Wet discolored feathers around duck's vent

[CoriM]

I posted this in the illness forum, but also posting here in case anyone has had a duck with this issue. About 6-7 weeks ago I had a variety of symptoms show up in my 2.5 year old pekin. She molted, and after growing back feathers seemed really large - like she had gained weight. Her gait slowed down and she doesn't move as fast as she used to. Soon after the molt she seemed to be laying down at odd times, like just after she was let out to free-range. I thought maybe she was just recovering energy from molting. She then developed these wet and discolored feathers around the vent area. I have flipped her upside down and inspected them several times. There's so many feathers in the way, I don't really find the vent area, but nothing is foul smelling, and there doesn't seem to be discharge. She bathes a couple times a day in a pond, but this discoloration doesn't go away. She's kept in a clean run/coop, and also spends a lot of time in the grass in a tractor. Her energy is definitely low and she is cranky - not wanting the other ducks to crowd her or me to touch her. Sometimes her appetite is off and she will refuse treats, but then it's back and she eats quite a bit. She looks dull around the eyes, and like an old, tired duck to me. Her pep is gone, in that she used to crowd to the front of the pack to get treats and now she just hangs back, indifferent. I've been reading incessantly on various threads trying to figure out what she may have, and thought it was possibly a reproductive issue - maybe internal laying. Of my three pekins I only am getting one egg every few days. Also thought that would explain her growing larger and walking slower. But now I am wondering if worms could cause this? I don't see anything visible. I have safeguard at home and can treat her with that. I also have looked up vent gleet and tried to read everything I can find on that. Since there's no foul smell or visible discharge, I'm not sure it could be that. I've scoured the forums for photos of anything similar in a duck. If anyone has any ideas let me know. I don't have much faith in my avian vet, and since I thought it was internal laying for the first many weeks I had just resigned myself to keep her happy as long as possible and then put her out of her misery. But she keeps going on. I would really like to help her. Sorry, the 2nd picture is just a close up - it's terrible because I was trying to do it one-handed, but it's pretty much all I see when I go looking.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Does her tummy area feel squishy and different from her sisters? They can get fluid build up inside called ascites. Probably her poop has discolored her feathers.

 

[CoriM]

@Miss Lydia I have read about water belly and wondered, but her belly honestly doesn't feel that squishy. I've read that it's almost a water-balloon feeling and I really don't feel that.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you want to find out if she is laying or who is, use food coloring around the outside of the vent then when the egg is laid the egg will have the food coloring on it. Do different color for each duck.
It could be she is laying internally but they usually don't last long when that is going on. A vet could do X-rays to see if there are eggs inside.
If you use food coloring be sure not to let them swim until you have checked the egg.