Pale color on the breasts of 3-month-old Mallards

[CEB]

I have 14 three-month-old mallards. About half were purchased online, and the others are rescues my granddaughter found apparently abandoned in the middle of a road. Some of them are showing pale colors on their breasts, where it looks like they have lost the outer brown feathers. I am using purchased pine needles for bedding, and I feed them Purina duck food. They are free range during the day, but they come back to their house about dark.

Is this normal, or do I have a problem?

They all seem to act normally, and they take a flight or two around my pond every day.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lrrm...ey=a5t051dhzkr8ed1zvyophgdlv&st=7yjcv1w9&dl=0

Thanks,
Charlie

 

[HollowOfWisps]

The grey growing in on the chest are drakes growing in their male feathering.

 

[007Sean]

First pic is a male that is growing in it's adult feathers, chestnut brown breast, grayish belly and sides....normal, ....will also get a white ring around it's neck....perfectly normal.

 

[CEB]

The grey growing in on the chest are drakes growing in their male feathering.

Thanks. I

First pic is a male that is growing in it's adult feathers, chestnut brown breast, grayish belly and sides....normal, ....will also get a white ring around it's neck....perfectly normal.

Thanks. I was hoping it might be something like that, since I had noticed it on about half of the flock.