Water Temp Washing for Wet Feather

[KaleIAm]

Thank you! That's just the information I was looking for - all the sites say wash them, but don't mention temperature. Okay, tomorrow she gets washed - I just have a feeling that it is the right thing to do, but I'll suss out whether or not to use soap when we get to it.

Let me know how she does!

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Really? Everything I have read about wet feather says to wash the whole duck, dry her off, then don't let them in water for a few days - then let her have a swim in clean water every couple of days. At this point I start encountering variety as some say to dry her off after her swim and some don't.

I had an issue of wet feather and it worked for me. In fact, I didn't use any soap, just a warm cloth. The reason why you don't let her swim is because she doesn't have the oil production and she will get chilled because she can't keep the water off her feathers.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That could be exactly why she is dropping feathers right now. Trauma. I hope she gets through this and again when she begins to grow back her feathers and is preening good again she is 100%. Speaking of molting here we are almost into Jan and I still have birds finishing up their molt, never have I had birds molt this time of year. Whether what you see is molt or losing feathers from the trauma, once those feathers are replaced she should have good feather quality again.
How is she otherwise? has she fully recovered in other ways she may have been affected by almost drowning?

 

[loofa]

That could be exactly why she is dropping feathers right now. Trauma. I hope she gets through this and again when she begins to grow back her feathers and is preening good again she is 100%. Speaking of molting here we are almost into Jan and I still have birds finishing up their molt, never have I had birds molt this time of year. Whether what you see is molt or losing feathers from the trauma, once those feathers are replaced she should have good feather quality again.
How is she otherwise? has she fully recovered in other ways she may have been affected by almost drowning?

She stopped laying after the event and still isn't laying, and looks bedraggled. She has lost all of her long wing feathers, so she also looks stumpy, poor thing. I worry because we are due for a snowstorm here in Oregon any day now and she clearly doesn't have the same level of insulation as my other ducks. But she is active and eating and drinking and I have hope for her.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a Muscovy who is 13 yr old she is having difficulty walking so i have set her up at her coop where she can go in and out. And there is a dog X pen surrounding that area so the others can't pester her. This was if it's raining or snowing she has her coop available. She usually lays right inside the door on shavings. Food and water right there for her to enjoy. Maybe you can figure out a way to do something like this so she doesn't have to be out in the weather and cold right now until her new feathers come back in. This is Ruth’s setup.

 

[loofa]

Okay, I washed her off with a little bit of natural unscented dish soap. Goodness drying a duck with a towel and a blow dyer takes forever!

I should add to this whole story that I also rinsed her off the day of the near drowning - but this was a more thorough washing

 

[loofa]

I have a Muscovy who is 13 yr old she is having difficulty walking so i have set her up at her coop where she can go in and out. And there is a dog X pen surrounding that area so the others can't pester her. This was if it's raining or snowing she has her coop available. She usually lays right inside the door on shavings. Food and water right there for her to enjoy. Maybe you can figure out a way to do something like this so she doesn't have to be out in the weather and cold right now until her new feathers come back in. This is Ruth’s setup. View attachment 2937860

oh what a sweetie Ruth seems. I currently have Six (that's her name) in a large pen in which the coop is. The pen has a tree in the middle that doesn't stop them from getting any rain on them, but does provide a fair amount of shelter, and she can go into the coop whenever she wants. We also have a new duck who we are keeping separate from our drake because she's only 3 months old, so Six isn't alone in the pen. Of course they both desperately want to be out in the yard with everyone else

 

[Miss Lydia]

Another thing with Ruth is she isn't waterproof either because she just doesn't molt much anymore. So I don't let her out on rainy or snowy days.
Sounds like "Six" is well taken care of.
Can we have some pictures of your ducks please. We love duck pics.

 

[loofa]

Here is Six on a good day when the yard flooded from soooooo much rain, and here she is getting dried with the blow dryer (she ended up more in my arms for most of her blow drying experience)

 

[Miss Lydia]

She’s getting the TLC treatment! Very by pretty!