Molting??

[DWilkins]

I have a blue Swedish hen.Went out this morning to check on them and noticed feathers all over the run.She has lost or pulled her tail feathers out and those on her lower back.Its winter here. Why would she do this now? They have a heat lamp in the shed so she can stay warm if needed. The feathers were out in an enclosed area that we have protected from the snow and weather. Also have a heated pond for them to swim. I noticed she was shaking a bit while hissing .I am worried that she is bored or stressed because they don't go out in the winter. Do ducks molt in December ? The temps are cold here in Iowa.

 

[Kroelies]

Huh I don't think they will molt now. Maybe another duck did this to her? Or another animal. Is it possible something got inside your pen? Could you check if she has injuries?

 

[DWilkins]

HI...... no other animals can get into the pen. We also have a female Muscovy but has never bothered her , only when the muscovey was broody did she pick on the Swedish. They have always gotten along fine and have been together all winter. The Muscovy was broody for a much longer time then she should have been, but since she has been off the nest they have all gotten along. Just in the past day did this happen.Its almost like she herself pulled them out.I need a web cam set up so I can see what is going on.

 

[Kroelies]

I have never heard of ducks pulling out their own feathers. Did she loose the big ones? Because they have pretty big quills. It must be very painful to pull those out.
Do you have drakes? To me it seems more likely she was chased by another duck.
I know they molt around July or August, after breeding season.

 

[DWilkins]

Its the big ones..... All I can think of is the female muscoy must pulled them out...I have no idea why all of a sudden she would do that. We don't have any drakes My poor girl!!... that dayum Muscovy is getting put in a pen by herself. We were told they were docile birds....

 

[DWilkins]

Thank you for your help! I have separated the muscovey from the rest

 

[DWilkins]

Actually...its her wing feathers. ! Where her wings lay against her has no feathers.so strange.

 

[Kroelies]

I don't have Muscovy ducks so I don't know how they behave @Miss Lydia has Muscovies. How many other ducks do you have and what breed?

Is it on both sides? She might have hit something or gotten stuck with her wing. There are also feather diseases but I have no knowledge about them. I don't really know how to help, maybe @Amiga has suggestions. I hope your Swedish hen feels better soon and isn't actually bullied by the Muscovy

 

[DWilkins]

It's on both sides, she didn't get caught in anything. All the feathers seem to be in one location. There are also some in the little heated pond they have. Even though I am hoping it wasn't Dorrie ( the Muscovy ) I am thinking it may have been. When we first Dorrie, she was actually the submissive female. After she went broody she was mean. She would run after Daphene ( the Blue Swedish) and attack her. I am guessing because of her being broody. We tried to get her past the broody stage as she was well past the time frame and was not laying on any eggs.She would grab the sleeves of my shirt( if I has sleeves... sometimes bare skin! haha) grab pant legs and shake them like a dog. Hissing ,etc... all the symptoms of being broody..... but it lasted way too long .Winter came and in just the past month has she come out of the nesting box. While she was still getting over her broody stage ,Daphene had all her feathers. We had thought since Dorrie was out with Daphene and my two silkies( hen and a rooster) that she was back to her self.Only two days ago did find Daphene with her lower wing feathers gone. She does not bother the Silkies. She seems to feel she she is the alpha female and is giving Daphene a beat down in my opinion.Right now she is in a kennel getting ready to go to a friends that has other ducks.She has two Pekin drakes and a female Blue Muscovy along with other breeds of chickens. We will see if she tries to be the boss of the yard, or if the others put her in her pecking order. I just can't risk Daphene taking any more abuse. I kept racking my brain with any other ways she lost her wing feathers and can't come up with any.
How long do wing feathers take to come back? Will she alright without them due to the lack of warmth and protection .? She is in a very secure environment for winter, heat lamp,lots of timothy grass, heated small pond,, etc. Also.. They don't come out in the snow, could she have done this due to boredom, stress? Last winter when she was the only duck, this wasn't an issue.
Thank you for your responses gang!

 

[Miss Lydia]

It's on both sides, she didn't get caught in anything. All the feathers seem to be in one location. There are also some in the little heated pond they have. Even though I am hoping it wasn't Dorrie ( the Muscovy ) I am thinking it may have been. When we first Dorrie, she was actually the submissive female. After she went broody she was mean. She would run after Daphene ( the Blue Swedish) and attack her. I am guessing because of her being broody. We tried to get her past the broody stage as she was well past the time frame and was not laying on any eggs.She would grab the sleeves of my shirt( if I has sleeves... sometimes bare skin! haha) grab pant legs and shake them like a dog. Hissing ,etc... all the symptoms of being broody..... but it lasted way too long .Winter came and in just the past month has she come out of the nesting box. While she was still getting over her broody stage ,Daphene had all her feathers. We had thought since Dorrie was out with Daphene and my two silkies( hen and a rooster) that she was back to her self.Only two days ago did find Daphene with her lower wing feathers gone. She does not bother the Silkies. She seems to feel she she is the alpha female and is giving Daphene a beat down in my opinion.Right now she is in a kennel getting ready to go to a friends that has other ducks.She has two Pekin drakes and a female Blue Muscovy along with other breeds of chickens. We will see if she tries to be the boss of the yard, or if the others put her in her pecking order. I just can't risk Daphene taking any more abuse. I kept racking my brain with any other ways she lost her wing feathers and can't come up with any.
How long do wing feathers take to come back? Will she alright without them due to the lack of warmth and protection .? She is in a very secure environment for winter, heat lamp,lots of timothy grass, heated small pond,, etc. Also.. They don't come out in the snow, could she have done this due to boredom, stress? Last winter when she was the only duck, this wasn't an issue.
Thank you for your responses gang!

Once the pulling stops they should start growing back in and if she has all the luxuries you just mentioned she shouldn't get cold. Where are you because using a heat lamp may cause early molt too if it's very warm in your duck house. I'd say get a thermometer and check your temps.not saying it isn't Dorrie because my Scovy's have begun their hormone changes and have not been quite as nice as normal to one another but not to the point of pulling out feathers. So if you take Dorrie to a new home and Daphne stops losing feathers and starts growing them back then you'll know it was Dorrie. Boredom can cause it changing hormones and sounds like Dorrie is very similar to my Joy and doesn't know when to quit brooding is actually obsessed with it.