This can't be Normal, right??? (Please see Pics)

[Robin'sBrood]

Awwww, it's the ugly duckling (as in, so ugly it's adorable!)

 

[duckyfromoz]

Ive never seen one that bald before - But I did have some when using the old incubator that had the follicles of the feather on the outside of the skin. As they dried out after hatching the down was falling off- but it was only in small patches- not all over like this little one. i recently saw a chicken that hatched completely naked..I will see if i can find where I saw it for you.

What was the Incubation period?? If it hatched with the others around day 35 I would say hes a scovies...but if it was days earlier- you could have a cross...but it looks like a scovie to me.

 

[boykin2010]

it would be cool to see what it looked like as an adult if it was crossed with a wild duck

 

[FenDruadin]

Looks like problems in incubation, but it's probably not dangerous. I sometimes have had ducklings hatch out with "wet"-looking feathers that never seemed to dry out, and they often have bare bellies and fat bellies too. The symptoms tend to go together, and I've had fewer of them as I've gotten more practice at incubating. Did this one require help with hatching? Was the yolk still attached when it came out? I've found those tend to go together too.

Usually, the symptoms decrease with age and the baby grows up perfectly normal. Occasionally, there are other internal problems and the baby does not survive babyhood.

I agree with the advice that this one may need a little extra heat. He'll let you know if he's cold though. Just make sure the bulbs don't ever blow out, or that there's backup if they do. Good luck to the little Ugly Duckling!

 

[Bleenie]

He's doing fine as far as warmth, They're under a 90W(i think) light bulb. These pictures were taken after a bath so that's why he looks so wet, he does fluff out a bit but is very wispy-looking and the down that he does have is very, very silky & fine... not like the other ducklings...

This was him before the bath, you can kinda see how hair-like the down is... am I making sense??

 

[Bleenie]

It did hatch along with the other eggs, there's another hatching right now actually. It must be pure, the oddness just made me doubt it, lol. It's obviously very healthy, fat & active. hatched with some sticky gunk that i had to wash off but no yolk, the "bellybutton" isn't fully healed yet though... that doesn't worry me though, i think it's just more noticable because of the lack of down.

 

[love_a_duck]

Quote:
Okay, this duckling has a secret, and he's not telling.
Look at the eye he is giving you in that last pic.
Oh yeah, something special there.
I love him.

Beth

 

[desertdarlene]

Oh, I see what you mean. It's not that bad, afterall. Perhaps it's a genetic mutation. Still curious to see what his adult feathers will look like.

 

[FenDruadin]

Okay, that looks different from what I've experienced, although the sticky gunk & unhealed belly button sound similar (and neither of those are worrisome). So who knows--I'd be very interested to hear whether this carries past his first moult.

 

[clairabean]

AWWWW!! Knit him a sweater!