Welshie molting this late in fall?

[MaureenD]

Hi there everyone,
I have two lovely welshie hens and two choc runner hens. Love them to pieces. My largest welshie, Daisy has shed her very long colorful wing feathers. She does have a bunch of new ones coming in, and her personality, appetite, egg laying etc seem ok. I do not think she's ill, but why would a duck shed feathers in late October (I am in WI). She is a timid one, and won't let me get too close. She acts fine. One of my chocolates molted this late summer- she went from a "milk" chocolate brown, to more a "dark" choc color. Beautiful. We went from 4 eggs a day down to 1-2. I am not too worried as winter is coming. Some of the welshie eggs have been almost 4 oz!!!


Any thoughts on the molt from other welshie lovers?

 

[Bills vs Beaks]

I see no one commented, so I will even though I don't have welsh (they are beautiful)
I haven't had ducks molt their wing primary feathers this late, but I have noticed they do go darker on their bodies. That said if she is acting fine I see no reason to worry unless it gets really cold and she doesn't have enough protection. Here in NJ we have had a couple very warm days this week, I don't know what your weather is like but maybe if its been warm like here, she just got confused.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have Muscovy's still in molt They usually do molt in the fall but never this late. I think the warm weather we have had this fall has them confused. My poor chickens look like they have been hit with the fan. Late molt for them as well. One of my Muscovy's walked around for days with her large flight feathers dragging the ground thankfully yesterday the last ones fell off now she can regrow.

 

[MaureenD]

"...her large flight feathers dragging the ground thankfully yesterday the last ones fell off now she can regrow. "

Hi there and thank you for your replies (Hello Ms Lydia!),
I did get to hold her (though be it very brief!) yesterday and inspect her wings. I was fearful it was something more like a parasite, but she seems really fine. All her heavy flight feathers are now off and little fluffy ones flying everywhere. ; )
Her feet look healthy and she is spunky as usual. I think my other Welshie, Lulu might be getting ready to do the same thing. I was able to save many of the feathers from Daisy's wings- beautiful! Hope to shadow box frame them somehow they are so pretty.

In WI we have had a warmer than usual fall. Yesterday was GRAND! 73, no wind and sunny! Took the time off of work to winterize coop-clean, dust down, put up winter plastic protection. Leaves, lawn. The girls are feeling quite exposed now the leaves have fallen. They spotted a couple of hawks I would say maybe 1/4 mile up and were very cautious. They even passed up the fresh pool water- usually they are in it immediately after I fill it. I had a brilliant idea- took my rolling day pen/tractor and set it over the pool, now they have it enclosed and perhaps they feel more safe with the mesh over them.

Getting one egg now a day- I think they are mixed up! ; )

Thanks again! Love coming to this forum for help!

(view of coop under porch from kitchen window...)

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have been hanging predator tape up now that the leaves have fallen off the trees. We have alot of hawks.

 

[MaureenD]

"predator tape" -never heard of it, but then, I never needed it. I will look that up as an option.
We have an open field behind us and I am amazed at how little we see wildlife out there (and we have been here 13 yrs).
We know we have coyotes, and I have heard we have a couple of neighborhood foxes. We do have a random feral cat from
the field owner's barn, but they do not seem to bother the girls out there.

The "girls" are in a roomy pen while I am away from the house and when we are home, we let them out to roam the yard.
They are pretty smart and watchful. They act so much like dogs! We have two large dogs on one side of yard, and two on the other, and our own Westie,
so they are pretty well watched.

So glad clocks change this weekend! Getting light here at 7:20! Getting dark at 6:15! Using the timer more and more each day.

Have a great TH!