Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Susanne]

Hi,

 

My khaki campbell is in a sorry state - I hope its just moulting but I fear it may be something worse - any advice?

She is around a year old. For the last few weeks she seems to have been "worrying" at her wing feathers more than usual and they are now just quills for most of their length. So, still fluffy/tufty near her body but then bare from half way down to the tips. It is just her wings, no where else on her body.

My other ducks are fine, and I could not find any sign of mites on her but saw a few in their house so treated her for mites, but Im not sure if thats made it worse so dont want to treat her again.

This is my first lot of ducks so dont have a lot of experience, but she doesnt seem very happy at all. She is eating normally/more than ever - quite frantically in fact. She is still laying with no problems. But whereas she used to spend most of the day in the pond she now sits on the side watching the others and makes a little crying noise when she pulls at her wing feathers.

 

Any help or thoughts appreciated - thanks!

S

[Chucky1]

Hi Susanne and welcome to the forum.

 

Sorry but I've not had any experience of what you describe. The poor little thing does sound in a sorry state.

 

We are lucky in having a friendly, knowledgable vet living nearby and in similar circumstances I'd be inclined to trot her along or ring him up.

 

Maybe someone more knowledgeable will be along later.

 

Good Luck

[donald]

HI

 

Sorry to hear about your duck losing its feathers?? Has it actually lost any feathers recently(ie whole ones)?Big and little ones

 

They do moult and the wild birds have been looking a right mess lately..they look very patchy particularly the males all their colours go and they look mottled(all that nice purple gone). My garden gets full of feathers everywhere.But they dont get ill or bald their wing feathers do look a mess as well.

 

You sound like you have done the right thing by treating for mites. But its quite uncommon for ducks to get bothered by mites like chickens. Just keep an eye on the others too. But it does sound like your duck is moulting to me

 

Donald.

[jayjay]

Hi S

 

I'm not that knowledgable but understand your worry, anything unusual sets you in a panic. My 2 have just gone through a moult and have been feverishly grooming themselves at any opportunity but they have a full set of gleaming feathers now. The moult took a while, longer than I expected and I was also worried about mites so treated them. They did look wingless for about 3 weeks before I could see their main flight feathers growing back in. If this has been going on for a while I would agree with Chucky, have someone in the know have a quick look, can't hurt. Hope it's all sorted soon.

 

JJ

[zoejames]

Hi

This is perfectly normal, don't worry. She will probably have the spiky quills until she moults them and then grows new ones. They do look a bit tatty when they get like this, but nothing to worry about

 

Zo

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