ErinLeTourneau
In the Brooder
My pekin duck — Willow — has always been bigger than her sister — Sugar — but it’s been getting bad as of recent. Since they started getting bigger, Willow struggles to catch up to Sugar.
I bought these two standard pekin ducks back in May from McMurray Hatchery, so they’re seven months old now. Willow layed her first egg back on September 30th, and she seems to be getting worse and worse. She has been heavily molting as well, and her bigger primary feathers have all fallen out. I read on an older forum post that I should see if there’s heat emitting from her feet, so I will do that promptly.
I always provide a clean yard, pool, water and living space for my ducks, so I do not believe that is the negative factor. They are currently on 16% egg-layer feed from Agrimaster.
Whenever Sugar runs somewhere, she is always super fast, while Willow struggles to take step. When she does, 99% of the time she falls onto her belly and seemingly slowly gets back up and waddles onward. It is also insanely difficult for her to get in and out of pools, so I cannot risk keeping a pool in their run (unless that’s just my anxiety talking) in fear that Willow will somehow get herself into a life-threatening situation (hence why she’s so dirty, could *that* be why she’s molting???).
Sugar is absolutely fine, but her sister is another case.
Do I take Willow to the vet ASAP, is it just the pekin duck breed, could it be the feed she’s on (or not on)? Please help!!
I attatched an image of her tail and wing feathers as she jumped into the pool when I was filling it with new water this morning. This is this morning, around 9am CST.
I bought these two standard pekin ducks back in May from McMurray Hatchery, so they’re seven months old now. Willow layed her first egg back on September 30th, and she seems to be getting worse and worse. She has been heavily molting as well, and her bigger primary feathers have all fallen out. I read on an older forum post that I should see if there’s heat emitting from her feet, so I will do that promptly.
I always provide a clean yard, pool, water and living space for my ducks, so I do not believe that is the negative factor. They are currently on 16% egg-layer feed from Agrimaster.
Whenever Sugar runs somewhere, she is always super fast, while Willow struggles to take step. When she does, 99% of the time she falls onto her belly and seemingly slowly gets back up and waddles onward. It is also insanely difficult for her to get in and out of pools, so I cannot risk keeping a pool in their run (unless that’s just my anxiety talking) in fear that Willow will somehow get herself into a life-threatening situation (hence why she’s so dirty, could *that* be why she’s molting???).
Sugar is absolutely fine, but her sister is another case.
Do I take Willow to the vet ASAP, is it just the pekin duck breed, could it be the feed she’s on (or not on)? Please help!!
I attatched an image of her tail and wing feathers as she jumped into the pool when I was filling it with new water this morning. This is this morning, around 9am CST.