Runner duck feather loss

[fowllady]

I have two beautiful runner ducks, twins, 6months old approx, each laying an egg a day. Recently one has been losing feathers around her "shoulders", there is no obvious injury or insect bite, the only spots are new feathers breaking the skin. She seems unbothered, but was a little more clumsy than usual today, tripping. Her sister has all her feathers. Both behave otherwise normally; eating, drinking, swimming. I don't think they pluck each other.

Should i be worried?

Thanks in advance.

 

[fowllady]

Miss B. Is on the far left, you can see some feather loss.

 

[fowllady]

Bump - please advise! Does she need a vet?

 

[Orca5094]

If she's growing in new feathers in the area she is losing feathers in, she's just going through a moult. No worries! They typically stop laying eggs when they start moulting and behavior/demeaner can change as well during a moult. Six months is kind of an odd age to go through a moult though, they usually do it around 2 months and then again a year later. Regardless, it sounds like a normal moult to me if new feathers are coming in.

 

[fowllady]

Thank you!

 

[GGBEAR]

Hmm I'm having same issue but I have only had 1 egg since I got them 3 weeks ago there is lots of feathers all over the garden but they don't really look like they have any missing I bought them and he didn't say how old just sold as pol
Although 1 of them still has what look likes down feathers partially on her neck and beaks are still pale yellowish

 

[needlessjunk]

Hmm I'm having same issue but I have only had 1 egg since I got them 3 weeks ago there is lots of feathers all over the garden but they don't really look like they have any missing I bought them and he didn't say how old just sold as pol
Although 1 of them still has what look likes down feathers partially on her neck and beaks are still pale yellowish

New white feathers usually look yellow when they first come in. I have one that is molting right now and it is just a trickle of feathers everywhere. I also have another that is going through a hard molt and looks horrible! All of her flight feathers are missing and she looks all rumbled. They are both molting just some molt hard and others it's just a little here and there. They get their first feathers around 8-10 weeks and will molt around 15-20 weeks and then yearly usually after that.

 

[GGBEAR]

Oh thanks it sounds about right ill try get pics but there very scatty and camera shy