Pekin Duck Club!

[duckies1230]

Two questions:
First, can you bathe ducks? I men mine are outside all day playing, swimming, etc and I bring them inside in the evening. They bathe and preen themselves daily but I wouldn't mind scrubbing them up with baby shampoo then hosing them off? Is that safe or is it a crazy idea?

Second: my female and drake molted a couple months ago. Now its as if the drake is molting again, every morning there's at least a dozen feathers, and today getting out of the pool as they were cleaning themselves, all loose feathers came from him. His head and back look a little unruly as if he's molting again. Can this happen or what is happening?

 

[Julie Birb]

Please add me:

MyBosChickens - We just purchased 3 pekin ducks and rescued 1 more (2 males and 2 females.)  We have 5 Female Chickens that they have joined.  We live in Indiana and are busy building a home and homeschooling our 4 children.  We have fallen in love with these silly birds, but know oh so little about them!

Eeeee, how cute, your "silly birds."

 

[mego21]

I have four pekin Ducks (two drakes, two hens approx 16 weeks old) and when I went to refresh their water this morning I noticed that one of my drakes had blister like bums on his legs. I caught him and felt the lumps and it seemed like they were liquid filled (soft). Has anyone seen anything like this? He is not limping at all and it is located on the bottom of his leg. My other peks didn't seem to have any either.

 

[Amiga]

Is there electric fence or electric cord anywhere around where he could go?

 

[mego21]

Is there electric fence or electric cord anywhere around where he could go?

No. Not at all. They have some garden fencing on the ground to prevent animals from digging in. But that's the only thing j can think of that he may have got caught in..

 

[Amiga]

That was my first thought - a blister from walking into something hot.

What else might he have burned his feet on? Asphalt? What season is it where you are? Frostbite makes blisters, too.

Do you live where something could sting him and make such a blister?

 

[Pekin1999]

Two questions:
First, can you bathe ducks? I men mine are outside all day playing, swimming, etc and I bring them inside in the evening. They bathe and preen themselves daily but I wouldn't mind scrubbing them up with baby shampoo then hosing them off? Is that safe or is it a crazy idea?

Second: my female and drake molted a couple months ago. Now its as if the drake is molting again, every morning there's at least a dozen feathers, and today getting out of the pool as they were cleaning themselves, all loose feathers came from him. His head and back look a little unruly as if he's molting again. Can this happen or what is happening?

I'm sorry i don't know but I have been wondering the same thing! I was curious if the soap would hurt them or not!

 

[Pekin1999]

Have you tried introducing him to a mate that is more around his age? he is acting out of instinct but must not be able to control it well. It could calm down with age.

he is the only male in the flock 5 of the hens in the flock are the same age he was honestly just mean. We already ate him I kid you not. Thank you though.@@Charlielou14

 

[Amiga]

No soap for ducks - no shampoo. Water only

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Two questions:
First, can you bathe ducks? I men mine are outside all day playing, swimming, etc and I bring them inside in the evening. They bathe and preen themselves daily but I wouldn't mind scrubbing them up with baby shampoo then hosing them off? Is that safe or is it a crazy idea?

Second: my female and drake molted a couple months ago. Now its as if the drake is molting again, every morning there's at least a dozen feathers, and today getting out of the pool as they were cleaning themselves, all loose feathers came from him. His head and back look a little unruly as if he's molting again. Can this happen or what is happening?

You can bathe ducks, but it's really not necessary or desirable if you're not showing. While something like baby shampoo won't hurt them, it takes all the oil off their feathers until they get it spread all around again. Free range white ducks are going to get dirty here and there, and the feathers will stain if they're ever in mud. I wouldn't drive myself crazy trying to wash them if I were you. We let our white calls that we don't plan to show play in mud puddles, and they're a mess. Mud is a duck's worst enemy when it comes to their plumage, but I don't let it bother me (much) if they're not going to a show.