what to give a duck to help feathers?

[AliciaM]

What can I give an older male duck to help his feathers?? Im not sure how old he is.. he just looks older.. maybe because his feathers are so ragged and dry looking... (just got him today.. im a sucker and addicted to call ducks) I was told that he didnt have an adequate water supply for a long time...He has been giving himself a dust bath since I put him in his new pen.. His pen is about 7 ft x 7 ft.. and has a good sized tub to swim in.. I even put some grass in it to temp him to get in...

Any ideas will be greatly appreciated... I will take some pics later on.... like some before and after.... if there is one.. LOL..

Oh... and at least one of the call eggs I put in my incubator is fertile... I put it in on the 11th, so only 5 days... but wooohooooo.... Oh, and of my 4 babies that I got a month ago.. If we vent sexed them correctly, I have one boy and 3 girls.. one of the girls looks to be mallard coloring and the others are BUTTERSCOTCH....!!!!! They are such pretty birds...

(im gonna get me a lawn swing to put in the pen just so I can sit and watch them..)

Ok.. sorry... I just get excited.. LOL

Thanks for your help.

 

[duckyfromoz]

You may just have to wait for him to molt- for the feathers to come good again... I am at work at the moment - but have a link at home that would be helpfulas it has information on what nutrients are needed specifically for good feathering. ..I will have a look when I get home for you.

Congrats on the call duck egg..hope therre is a few others fertile as well.

If it is correct- then you have a great ratio there of males to Females

 

[AliciaM]

Thank you.. Id appreciate the information..

If the ratio is correct, I cant let them breed together, can I? since they are all related? They all came from the same clutch..I dont want inbreeding going on....

How often do ducks molt?

 

[duckyfromoz]

It will be ok for you to breed from those ducks- Its ok for a few generations anyway.. But you will have to introduce new blood eventuallyif you intend to keep babies each year to add to your flock.

Ducks will molt twice a year.

It is the B group of vitamins..Biotin ( B 7 ) and Folic Acid ( B 9 ) mainly that will help with the feathers.