What's Up with Martha's Feathers?

[3bird]

They will get use to it give them a few days. My large 5 gal heated bucket I have a thick piece of scrap 8X8 in front as a step up so they can dunk their heads but still not climb inside.

They were using it like champs over night last night and this morning.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yay!!!

 

[3bird]

Good Morning All. Here'a quick update and Martha and a question:

Martha's feathers have never looked entirely "normal," but the major concern we had seemed to be consistent with a molt (thank you BYC for helping us work that out). I'm writing today because we are once again concerned about Martha and her feathers. We have been in pretty deep freeze for us (each night negative numbers F and says only in the single digits), and we've been locking the ducks in the duckhouse each night without food or water. When we let them out in the morning, they (surprise, surprise) hit the water first. We have a plastic heated water bucket with most of the top blocked off so they can't actually get in it, but they still manage to get awfully wet. All of them get frozen feathers, but Martha's are more frozen than the rest. The ducks all preen and nip ice off each other, and within short order, everyone except Martha looks pretty good. Martha is just an ice ball with disheveled feathers. She's eating fine and active, and she LOVES dousing herself in as much water as she can. Is she locked in a vicious cycle, where she is trying to get clean and straightened out, but the more water she tosses on herself, the more icy and disheveled she gets? Any thoughts?

 

[CarleeAnn]

Good Morning All. Here'a quick update and Martha and a question:

Martha's feathers have never looked entirely "normal," but the major concern we had seemed to be consistent with a molt (thank you BYC for helping us work that out). I'm writing today because we are once again concerned about Martha and her feathers. We have been in pretty deep freeze for us (each night negative numbers F and says only in the single digits), and we've been locking the ducks in the duckhouse each night without food or water. When we let them out in the morning, they (surprise, surprise) hit the water first. We have a plastic heated water bucket with most of the top blocked off so they can't actually get in it, but they still manage to get awfully wet. All of them get frozen feathers, but Martha's are more frozen than the rest. The ducks all preen and nip ice off each other, and within short order, everyone except Martha looks pretty good. Martha is just an ice ball with disheveled feathers. She's eating fine and active, and she LOVES dousing herself in as much water as she can. Is she locked in a vicious cycle, where she is trying to get clean and straightened out, but the more water she tosses on herself, the more icy and disheveled she gets? Any thoughts?

Can you bring her in and let her bath in a tub?

 

[3bird]

Can you bring her in and let her bath in a tub?

We thought about that. Our concerns were the stress of being removed from the flock if it's not a big deal. Have you done that?

 

[3bird]

Martha is the duck that walks up the ramp near the start of this video:

 

[CarleeAnn]

We thought about that. Our concerns were the stress of being removed from the flock if it's not a big deal. Have you done that?

I only have two ducks, so if they come in they both do. Perhaps you could bring a friend in with her to keep her company, I have heard of others doing that for sick ducks.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I would be very careful bring her or any inside unless you can slowly get them back acclimated to outside temps again.

Bring the bucket up some so they can't do so much bathing in it just low enough to dunk their heads, It worries me when mine bath in their buckets in these temps we were at 2* this morning. I have been putting my Muscovy's inside when they stay out for long periods my Runners and Buffs come out and go inside so I am not as concerned about them. Frostbite is a concern with muscovy's since they have flesh on their faces.

Martha may have wet feather which makes their feathers look scruffy and they aren't very water proof either probably why she went inside to preen. The other duck didn't chase her out? Having no good water proofing makes them more susceptible to hypothermia too since the water doesn't roll off but soaks into their feathers and down. Does the water roll off of Martha.

Usually a few of mine get wet feather a few months before molt starts then once they molt feathers look good again.

Maybe Martha could use some extra protein and some good fat in her diet right now to help her through these frigid temps.

Mine are getting corn, mealworms and dog food.

 

[3bird]

I would be very careful bring her or nay inside unless you can slowly get them back acclimated to outside temps again.

Bring the bucket up some so they can't do so much bathing in it just low enough to dunk their heads, It worries me when mine bath in their buckets in these temps we were at 2* this morning. I have been putting my Muscovy's inside when they stay out for long periods my Runners and Buffs come out and go inside so I am not as concerned about them. Frostbite is a concern with muscovy's since they have flesh on their faces.

Martha may have wet feather which makes their feathers look scruffy and they aren't very water proof either probably why she went inside to preen. The other duck didn't chase her out? Having no good water proofing makes them more susceptible to hypothermia too since the water doesn't roll off but soaks into their feathers and down. Does the water roll off of Martha.

Usually a few of mine get wet feather a few months before molt starts then once they molt feathers look good again.

Maybe Martha could use some extra protein and some good fat in her diet right now to help her through these frigid temps.

Mine are getting corn, mealworms and dog food.

Thanks. That makes sense about bringing her in. It's the same justification (but more extreme) for why we have not used a heat lamp in the duckhouse. We've been anywhere from -12 to -5 F when we go out in the morning, and daytime temps have not gotten out of the single digits...so yes, very cold.

I need to adjust the bucket. It used to be higher, but that is largely layer after layer of ice and straw built up. We need to address that for next winter. For now, I may just put some bricks under the bucket.

Martha is not getting chased or pushed out of the duckhouse. I'm looking at the duckhouse camera right now, and they are also snuggled into the straw together. Some are preening and some are sleeping.

Hypothermia is a concern because, non, the water is not really running off her back (although it's hard to tell because she has so much ice on her feathers).

Our guys are getting corn and mealworms in addition to soup and their pellets. Martha is a fiend for meal worms. We worry about giving her too many. ;-)

We're going to add kibble this afternoon.

Thanks so much!

 

[Miss Lydia]

They look so adorable, well they are adorable. Mine would do a song and dance for meal worms I don't think they can od on them unless they got into the container. then they probably would but they are a good source of protein and that is what feathers need.

Yes sit you bucket up off the ground so it isn't sitting in water once these temps moderate. I say that a lot because one year a member on the goose thread had one of her prize geese electrocuted because the bucket was sitting directly in a bowl to catch the spilled water and must have shorted out. Any way I sit all my heated bucket up off the ground so they don't sit in water. I don't like anything that uses electricity sitting where it is wet. Bricks work well concrete blocks, 4x4 what ever is available.