New Call Ducks - Advice please!

[Miss Lydia]

Does he do this every time he eats?

 

[Pyxis]

I've not noticed anything off about his sleep. He just... lays like a duck I suppose.

He's pretty stable when moving around, it's just when he's wet and preening himself that he gets super wobbly. He feeds fine and can run and walk perfectly well.

I have noticed that one of his wings has less feathers on it than the other, like significantly less. It almost looks shorter? But he can still flap his wings regardless (he likes to flap when I let him go after holding him haha).​

I've gotta read back through the thread before I can comment more, but I wanted to comment about his shorter wing with fewer feathers. It sounds like he may have been pinioned - the last joint of the wing cut off so that he cannot fly.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Wow never thought of that @Pyxis

 

[bluekii]

I've gotta read back through the thread before I can comment more, but I wanted to comment about his shorter wing with fewer feathers. It sounds like he may have been pinioned - the last joint of the wing cut off so that he cannot fly. I'm going to check their wings properly tomorrow to confirm the situation.

That's so cruel... cutting part of their wings off....
The woman who I got them from said they have not been clipped... so they can fly... but I am fully convinced that BOTH the ducks have had something done to their wings... both have one wing shorter than the other... and CAN'T fly.

He eats fine, he only stumbles around when he is wet. After I dry him he is fine, only "tiptoes" and stumbles around a little after that.​

 

[Pyxis]

Will his feathers never grow back?
The woman who I got them from said they have not been clipped... so they can fly... but I am fully convinced that BOTH the ducks have had something done to their wings... both have one wing shorter than the other... and CAN'T fly.

He eats fine, he only stumbles around when he is wet. After I dry him he is fine, only "tiptoes" and stumbles around a little after that.​

Both having a wing shorter to me says they were pinioned. Can you take one of them and stretch the shorter wing out and get a picture and post it?

If they were pinioned, no, they will never be able to fly. It is literally cutting the last joint of the wing off, so they never develop flight feathers on that wing.

This is what was done:

 

[bluekii]

Both having a wing shorter to me says they were pinioned. Can you take one of them and stretch the shorter wing out and get a picture and post it?

If they were pinioned, no, they will never be able to fly. It is literally cutting the last joint of the wing off, so they never develop flight feathers on that wing.

This is what was done:

View attachment 1595569

Will take photos and check tomorrow, honestly I hope they haven't been pinioned, because that seems so cruel. ​

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Poor puddles
He looks like he is having a cramp.
I have No idea what would cause that.

 

[bluekii]

Happy Wednesday everyone!

So unfortunately... the speculations were confirmed as I checked the wings today.

Both have been pinioned.

I have attatched photos of their wings.

Puddles has some really "off" feathers on the back of his neck. Checked for parasites but there are none. They feel rough and course and he keeps pecking at them. Photo attatched.

Thanks again for the continued support and guidance, really appreciated. ​

 

[Miss Lydia]

He is in need of a good molt. At least hopefully the pinioning was done when they were tiny and it’s completely forgotten similar to having dew claws removed from tiny puppies? Maybe I’f you had a way of keeping them in a warm place he’d begin to molt on his own? Of course others who have calls can give better guidance like @Pyxis or @shawluvsbirds. Only thing I know to do is keep up with the vitamins and good feed and hopefully he’ll recover from not having a very good start at his previous home.

 

[WVduckchick]

Happy Wednesday everyone!

So unfortunately... the speculations were confirmed as I checked the wings today.

Both have been pinioned.

I have attatched photos of their wings.

Puddles has some really "off" feathers on the back of his neck. Checked for parasites but there are none. They feel rough and course and he keeps pecking at them. Photo attatched.

Thanks again for the continued support and guidance, really appreciated. ​

Pretty sad that she told you they had not been clipped. I guess technically, pinioning and clipping is different, but similar enough that she should have told you when you asked. I wish I knew some exercises for the wings. I would think the more he tries using them, the better control he will get and the faster he will improve. Bathing and drying should encourage him to use them more. Maybe even some therapy with you manually assisting him stretching, fanning out the wings, exercising the muscles, etc, may help.

I agree with @Miss Lydia though, I think he will greatly improve after a good molt.