What disease is this?

[Loopeend]

5 newer ducklings (not from here) soon began to get a some sort of greasy substance around their heads. Their heads are greasy and brown hard chunks are hanging from the feathers.
We haven't seen them have mucus from the nose or ears, and have not seen them have infected eyes. They do sneeze now and then, but not a lot. Water seems to make it itch more.
We went to the bird vet, she tested on mite, lice, and other critters. It was none of those. She didn't know and send pictures of the ducks to the university of birdscience. We are still waiting for an answer.
With so many birdproffesionals here, maybe someone has an idea?

 

[Tesumph]

You don't have to be sorry. It is totally my fault. When there his child yelled just before we left 'Look dad! Another dead baby duck in the pond!' 'Oh no wait, it is still moving! Aren't you going to rescue it daddy?' And dad quickly ignored it and looked annoyed at his child and hoped we didn't notice. And I, me, myself, was too polite/cowardly to listen to my gut and say 'wait a minute.. I don't want these ducks, I don't trust this, give my money back, I'm leaving without ducks from this farm'. When it came to the price, it was suddenly higher then agreed to on mail, I had to open the mail to proof the agreement because he insisted on the higher price.... He was all nagging about bad people that let their Indian runner ducks mate with 'normal' ducks and he is not like that... gues who has two Indian runner ducks now from him who are not pure and mixed with 'normal' ducks...Nothing was good about it, everything got my gut going, I dind't listen to my gut and didn't act on it.
So don't be sorry. I got myself in this trouble. I made my bed and have to lay in it. And I'm going to do just that in the proper way.

Oh geez. He sounds like a dirtbag. All part of the learning curve, right?

A warm washcloth over their heads might help to soften the gunk if it’s really stiff, before using soap to lather. I have a dog that gets hotspots and when they ooze the yeasty mucus-like stuff and it dries, it’s very hard to wipe off unless I soak and then lightly scrub.

 

[Loopeend]

some random sellers are ok other not so much. I am sorry tho you are having this issue.

You don't have to be sorry. It is totally my fault. When there his child yelled just before we left 'Look dad! Another dead baby duck in the pond!' 'Oh no wait, it is still moving! Aren't you going to rescue it daddy?' And dad quickly ignored it and looked annoyed at his child and hoped we didn't notice. And I, me, myself, was too polite/cowardly to listen to my gut and say 'wait a minute.. I don't want these ducks, I don't trust this, give my money back, I'm leaving without ducks from this farm'. When it came to the price, it was suddenly higher then agreed to on mail, I had to open the mail to proof the agreement because he insisted on the higher price.... He was all nagging about bad people that let their Indian runner ducks mate with 'normal' ducks and he is not like that... gues who has two Indian runner ducks now from him who are not pure and mixed with 'normal' ducks...Nothing was good about it, everything got my gut going, I dind't listen to my gut and didn't act on it.
So don't be sorry. I got myself in this trouble. I made my bed and have to lay in it. And I'm going to do just that in the proper way.

 

[Loopeend]

I'm not so modern in taking pictures.
Here a bad selfie how their heads look now.

 

[Pyxis]

So this is possibly a silly question, but if you wash it off and then leave one isolated somewhere, perhaps in a crate, does it come back?

I'm just wondering if they got into something and it's just some yuck that needs to be washed off. I've never seen this before.

 

[Loopeend]

I ignored my gut feeling to and ended up losing one of my blue brahma hens on monday so I know what not listening to yourself is like. still tho what a horrid man I would us ways to inform ppl of him as to stay away. shame tho I believe it's against the rules to name and shame bad breeders and sellers

That is indeed a major bummer. That's why I am going to try to do it in a different way. I'm working on a Dutch website about Runner ducks now (didn't excist) to prevent people from making the same mistakes, and I am going to breed them pedigree. Not show pedigree, just health pedigree. I hope to be able to start a group of Dutch breeders (and European counterparts) that form a group of 'certified' healthy ducks where people will get their ducks and not from these bad just-for-money breeders. This will mean that these most tamest 5 ducks ever will probably be relocated to friends with farms that want ducks, in 1-sex groups so they don't reproduce, and I have to miss them.

 

[Tesumph]

Hmm you mentioned skin flakes? Starting to sound like a really nasty fungal infection that they picked up from the guy’s farm. Might be worth rubbing some anti-fungal cream on them after their baths.

 

[Loopeend]

They would need drinking water deep enough to dunk their eyes in. It sounds like maybe you are using a chick waterer?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings.750869/#post-10611711
That shows a plastic food tub with the lid cut. But, you can come up with whatever is available.
I can't see your pic.
If you take a video, you will have to upload to another site first - YouTube, vimeo, FB. Etc before being able to embed it here.

They have both. The chick waterer/tower is to have acces to water during the night when I take the bath away because they still can drown. They get fed with the bath available. The bath(s) are different plastic boxes that change with their size.
They show normal behaviour otherwise. Right on track with bathing/swimming skills, washing skills, oiling skills, eating/drinking habits are normal, etc. Growth is normal.
They sneeze though when bathing. And that headslamming. Like the water is not properly going through/getting stuck inside somewhere.

I definately won't buy from that seller again. Or any Dutch random seller for that matter. Nothing but trouble and lies thus far. But that is a different story for another time.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe treat it like wet feather it's rec to use Dawn soap. you know babies can get something called cradle cap wonder if this is similar.
http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/artwetfeather2.htm

 

[Tesumph]

Maybe treat it like wet feather it's rec to use Dawn soap. you know babies can get something called cradle cap wonder if this is similar.
http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/artwetfeather2.htm

Cradle cap is exactly what I was thinking of.