Pekin Duck Club!

[Autumn Wingard]

At 8 weeks old, they actually don't have their adult feathers yet... they have juvie feathers... duck molting in early life is fairly quick and back to back... like they just get fully feathered from their down, and start molting it out for new feathers almost immediately... I think it's about when the wing feathers come in real well the body feathers switch out again...

Are they standing up and grooming and just leave a circle of feathers laying around? That would be molt and not picking... picking is grabbing a billfull and yanking out... check the ends of the feathers and if they are clean, no bits of skin on the pin ends, then they were falling out already...

Thank you so much! This is such a relief for us!

 

[Autumn Tatt]

 

[Amiga]

At 8 weeks old, they actually don't have their adult feathers yet... they have juvie feathers... duck molting in early life is fairly quick and back to back... like they just get fully feathered from their down, and start molting it out for new feathers almost immediately... I think it's about when the wing feathers come in real well the body feathers switch out again...

Are they standing up and grooming and just leave a circle of feathers laying around? That would be molt and not picking... picking is grabbing a billfull and yanking out... check the ends of the feathers and if they are clean, no bits of skin on the pin ends, then they were falling out already...

This is what I was thinking.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Thank you so much! This is such a relief for us!

Glad to help... my first group of ducks freaked me out in a similar way too, lol...

This is what I was thinking. 

It does look rather alarming when they just do that mass drop, lol... now with all the different ages and frequent hatching I do, my yard looks like a perpetual duck massacre happened... I constantly count heads just to be sure!

 

[AxolotlLove]

Hi there! I'm new year so forgive me if I am posting in the wrong place. I have had a single male pekin duck for two months now. This morning, i noticed he has pulled out quite a few wing feathers and I am hoping to get your take on it before I rush to the vet. I have read up on a few possible causes:
Depression from being without other ducks
Mites
Malnutrition-> angel wing
Molting

I have attached a photo for you guys to see and here is some additional information.
My local farm feed was out of duck grower so I have him on chick grower temporarily.
I give him chopped lettuce, grass, clovers, watermelon, and berries.
He has a good sized pen with grass to explore every day.
He has a small kid sized pool for swimming when I'm not home but i take him in my creek when i can.
I just added today a stuffed animal and grass tied in twine that hangs eye level.
He had a leg injury as a duckling that caused him to learn to walk with a limp and have arthritis in one leg.

My official questions:
What do you think the cause of his feather pulling is and should i be worried?
What can i feed him that will bring down the inflammation of his arthritis? Is turmeric safe for ducks?

Thank you for all your help, i am verg new to this and I love my Reggie so very much

He is very cute but I think you should consider getting another duck. He'd be much happier. He is probably just molting, but I really would get him a friend

 

[tracyjg]

I count two your not alone.

 

[AxolotlLove]

Ok any suggestions?
I have lost my 2 girls, a khaki and a pekin girl and I rehomed 2 pekin drakes. That brings me down to 4 drakes. I have 4 female ducklings inside right now, to increase my flock. I do have 5 grown Cayuga females but they've found another pond and somehow survived all last winter without me, I know where they are but they've turned "wild". So, my 4 drakes are free range on a 60acre pond and swamp. they have a pen they sleep in at night. There are 2 rouens and 2 pekins. The pekins are always getting beat up by the rouens, and they split up in 2 different flocks. Is there anything I can do?

I also plan on more females next year, and will pen my females up in breeding season

 

[tracyjg]

Sorry been tied up last couple of days. Sick child and sick bunny. Trying to figure out best options to puncher an abscess or pay thousand dollar vet bill. Worryed about infections.

 

[Autumn Wingard]

Is it cool to give ducksome the green parts of chives? I was out picking a bunch of the and I'm wondering if they are safe for my ducks to chow on

 

[Shelmii]

So, I have two Peking ducklings and one of them releases this mucus type of substance from its nose and occasionally its mouth when it opens its mouth up. (Sorry I don't know it's gender otherwise I'd say he/she) It's name is cream and it's the loudest of the two. I heard warm water and a tiny bit of sugar works, but im not entirely sure. Does anyome know what this might be? How can I treat it? Any advice would be amazing!