their vent area. Usually if waterfowl have bathing water they don’t get parasites. My chickens got them but my ducks didn’t and they are all in the same coop. But if you have them then you’ll have to clean all bedding out and carry it off and spray down your coop top to bottom. I used Neem oil. Very safe to use. To treat my chickens I use a poultry dust. But make sure this is the problem before you do anything.
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/

 

[Learning101]

Thank you all for help. For the time being I’ll just clean him with clean water, no more Dawn until his big molt, Maybe use Dawn to wash skin around the vent once a week . As for lice and mite., luckily I didn’t find any. Hope I did not miss any spot. Anyway thanks again for the help. Glad I found this group where I get to share my problems,

 

[Miss Lydia]

Keep us updated. And watch him after he gets his bath he should preen and be spreading his oil over his feathers. That's the purpose of washing in dawn once, then you let the duck preen and spread the oils over their feathers for waterproofing.

 

[ruthhope]

I wouldn;t even use dawn

Thank you all for help. For the time being I’ll just clean him with clean water, no more Dawn until his big molt, Maybe use Dawn to wash skin around the vent once a week . As for lice and mite., luckily I didn’t find any. Hope I did not miss any spot. Anyway thanks again for the help. Glad I found this group where I get to share my problems,

I don't clean round my muscovies' vents. Two are dark feathered and nothing to notice -- one is a stinker and doesn;t bath. but I leave him to it and justs hose him down when he gets too ripe. The third muscovy is white and does have off white staining round his vent. [Obviously the dark ones do too it just doesn't show] The drakes aren;t caked in pool, they just have staining to the feathers round their vents. That's natural IMHO

I also have a special needs Pekin drake with a damaged bill who cannot clean himself properly. I do have to clean his vent area maybe once every 3 months if I see he has poop on his feathers down there. But most of the time he only has staining. I regularly bath him in the wading pool -- just with water -- as he doesn't clean his chest and abdomen well.

Your drake really should not need cleaning except under special circumstances