What disease is this?

[Mysimplewyominglife]

When I first saw the pics I thought oil substance and soil. if a grease removing dish soap does nothing and it stays then I have no clue what would help specially if it's greasy. But I wonder if it's a oil gland issue or maybe a feather/skin disorder. due to poor breeding/ conditions of the parents. the closest I could find was wet feather in ducks but if it was you might know whats up already. but the seller sounds like a jerk and I would not work with them again specially if they are being so defensive about you asking for their input.

 

[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.

 

[Mysimplewyominglife]

some random sellers are ok other not so much. I am sorry tho you are having this issue. it's kinda putting me off ducks..which might be a good thing as I went from 15 chickens to about 50 in around 2 months lol.. but again I'm sorry this seller sold you ducklings with issues.

 

[2 many chickens]

So did you wash the duck like the others have said? just wash it and see if that makes a difference. Doesn't hurt to Try and WASH it off...

 

[goslingluv]

Just fill up a kid pool and sit in a lawn chair and supervise. My ducklings swim all day from 2 weeks in chest deep water with supervision and at 5 weeks they can swim without your help.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[Mysimplewyominglife]

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

 

[ButteCA]

Honestly I would quarantine it just in case and I would treat for all possible illnesses since it’s unknown. I would tweak its diet,treat for mites and give it a round of antibiotics if possible. Is it just a greasy layer on its feathers or is it affecting the skin? How long after you got it did it become this way? It’s pretty strange though. I would also try to wash it routinely. When my rooster got into it with another rooster he had caked his feathers in mud and it was extremely hard to clean him. I washed that roosters feathers for like two hours before I was satisfied with it. If there isn’t any sort of goop or signs of infection I assume mites are messing with it’s skin and treat for that.

 

[Loopeend]

Just fill up a kid pool and sit in a lawn chair and supervise. My ducklings swim all day from 2 weeks in chest deep water with supervision and at 5 weeks they can swim without your help.

That is what I am doing now.
Today it is inside-pool day though because the weather changed from 30 degrees to 18 and it is brrrrrrrr. Which is good, I needed to mop the floor anyway (such great little helpers )
Normally they would move at this age to the juvenile pen with a deeper pond during the day (we have a three-stage-pen-system). But there are others, and since I don't know what it is yet I don't want to risk it in case it is infectious.

On my way to dish-wash some ducks (well, waiting till my partner comes home, then I can also make pictures if it makes some difference)
I will give updates, and also updates when the vet calls back