Wet feather in call duck?

[Hannahnic14]

I'm about to get this poor boy, he's less than a year old. She said he hates to bathe. Is there any rehabbing this poor guy? I'm willing to try and help him. All her other birds look amazing and in peak health!

 

[ruthhope]

I do not know the answer to your question. I do wonder if the poor wee duck has a defective preen gland.

I have three ducks that aren't big wading pool bathers -- they like to "dab wash" using their drinking water. To get them to go into the pool and bathe properly, I shower them with a hose when it's a sunny day. None of them look like your photo. If I were given that little duck, I think I would bring him in the house and put him in my bath filled deeply enough for him to swim. And see what happens. Obviously as his feathers aren't waterproofed properly, I would only have him in the bath for a short time and I would dry him with a towel afterwards. Watch how he preens himself and see if on future days he can be coaxed into your duck bathing provision [do you have an outdoor tub or children's wading pool?]

 

[Hannahnic14]

I do not know the answer to your question. I do wonder if the poor wee duck has a defective preen gland.

I have three ducks that aren't big wading pool bathers -- they like to "dab wash" using their drinking water. To get them to go into the pool and bathe properly, I shower them with a hose when it's a sunny day. None of them look like your photo. If I were given that little duck, I think I would bring him in the house and put him in my bath filled deeply enough for him to swim. And see what happens. Obviously as his feathers aren't waterproofed properly, I would only have him in the bath for a short time and I would dry him with a towel afterwards. Watch how he preens himself and see if on future days he can be coaxed into your duck bathing provision [do you have an outdoor tub or children's wading pool?]

Yes I do have a small kiddie pool I used for my goslings last summer. Thank you for your help!

 

[ruthhope]

Yes I do have a small kiddie pool I used for my goslings last summer. Thank you for your help!

I'm a sucker for little ducks that need special care! I have one sleeping in my house at the moment. Do let us know how you get on with him!

 

[Hannahnic14]

I'm a sucker for little ducks that need special care! I have one sleeping in my house at the moment. Do let us know how you get on with him!

Yea, I've never read ducks before though so I'm not sure he's a good one to start with. Lol. I'm husband thinks I'll stress out too much over him

 

[ruthhope]

Yea, I've never read ducks before though so I'm not sure he's a good one to start with. Lol. I'm husband thinks I'll stress out too much over him

Oh, that little cutie needs ducky friends. If he is male, you could get him a male friend or a female. Mine are all drakes. But if you want eggs, obviously, you will have to get a female or two. He will be way too lonely in a coop on his own. My first was a one or two day old duckling rescued from running round at night in a mall carpark in a rain storm. He was very sick by the time I got him, having not eaten or drunk at his rescuers home. He revived and then had a relapse -- he was depressed because he was on his own in his heated brooder [box]. Anyway, he is an enormous muscovy drake now in the coop in my back garden, along with another muscovy drake that came from my local rehabber. Muscovies cannot be legally released to the wild and muscovy drakes are particularly hard to find homes. The one sleeping in my house, is a pekin drake with a damaged bill from a raccoon attack when he was a duckling. He is 3 or 4 months older than the muscovies and was boss duck until the muscovies were 6 months old when their male hormones came surging in. They started bullying the little pekin, particularly in the coop overnight. The pekin is very sociable and dearly wants to sleep in the coop again with the other two, but within seconds they are biting him and making his life a misery. So, I bring him into the house. He manages during the day -- from when I first let him out and he starts shouting loudly to summon the other two, as I let them out of the coop. The muscovies are mean to him during the day, but he can run away and hide -- he is much lighter on his feet than those two muscovies!! BTW, my husband says "no more ducks"!! I have deafness of convenience.

 

[Hannahnic14]

Oh, that little cutie needs ducky friends. If he is male, you could get him a male friend or a female. Mine are all drakes. But if you want eggs, obviously, you will have to get a female or two. He will be way too lonely in a coop on his own. My first was a one or two day old duckling rescued from running round at night in a mall carpark in a rain storm. He was very sick by the time I got him, having not eaten or drunk at his rescuers home. He revived and then had a relapse -- he was depressed because he was on his own in his heated brooder [box]. Anyway, he is an enormous muscovy drake now in the coop in my back garden, along with another muscovy drake that came from my local rehabber. Muscovies cannot be legally released to the wild and muscovy drakes are particularly hard to find homes. The one sleeping in my house, is a pekin drake with a damaged bill from a raccoon attack when he was a duckling. He is 3 or 4 months older than the muscovies and was boss duck until the muscovies were 6 months old when their male hormones came surging in. They started bullying the little pekin, particularly in the coop overnight. The pekin is very sociable and dearly wants to sleep in the coop again with the other two, but within seconds they are biting him and making his life a misery. So, I bring him into the house. He manages during the day -- from when I first let him out and he starts shouting loudly to summon the other two, as I let them out of the coop. The muscovies are mean to him during the day, but he can run away and hide -- he is much lighter on his feet than those two muscovies!! BTW, my husband says "no more ducks"!! I have deafness of convenience.

Oh he'll come with a female if I'm able to get him and I'm getting cayuga, welsh harlequin, and silver appleyard ducklings in march!

 

[Quatie]

Poor little guy. You can try taking warm wet washcloth or rag and clean off his oil gland. Good quality feed can also improve his feather quality. However, you may not see his feather quality improve till he molts. That has been my experience with wet feather, it improved when they molted.

Until the feather quality improves, you will not want him to be wet in the cold. He could get hypothermia with wet feather.

 

[KaleIAm]

To encourage preening, when it is warm, you can also try misting him with a water bottle. I had a variety of techniques with my duck with poor feather quality. When she was inside, or on warm days, I misted her. I picked her up and put her directly in the tub (in the winter) or in the kiddie pool in the summer. If needed I dried her with a towel, or even a paper towel to make things easier for her.

I also took her to the vet. They checked her preen gland, which was fine. And found out she had arthritis. Preening was painful for her so I gave her "duck ibuprofen" (prescription metacam) so she would feel better and preen more. We also did laser treatments, soft bedding, ect. If the duck has a medical condition contributing, a vet can help you out a lot.