Khaki Campbell Feet Turning Black

[Joy Jonsdotter]

So I went out to check on my ducks the other night and I noticed that my four one year old Khaki Campbells' feet have turned to a grayish black. It's not frostbite or anything cutting off circulation, and they're not overweight. The hens also randomly forgot where to lay their eggs. Maybe those things are connected, or maybe ducks are just a little scatterbrained? I did a quick inspection, and the foot seems totally normal except for the different color.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

What color are they normally? If orange, some of the carotene which normally colors her feet is going into her egg yolks. I read somewhere that if you know one of your females isn’t laying it is probably the one with the most orange feet. It won’t hurt her unless she becomes deficient in it. Be sure she is getting plenty of fresh greens.

 

[fatty and friends]

like this color? if yes then that’s completely normal. bad pic but i woke my duck up from her nap for this pic and she didn’t wanna untuck her other foot

 

[Joy Jonsdotter]

YES! Thanks so much! I'll make sure they get extra greens.

like this color? if yes then that’s completely normal. bad pic but i woke my duck up from her nap for this pic and she didn’t wanna untuck her other foot

 

[fatty and friends]

YES! Thanks so much! I'll make sure they get extra greens.

i don’t think it’s anything to do with laying eggs, my girl had this color before she laid her first egg

 

[cheezenkwackers]

i don’t think it’s anything to do with laying eggs, my girl had this color before she laid her first egg

Or your girls did not have a lot of excess yellow pigment before laying began. If your starter feed was not corn based they must likely wouldn't.

Here is what David Holderread says in Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks,
"The wild-type skin color is yellow. The legs and feet of drakes are orange to reddish orange, while those of females are brownish orange. Ducks have the richest-colored bills, skin, and legs when they are in glowing health, are consuming a well-balanced diet that is rich in yellow xanthophylls, are exposed to adequate sunlight, and prior to heavy egg production. As with all birds, yellow pigment is pulled from the laying duck’s skin and deposited in the yolk, leaving her bill and skin paler the longer she lays."

 

[fatty and friends]

Or your girls did not have a lot of excess yellow pigment before laying began. If your starter feed was not corn based they must likely wouldn't.

Here is what David Holderread says in Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks,
"The wild-type skin color is yellow. The legs and feet of drakes are orange to reddish orange, while those of females are brownish orange. Ducks have the richest-colored bills, skin, and legs when they are in glowing health, are consuming a well-balanced diet that is rich in yellow xanthophylls, are exposed to adequate sunlight, and prior to heavy egg production. As with all birds, yellow pigment is pulled from the laying duck’s skin and deposited in the yolk, leaving her bill and skin paler the longer she lays."

my other girl has always had orange feet and they eat the same thing, maybe just genetics