My Cayuga doesn't like water

[MsRedStarr]

My hen, Molly doesn't seem to like the water, she won't dip her head like. The male (Atreyu) does. I know they do this to prevent eye/sinus infections. What are her chances of getting an infection if she doesn't clean herself like she should? What should I do, if there is anything. Is it normal for a duck to not like water?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
She'll learn by watching Atreyu clean. Maybe she had a bad experience. give her time she'll get to wear she is in the water more than not. Have you put them in the tub yet? Just enough water so they can stand on the bottom, that may wake her up to how much fun bath time is.

 

[m.kitchengirl]

My Drake Mr. B. is a little messy chested goober. He wouldn't swim for weeks. He does now, but he is always last in and first out. I try everything, but he just likes to be yucky, I guess. He does do a few really splashy baths a week, but my 2 girls sleep in their pool most of the night.
I sort of chalked it up to his being a boy. MY 7 year old human boy isn't a big fan of baths either.

But, since yours is a hen...well, that blows my theory out of the water.

 

[MsRedStarr]

Hopefully, she will learn by watching Atreyu. I put them in the tub every morning after breakfast, and every night before bed. I noticed she seems more wet than he does, which I don't understand...she grooms the same as he does out of the water, but in the water she just sits there. Hopefully, she will learn by watching, I guess that is all I can hope for.

 

[Miss Lydia]

m.kitchengirl :

My Drake Mr. B. is a little messy chested goober. He wouldn't swim for weeks. He does now, but he is always last in and first out. I try everything, but he just likes to be yucky, I guess. He does do a few really splashy baths a week, but my 2 girls sleep in their pool most of the night.
I sort of chalked it up to his being a boy. MY 7 year old human boy isn't a big fan of baths either.

But, since yours is a hen...well, that blows my theory out of the water.

My oldest drake usually bathes once a day where my girls love to play in the water.​

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Didn't you say their 6weeks old? check her oil gland it's right at the end of her back where her tail starts. I would think at her age there shouldn't be a problem with it. sometimes they do get clogged. Once when mine had trouble I just used a warm wash cloth a couple times a day like a compress and it got okay. Do you noticed her rubbing her face at that area, thats where they get the oil to wax their feathers to keep them water proof.

 

[MsRedStarr]

Miss Lydia, I do see her rubbing her head there. I am definately going to try the warm washcloth compress. She seems to groom just fine out of the water. It's strange. You have been a huge help!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We have a Sebastopol goose who was afraid of the pools when she arrived. Over the last 6 weeks (she has been here all summer now) she loves to swim and bathe. Give your girl time and lots of clean water, hopefully she too will come around.

I did notice the goose enjoyed the cement mixing pans most for a long time. She will now get in th pool, or out on the water in the pasture.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
It's so funny what they seem to like, my emden gander likes the cement mixing pans better than anything else we have, he thinks it's his soaking tub.

 

[m.kitchengirl]

One thing I did for Mr. B. - which may have helped, now that I think of it - is put a shallow roasting pan of water next to the black tub they use in their enclosure. He would splash in that when the other ducks were swimming. After about a week he stopped using it and started going in the bigger pool.