Wet-Feather ducks?

[Sallyschickens]

My two Rouen ducks can't seem oil their feathers very well. They look drenched after it rains or after they take a dip in their pool. I did a search here and couldn't find the answer, forgive me if this has already been covered.

History:
*They are not quite 1 year old yet, one male and one female.

*They were fine until the big freeze we had last Christmas, when they could not swim for a week (they had access to fresh water tho).

*Their pool water gets changed every other day, it is well water, chlorine free but with a slightly higher than normal iron content, but other wise normal. The person I got them from has the same type of well water and all of her ducks are fine and have been for years.

*They are fine during sunny or dry days. Seems like they are more "wet" in the mornings?

*They were on a generic chicken feed up until about 2 weeks ago + as much b.o.s.s as they wanted. Handfulls of organic lettuce and spinach. They also free ranged my 1 acre yard all day.

*Now, for the last two weeks they have been getting a nice organic chicken/duck feed (not pelleted), + b.o.s.s. and organic lettuce or spinach. They still free range the yard which is a small part forest and mostly green grass.

Organic label says:
crude protein 15%
L-Lysine .71%
DL Methionine .038%
Crude Fat 2.0%
I can't read the fiber content, seam was over it.
Calcium .9%-1.1%
Phosphorus .36%
Salt .2%-.3%


*They sleep in a dog kennel for safety. It is bedded down with hay and some shavings. This gets cleaned out every other day. They get a small bucket of water in there at night and a dish of the organic chicken/duck feed.

*They are put to bed around 8 or 9 p.m. and get let out around 7 a.m.

I read that they may need cracked wheat and bran which I bought for them at the health food store. They ate it fine, but it didn't really help. I thought it did, but then the rain came back and they "got wet" again. These ducks have had their parents, grandparents etc tracked for the last 6 years by a very dedicated owner (and my best friend) who can honestly tell me this isn't heredity-related.

I think that is about it. Thank you for your help!
-Sally

 

[pips&peeps]

If they look wet all the time, look to see if they have fowl mites.

 

[Sallyschickens]

They don't look wet all the time, just when they swim or if it is raining. They eventually dry off and then look fine. During this last dry spell of about a week, I thought they had gotten better.

(My hens always have a DE dust bath available so I never worry about lice or mites, but I'll check the ducks anyway, JIC.)

 

[Sallyschickens]

Here is a link for anyone else with this problem: http://www.callducks.net/duckswetf.htm

 

[Shadowhills Farm]

Hope some info can come up! Cute horse in your avatar!

 

[Sallyschickens]

Thanks! I am going to give them a forced "dust mite dust bath" with some DE, if that doesn't help, I'm all out of ideas.

That horse is just a generic avatar horse, my real horse is big and fat.

Here he is, he is an easy keeper, so nice and chunky. A far cry from the way he was rescued 3 years ago. (The camera flash has him looking a bit tence.

)

 

[pips&peeps]

5. Over-preening is also thought to cause wet-feather. This can result from a bird carrying a high parasite load. Common parasites on ducks include northern mite (a reddish-coloured mite which lives on the bird and sucks blood) and shaft lice which live on the feathers. Both of these parasites cause irritation. Preening of the shaft lice can start to cause shredding of the feathers. The barbules fail to interlock, and water-proofing is lost. To help the bird, parasites must be removed with an insecticide​

 

[Sallyschickens]

pips&peeps :

5. Over-preening is also thought to cause wet-feather. This can result from a bird carrying a high parasite load. Common parasites on ducks include northern mite (a reddish-coloured mite which lives on the bird and sucks blood) and shaft lice which live on the feathers. Both of these parasites cause irritation. Preening of the shaft lice can start to cause shredding of the feathers. The barbules fail to interlock, and water-proofing is lost. To help the bird, parasites must be removed with an insecticide
​

Yup, they are getting a forced DE dust bath today. I also have some stronger powder that I will use if the DE doesn't work.

I think you guys have helped me narrow it down to perhaps "mites". The confusing part is that they can get themselves dry again in nicer weather. I will feel pretty bad if it is mites, but atleast they can be treated for them easily.

Thanks!!​

 

[Shadowhills Farm]

Quote:
Nice!

We have a Pekin female that looked "wet" a lot a while back. She lost her oils for a while, and we have been dusting the ducks and chickens with poultry dust....

 

[Sallyschickens]

I don't come here very often, and I was searching "wet duck" rather than "wet feather" so I didn't see this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=294673&p=1 Silly me.

Anyway, since I'm doing everything else right, I think it is a case of mites. (I'm not happy about it, but oh well...poor little guys.) I already dusted them and their nest and bedding area. Hopefully I will see improvement soon.

I checked my chickens (who dust bathe in DE and sand) are all fine...thankfully!

Thanks again for all the help!

-Sally