Smelly Drake

[Sparkles1978]

Hello! Quick question....My Pekin drake, Chance, who is about 9 months old, has a funny musky smell. Even after a good bath, 2x daily in my bathtub lol. (He is a very fastidious boi lol) Is this something I need to look in to and/or has someone else had a similar experience? Had calls, mallards and rouens and showed them in 4-H and have had ducks most of my life. But this is my first time owning Pekins so I'm not sure if this is a Pekin thing.... Something to worry about, Or if Chance is just a musky beefy boi lol any advice is much appreciated and thank you in advance!

 

[fatty and friends]

do u clean out his pen a lot? neither of my pekin boys smell at all

 

[Sparkles1978]

Yes. A few times a day. He's an inside duck for now.

 

[LT71689]

Is he a lone duck? What's he being fed? Are you putting him in the bath twice a day just for fun or because you were hoping it would lessen his smell? Is he preening himself well? Does the smell seem to be coming from any particular body part or the whole duck?

 

[Sparkles1978]

He is not alone. I have a hen with him. They get fed Mazuri. Fresh veggies and fruit and SFL. They also get perch minnows twice a month.
He bathes so often because he wants to lol he wont hush til I put turn the water on. The musky smell comes from all over him. Not one specific place. (He doesn't smell like mildew just incase anyone wondered) He and my hen are house ducks. Not voluntarily. My hen's hatch mate died the second night. I had her first. Since she couldn't be left alone, she imprinted on me. Usually they get over that once they become adults. Charlie is not normal. She gets way too stressed to be away from me and refuses to eat. Shes a yr. I got him for her last September for. So he is also an inside duck.

 

[Sparkles1978]

Oh and yes as far as preening. He's a beautiful drake. Other than his smell lol he's perfect. He is fastidious. He preens more than Charlie does.

 

[Sparkles1978]

Picture for refrence. This is Chance.

 

[Sea Wolf]

Unless you are cleaning your tub with chlorine bleach every time after the duck has been in it, he does not belong in your bathtub. Salmonella is a very real risk. You need a kiddy pool in the garage or outside somewhere.

 

[Sparkles1978]

That was not the question I asked, but because I have children, I do indeed wash my bathtub out after the ducks have been in it. Every single time. I appreciate the tip but I am not new to owning ducks. I know how dirty they are. Them being inside wasn't a choice. Hauling water to a kiddie pool twice a day is not happening. I have RA.

 

[Sea Wolf]

That was not the question I asked, but because I have children, I do indeed wash my bathtub out after the ducks have been in it. Every single time. I appreciate the tip but I am not new to owning ducks. I know how dirty they are. Them being inside wasn't a choice. Hauling water to a kiddie pool twice a day is not happening. I have RA.

No worries. Sometimes, it's hard to say no to a critter that loves you. I have had ducks and Canada geese I have hatched out imprint on me. Even as a kid. Tell three geese that they can NOT get on the school bus with you. I have noticed an odor at times from individual ducks that I have had. Not all of them were friendly enough to get my nose close though. Those ducks did get to spend time in an outdoor pond though and I attributed it to just doing duck stuff in the mud. It well might be that it is just his normal odor as you say he keeps himself clean. There isn't anything I can think of that you could try to put on him as their natural oils from the preen gland are vital to them. Maybe try to get him outside for some serious sun exposure? Not sure if some natural UV might help.