Why won't they Molt?!?

[Jlw0903]

Hey all. I'm in southeast Wisconsin. We've already gotten a little snow, starting to get cold. It is November 14 today.
My flock currently contains 3 ducks that are about 5 years old (I had three others from this group that have since gone to the big pool in the sky) and 3 that are about a year and a half. My ducks have always molted by mid September (except one who usually dropped her feathers a bit later but like early Octoberish).
For whatever reason this year two of my younger ones seem to be on molting strike. I mean one had a feather hanging off her but that's been it! I've never had ducks simply not molt/ molt so late. At this point I don't want them to molt because they are gonna freeze. They also are still laying eggs every few days too which is also not normal. I do not have artificial light or anything for them.

Has this ever happened to anyone before? Will ducks sometimes just NOT molt at all? They don't seem sick or anything but could they be?

I'm just worried they are doing to decide to drop their feathers when it starts reliability getting below freezing.

 

[ruthhope]

I have a muscovy drake thatvid 4.5 years old and just finishing his first big molt since getting his adult plumage 3 years ago. His partnervin crime, a couple of months older, has never had a big molt. Yet my third muscovy drake that is only 3 years old is in the middle of a big molt. Meanwhile my 2 pekin drakes and all of my son's pekins(1 drake and 3 females) have never had a big molt. Many of them ate 5.5 years old. They lose feathers including the occasional flight feathers year. One of the females is still laying at least 3 eggs per week. So my ducks have not read the molting rule book, and neither have yours! Unfortunately, I do know of duck keepers that have had ducks go through a big molt in the depth of December snow and ice. All you can do is give them lots of bedding to snuggle down on and perhaps keep them in ths coop for longer periods--only out foraging in the middle of the day

 

[Jlw0903]

So strange. I wonder if it's different for different breeds. The ones that have molted for me have been swedish, cayugas and roens. the two ladies that are being stubborn about keeping their feathers are a welsh and a buff.
But yes if it's real cold out when they drop their feathers I'll probably keep them inside until it warms up or stop looking like they lost a fight with a cat.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a Buff still in molt and a few Runners finishing up. We had temps down into low 20's already I hope they finish up real soon. I have been giving extra protein in the form of dry dog kibble which I feed my dog. If you decide to try that make sure it's good quality but meal worms and black soldier fly larvae also add extra protein too and help feathers grow in nicely. I have a Runner female turned 2 yr in Sept and didn't molt last year at all she finally did this year and is still finishing up.

 

[ruthhope]

I have a Buff still in molt and a few Runners finishing up. We had temps down into low 20's already I hope they finish up real soon. I have been giving extra protein in the form of dry dog kibble which I feed my dog. If you decide to try that make sure it's good quality but meal worms and black soldier fly larvae also add extra protein too and help feathers grow in nicely. I have a Runner female turned 2 yr in Sept and didn't molt last year at all she finally did this year and is still finishing up.

I have 2 pups that think the duck pellets are better than their kibble!!! I've been feeding the ducks twice a day with food banned from the duck house because of an invasion of tree rats. The dogs have had to be banned from the garden for an hour after I have fed the ducks late afternoon, as they elbow their way through the muscovy and eat the duck food!!!