Noticed strange things on my ducks, not sure what to do.

[jimbillman]

So I have 2 Male white Peking ducks, and on one we have noticed a strange feather, or something that looks like it on its lower back, and on the other duck we see skin on its wing instead of their little feathers. I also seem to notice that they are constantly “scratching” w. I’m not entirely sure what that’s l about, but they do it all the time. One last thing is that the brooder their in is relatively small, and always kind of has damp shavings at the bottom. I do clean it out once a day. What should I do? (The pictures are attached)

 

[Crazy Maizie]

That is their preening gland.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

The wing area looks irritated though. How close to the lamp are they? What is their water set up like?

 

[KaleIAm]

2nd photo is the preen gland, it is a normal part of duck anatomy. You'll see them touch it with their bills to get "oil/wax" on their bills and then spread it all over when preening themselves. They will do this especially after getting wet.