Skinny cold duck

[jruhle]

I have a small duck that has always looked pretty rough and dirty. I brought it inside since it's shivering from our Alaskan winter. It's very skinny with sparse feathering but it eats well and bites although It can't run well. Any ideas? Maybe she's old or sick?

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Could be either or possibly something else. I think nutrition will be the place to start. Are you willing/able to keep this duck indoors for awhile? Do you have other ducks? I would switch that duck over to a higher protein feed for a short while to promote feather development and then go from there.

 

[Amiga]

I agree -keep her warmer for a time, vitamins, a little extra protein, I like adding flax seed meal to their feed sometimes.

 

[jruhle]

I have 14 ducks most of them are thriving I was given a few that have always looked a bit sickly. Going to mix catfood in the mix for winter. They had grapes for breakfast!

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Well remember, grapes lack protein. Best thing I think is a good feed, that will balance all the amino acids and vitamins and protein. Some extra protein for awhile should not hurt, it should support faster feather development. Cat food is ok, in my experience. I had a duck stuck in a molt for literally months until I gave her just a few pieces of cat kibble. 3 days of that and her molt was finished. So it's been 3 days, how are things now?

 

[Going Quackers]

How long have you had her? so no one else is like her? is she at the bottom of the pecking order and not getting enough feed.