What's on my ducks head?

[Jhopkins107]

I have two unsexed Swedish Duck pets that are about 3.5 weeks old and I've had them for the last 2.5 weeks. One of the ducks, Howard, has a pom on his head and I noticed about a week ago that it looked like a clump of his pom was falling out. Today, while his head was wet, I noticed that it wasn't a clump of feathers but rather a growth. The growth is pretty floppy and doesn't seem to hurt him, but reminds me of a fat pocket you see on older dogs. Is this something I should be worried about and how do I get rid of it? I'm a first time duck owner so any help would be appreciated.

 

[Kaessa]

"Crested" ducks have an opening in their skulls that exposes their brain. The body reacts to this by forming a pad of fat over the opening. This makes the feathers that are growing on top of that pad "poof" out and make the crest (or pom).

In other words, this is a deformity that you can't do anything about. Keep an eye on him and make sure other ducks don't peck at his head.

Most crested ducks can live a normal life, but just be aware of what causes it.

Also, try not to breed him (or her). A good portion of crested ducklings don't even make it out of the shell.