Wet belly feathers

[MrsBrooks8]

I tried finding a similar post but did see anything exact to what is going on. This is our first time having ducks so I don’t know 100% what I’m doing but putting in the research which is how I found this page. I want to make sure something is not wrong and this is normal looking. I’ve put them in water to let them clean themselves a few times and it seems to have gotten better after the baths but not completely. The picture I attached was at the worst of it and not the current state. Can someone tell me if this is normal and if not what do I need to do to help them? Are they not drying off enough, does this seem to be wet feather, or something completely different?Thank you!

 

[fatty and friends]

they’re brooder is too small, they are covered in poop.

 

[MrsBrooks8]

they’re brooder is too small, they are covered in poop.

But it’s not just in the brooder. We put them in a pin outside at times and even then it’s still like this. We currently have them in a large horse trough.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Are you seeing your duckling preening after bath time? That is how they water proof their down and feathers once they grow in. But even at their age giving them time to swim in nice warm water can motivate them to start preening and getting their oil gland working. Never put young duckling in cold water they can chill. They can’t regulate their body temp.

 

[MrsBrooks8]

Are you seeing your duckling preening after bath time? That is how they water proof their down and feathers once they grow in. But even at their age giving them time to swim in nice warm water can motivate them to start preening and getting their oil gland working. Never put young duckling in cold water they can chill. They can’t regulate their body temp.

Yes they are preening after bath time. Is not preening enough a thing? I know I previously wasn’t cleaning the brooder enough and have started doing it more often. When do the oil glands start working properly?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Once they begin preening they get the oil gland working. Do not let them lay in feces it can cause ammonia burns. I know keeping up with cleaning is Full time job but it has to be done. That almost looks like it’s down is discolored but of course it’s wet which make it look darker too. is it one or all of your ducklings.Another reason to keep up with cleaning the brooder is the ammonia from their poop can cause respiratory sickness.

 

[MrsBrooks8]

Once they begin preening they get the oil gland working. Do not let them lay in feces it can cause ammonia burns. I know keeping up with cleaning is Full time job but it has to be done. That almost looks like it’s down is discolored but of course it’s wet which make it look darker too. is it one or all of your ducklings.Another reason to keep up with cleaning the brooder is the ammonia from their poop can cause respiratory sickness.

I guess I should have mentioned that the coloring I think is from food coloring that bleed in the bedding. We put a drop of food coloring on 1 back to see which one we think is the male and they ran and it got onto the bedding. So I think the coloration is from that. But maybe it’s also due to when I wasn’t cleaning it enough. Any recommendations on how often?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I only had 4 ducklings in my brooder and I cleaned 4X a day I used pee pads for the first 2 weeks then went to thick pine shavings Once I went to shaving I would take out the ducklings clean all the wet places and add fresh bedding then put them back I did that 2X a day. It all depends on size of the brooder and how many ducklings your trying to keep up with.

 

[ruthhope]

Well, I am glad that you know the brown is food coloring from the bedding! I have a white drake [not a duckling] with a damaged bill who cannot reach as far as the vent on his undercarriage. So he gets mucky down there. But duck poop on him has never looked like your photo!!! The solution with my drake is to make him bathe in the wading pool everyday [for inexplicable reasons, my drakes, like some adolescent boys, do not like bathing. The girls, in a separate flock are in their wading pool all day!!] So I am not surprised that giving your ducklings more bathing time -- in luke warm water for your ducklings -- has allowed your duckling to clean up.

I am sure that with frequent baths, drying off and allowing to preen, as well as no more food dye, your duck will be back to normal looking as the down is replaced with first feathers.

 

[addctd2plnts]

If it stays looking wet, I'd bathe it in Dawn Dishwashing soap in warm water and blow it dry with a hair dryer. Then keep it dry for a few days before letting it swim again, so it can re-waterproof its feathers. Keep the brooder very clean and dry and you should be fine.