Wet Duck!

[Luciesbuddys]

My duck Peata has never been dry. She never has loved to preen and her getting soaked is getting worse lately. I have the feeling it has something to do with her oil gland not working correctly.

Should i wash her in soap and warm to get all the mud off her?
Should i quarantine her so she doesn't get more dirty till she is better?

I'm just worried if i don't take care of it now when November and December roll around and the white stuff starts to fall she will be to cold. I don't want her to die of ducky hypothermia.

What should i do?

 

[bt03]

The first big question is how old is she?

 

[Luciesbuddys]

3 Months old

 

[bt03]

Does she try to preen at all? Are all of her feathers in yet? I have some 2 1/2 month olds that don't have all of their feathers in yet and they stay pretty wet and muddy. It's not that their oil gland doesn't work it's just not mature enough yet. Mine are always muddy which is why they are the ducky-pigs

If you just rinse her with water to get some of the excess off I'm sure she will be fine. I wouldn't wash her with any type of soap, as that may get rid of what little oil she has on her protecting her now.

 

[Luciesbuddys]

she has all her flight feathers and still cant fly. she has been wet since she was 3 weeks old. Even the feathers around her oil gland get soaked.

yes she does preen a good amount but she just isnt good at it she hasnt been since day one. she has all ways looked messy

 

[scratch'n'peck]

That is strange. If you give her oil gland above the base of her tail a little squeeze do you feel an oily substance? She may protest when you pinch the little nub.

I think I have heard of some sort of cream that is sold that is supposed have the same properties as water fowl oil, but I can't remember where I heard about it or what it was called. I guess I didn't take much notice because my ducks love to preen.

I don't know if I would use soap to clean her, because that could strip the little oil she does have. But helping her get the mud off while she is in the water might be a good idea. I don't think you need to quarantine her. Does she seem to act like other ducks aside from the lack of preening. I hope at the very least she dunks her head in the water, since that is important for clearing duck nostrils and eyes.

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

 

[bt03]

Hummm... That is interesting. She really may have a not functioning oil gland. I still wouldn't bathe her with soap to protect what little, if any, oil she does have on her. Winter may be tricky because she wouldn't be able to get wet without getting soaked and may get sick in the process. I'd watch her over the summer and maybe she is just a late bloomer and it will kick in. But if not I wouldn't recommend letting her get wet and cold in the winter.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Here are some links for blocked oil gland:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=353428

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=311700