molting before solstice, not all on same schedule

[hfchristy]

Molting is tied to day length, isn't it?
We gave the ducks some light in the winter, but a lot less than what they're getting now, and stopped supplementing the light in April. About a month ago one of our ducks started tapering off egg laying, and stopped completely two weeks ago. The other one we've had all along seems to be starting the same process. We have one other duck that we took in from friends who had the rest of their flock killed, and she's laying regularly.
The boys seemed to be molting, too, but they can still fly.

Wondering - the duck house is on the edge of a wooded area. Is it possible that as the leaves have come out on the trees, they're not getting enough light to count until we let them out to their daytime enclosure, so even though the days are longer, they're being exposed to fewer hours of light?
Also wondering - does the month of rain and overcast skies we've been having impact their light exposure enough to matter?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Molting is tied to day length, isn't it?
We gave the ducks some light in the winter, but a lot less than what they're getting now, and stopped supplementing the light in April. About a month ago one of our ducks started tapering off egg laying, and stopped completely two weeks ago. The other one we've had all along seems to be starting the same process. We have one other duck that we took in from friends who had the rest of their flock killed, and she's laying regularly.
The boys seemed to be molting, too, but they can still fly.

Wondering - the duck house is on the edge of a wooded area. Is it possible that as the leaves have come out on the trees, they're not getting enough light to count until we let them out to their daytime enclosure, so even though the days are longer, they're being exposed to fewer hours of light?
Also wondering - does the month of rain and overcast skies we've been having impact their light exposure enough to matter?

All very good questions, but other than giving light through the winter which may have threw off their schedule I don't know the answers, hope someone does though I'd be interested to know too.

 

[Speceider]

While molt is associated with changes in daylength, it can be influenced by reproductive status in wild ducks. If a hen is laying, generally, she will not molt until she stops laying. If the first clutch is lost and she renests, she will not start molt until after hatch of the renest, but she will start molting earlier in the brood-rearing period. After drakes pair, and fertilize the clutch, they start prebasic molt, and will not drop their primaries until in complete basic plumage. The amout of light is at such low levels (a 20w bulb is enough light) that clouds and leaves are not an issue. Actually, it is not the amount of light, but the amount of dark....there's a "timer" in the brain (a biochemical reaction that changes one chemical to another chemical) that measures time, and any light "resets" the timer.

Clint

 

[Miss Lydia]

While molt is associated with changes in daylength, it can be influenced by reproductive status in wild ducks. If a hen is laying, generally, she will not molt until she stops laying. If the first clutch is lost and she renests, she will not start molt until after hatch of the renest, but she will start molting earlier in the brood-rearing period. After drakes pair, and fertilize the clutch, they start prebasic molt, and will not drop their primaries until in complete basic plumage. The amout of light is at such low levels (a 20w bulb is enough light) that clouds and leaves are not an issue. Actually, it is not the amount of light, but the amount of dark....there's a "timer" in the brain (a biochemical reaction that changes one chemical to another chemical) that measures time, and any light "resets" the timer.

Clint

Interesting.