Problem with Rouen ducks bill, looks like it's shedding too much, or worse

[Amykins]

Bean has no issues at all, it's just Wobbles. His bill doesn't look much like the OP's or the ducky from the Pekin thread, but it's just all flakes, all the time. I know some peeling is normal, but this much, year-round? I dunno...I can't seem to get a good photo of it either, but I found a couple that come close, I guess? Both of these have one centralized spot of peeling while the rest of it looks smooth, but he's got these shards all over. They don't seem to bother him, but it's a bit alarming when you see a 1/2-inch shard just come undone when you stroke his bill. Especially considering his bill is only 1 inch long to begin with.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Bean has no issues at all, it's just Wobbles. His bill doesn't look much like the OP's or the ducky from the Pekin thread, but it's just all flakes, all the time. I know some peeling is normal, but this much, year-round? I dunno...I can't seem to get a good photo of it either, but I found a couple that come close, I guess? Both of these have one centralized spot of peeling while the rest of it looks smooth, but he's got these shards all over. They don't seem to bother him, but it's a bit alarming when you see a 1/2-inch shard just come undone when you stroke his bill. Especially considering his bill is only 1 inch long to begin with.

That's worse than I expected but certainly not as bad as the OP's. I'd definitely try getting both of them on unchlorinated water even though Bean doesn't have the issue. I'd also do the Neosporin and wound wash treatment, but only on Wobbles. Dryness in your house could cause some flaking, but not like that. You'd expect that to be more evenly distributed over the entire bill. Plus your area typically doesn't have any dryness issues in the summer.

 

[Amykins]

That's worse than I expected but certainly not as bad as the OP's. I'd definitely try getting both of them on unchlorinated water even though Bean doesn't have the issue. I'd also do the Neosporin and wound wash treatment, but only on Wobbles. Dryness in your house could cause some flaking, but not like that. You'd expect that to be more evenly distributed over the entire bill. Plus your area typically doesn't have any dryness issues in the summer.

Well, we certainly have this summer in particular, but true to Seattle weather, Fall came in not with a whisper, but with a bang (seriously, seasonal transitions are unheard of up here). Plus I have one heck of a strong humidifier in the bedroom! I'll try the neosporin though, he doesn't like it much but I'll try anything to get his bill in shape. I still think it might be something genetic, 'cuz I've never seen any duck's nail and lamellae (aka ducky "baleen") grow that long!

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Well, we certainly have this summer in particular, but true to Seattle weather, Fall came in not with a whisper, but with a bang (seriously, seasonal transitions are unheard of up here). Plus I have one heck of a strong humidifier in the bedroom! I'll try the neosporin though, he doesn't like it much but I'll try anything to get his bill in shape. I still think it might be something genetic, 'cuz I've never seen any duck's nail and lamellae (aka ducky "baleen") grow that long!

Yes, it can have a genetic component, and it can also be nutritional. I just wouldn't expect the nutritional part based on what you feed them (unless he's not eating well for some reason). Wish you could get an actual pic of Wobbles instead of one that looks similar.

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Well, we certainly have this summer in particular, but true to Seattle weather, Fall came in not with a whisper, but with a bang (seriously, seasonal transitions are unheard of up here). Plus I have one heck of a strong humidifier in the bedroom! I'll try the neosporin though, he doesn't like it much but I'll try anything to get his bill in shape. I still think it might be something genetic, 'cuz I've never seen any duck's nail and lamellae (aka ducky "baleen") grow that long!

Both Kaine and Tevye had pretty bad peeling at the beginning of the mating season so that is somewhat "normal" drake, but it is mostly gone now. So although other things might be contributing...drakiness doesn't help. Also check the picture of Pocahontas in my avatar album at fall size... She looks like a "Simpsons" character...

 

[Amykins]

Yes, it can have a genetic component, and it can also be nutritional. I just wouldn't expect the nutritional part based on what you feed them (unless he's not eating well for some reason). Wish you could get an actual pic of Wobbles instead of one that looks similar.

Oh heck no, he eats like a horse! I'll try to give 'im more spinach and kale though, in case it is some kind of deficiency. As I said it doesn't seem to bother him, but I do worry about an infection getting in there, and once his clipped wings grow back out and I think more about showing him, it'll definitely become an issue.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Oh heck no, he eats like a horse! I'll try to give 'im more spinach and kale though, in case it is some kind of deficiency. As I said it doesn't seem to bother him, but I do worry about an infection getting in there, and once his clipped wings grow back out and I think more about showing him, it'll definitely become an issue.

Yep, gonna be problem if you decide to show.

I don't ever feed spinach, not even in tiny amounts. I don't harp on it with people who do it, but it's something I don't do myself.

 

[Amykins]

Yep, gonna be problem if you decide to show.

I don't ever feed spinach, not even in tiny amounts. I don't harp on it with people who do it, but it's something I don't do myself.

I know, I know, insane calcium content and oxalic acid, yes. You're right. But we have it in the house so rarely, peas have too high sugar content to give them every day, and both have gotten tired of kale! Can't give 'em corn in high amounts, so I dunno what option that leaves me :/

 

[JadeComputerGal]

I know, I know, insane calcium content and oxalic acid, yes. You're right. But we have it in the house so rarely, peas have too high sugar content to give them every day, and both have gotten tired of kale! Can't give 'em corn in high amounts, so I dunno what option that leaves me :/

I'm not beating you up about it. I find spinach worrisome for ducks because I'm more careful about what I feed them than what I feed myself, and even I rarely eat spinach anymore. The calcium isn't the issue because the bioavailablity of calcium in spinach is drastically reduced by the fact that spinach is very high in oxalates. I could write a sermon about evils of oxalates, but I won't. I'll mostly just say that they interfere with calcium absorption and basically cancel it out. Spinach is also very high in non-heme iron.

I'm not giving out any of this information to impress anyone. I can't take much credit for anything I know about nutrition. I know a good bit about nutrition because it's been drilled into my head by a lady I work with. I do not understand why she's in the IT field. She spends most of her time outside work researching nutrition and she even has her own personal nutritionist she meets with every week. She's always telling me what I should be eating, shouldn't be eating, or should be eating but in smaller or larger quantities. It really makes my head spin sometimes. When she seems particularly alarmed about something, I do my own research. That is the reason I've almost given up spinach myself and never give it to my ducks.

 

[Amykins]

It's okay, ya gotta learn all this stuff in advanced nutritional biochemistry anyway. AKA the College Course From Hell.