This duck is molting... right?

[Peas4Ducks]

Our 10 month old Cayuga duck, Pepper, has lost a LOT of feathers over the past week and a half and is looking a little sad. I'm 75% sure she's molting, but the timing seems so off--everything I've read online suggests that female ducks mostly molt in the summer, and usually don't lose so many flight feathers all at once.

Their coop is a little more cramped than usual--we added a fourth duck right before she started losing feathers. Is it possible that this is actually feather picking, or that she's sick? She's been running around and eating and drinking as normal.

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

My rouen decided December was the time to molt, and my harlequins did it in November, that looks like a molting duck to me. I always feel
bad for them when they molt in winter.

 

[Peas4Ducks]

My rouen decided December was the time to molt, and my harlequins did it in November, that looks like a molting duck to me. I always feel
bad for them when they molt in winter.

Thanks, that makes me feel better. It was 60+ degrees last week, so I get it, but it's going to get down to 10 degrees this week. Poor duckie

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

My rouen is filling back in now but survived some pretty nasty cold in December without feathers… was 30 yesterday, unseasonably warm and she spent half the day in the pool, I guess she will make it.

 

[Peas4Ducks]

My rouen is filling back in now but survived some pretty nasty cold in December without feathers… was 30 yesterday, unseasonably warm and she spent half the day in the pool, I guess she will make it.

Yep, Pepper is in the pool right now. I'm definitely more worried about her molting than she is.

 

[LucyLovesDucks]

My Khaki Campbell is molting right now. According to Kimberly Link‘s book, molting can be triggered by changing their food. That certainly explains it for my duck, as we’ve been changing from Purina to Mazuri Waterfowl (which is supposed to be nutritionally superior, and he loves that stuff).