Puffed up duck

[PoultryGirly]

Hi. I have a female mallard that is almost a year old, and for the last several days her feathers have been puffed. Also, she tucks her neck in shorter so it looks like she has no neck. She acts normally and searches for bugs in the straw. Is this okay? I'm really worried! By the way, there is another female in with her and a male. The male has been fertilizing her, but I don't know if this makes a difference.

 

[GloryGirl]

I don't know what part of the country you're in, but what you're describing sounds like what all birds do when they're cold. Could that be it?

 

[Amiga]

Does she seem a little cranky? She may be feeling broody. Or, she may be feeling threatened. Does the drake hop on her a lot? She may need a break from him.

 

[PoultryGirly]

No, it's not very cold here (VA). She likes sitting in her nest. I occasionally see the male mate her (maybe once a week).

 

[Amiga]

Ah, she likes sitting in her nest. I am going to guess you have a broody girl. They can be cranky during that time.

 

[PoultryGirly]

When I clean their coop, I put evenly amounts of straw in each nesting box. A few days after that, she will have piled the straw from the other boxes into hers. Now her nest is about 6 inches-1 foot tall. She will only sit in that box. In the day when I let them out of the coop, she will also come out with the others. She'll dig around for bugs outside and she'll ALWAYS go back into the coop sooner than the others and the first thing she'll do is get back on the nest.

 

[Amiga]

Hmmm, sounds broody to me.

 

[PoultryGirly]

Maybe I should candle her eggs tomorrow. By the way, we don't really collect her eggs that often (maybe once a week) because when we feed them in the evenings, she's always sitting on them!

 

[Amiga]

Yup. Broody.

 

[PoultryGirly]

Anyone want a candling update??