[daveinmanc]

one of the female ducks (dont seem right using the word hens lol) seems to be ' losing ' some feathers off the front of her breast, only happened in the last week, looks worse when you see her walking but it doesn't look as bad up close.

it is in an area where she can just about get at it herself so could it maybe be down to boredom or something as i know ducks/ hens will peck their own feathers through this (boredom) at times, ( although i dunno how they could get bored they're always on the go )
or could it be a medical thing / moulting??? they started laying about end of jan for the first time so i dont know if this would have anything to do with it ?

she sat there good as gold bless her, paddling her feet every time you touched her belly lol

checked her over thoroughly today, checked them all over about a few weeks ago, no sign of any creepy crawlies on either of them, or in their housing, the house is done every week with diatom powder and they have a good sprinkle in their food that 'coats' it so any suggestions people please :? pic below . . . . . .

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h183/purpled_01/mands%20ducks/featherloss4.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h183/purpled_01/mands%20ducks/featherloss2.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h183/purpled_01/mands%20ducks/featherloss3.jpg

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h183/purpled_01/mands%20ducks/featherloss1.jpg

[Jellyhead]

I haven't noticed any actual noticeable feather loss from my ducks Dave but I think they are getting broody. The nesting box where they lay their eggs is getting lined with feathers more and more every day. They have been laying daily since November but the feathery nest is new :? Hope this helps :oops: even just a bit :roll:

[mdueal]

I know chickens pull out their feathers from that area when getting broody but dont know anything about ducks

[daveinmanc]

hmmmm bit of a mystery then  . . .

thought at first it may have been bullying or the drake up to summat he shouldn't have been but to be honest it was an afterthought as we haven't seen anything of behaviour like that to suggest it, they all seem to get on like a house on fire  

and it is only the top feathers that are ' plucked ' it doesn't go down to the skin or anything so i guess i'll just have to keep an eye on her and see if anything more develops for clues or maybe it'll go away as mysteriously as it appeared   :?  :roll:

thanks for the replies people  

[muntjac]

it could be mites ,but i think she would pluck from other spots .if you have her collecting them and putting them down for a nest check EVERYWHERE for a nest ,,,,,have you been using any fence type paints recently?. if they are on a pond check the water for water flea's ( daphnia) bit early yes but the worlds all gone wrong.if they get in her feathers they may irritate her ......hope that all helps

[daveinmanc]

they're all from the same spot munty and i doubt very very much if there's daphnia in the pond, the wates changed too often and at the mo its too cold for them to lay/hatch i reckon. i've had ponds and kept fish for years so i'd spot em a mile off.

waters changed at least twice a month in the pond and i mean changed, totally emptied and replaced - the feathers are so small i'm sure if there'd be enough of them to see, they are now making a  'nest ' each time and burying the eggs in the house right down in the straw and shavings so my other thought is broodiness thats been suggested to me? i.e self plucking the feathers to transfer more heat to the eggs - possibly a nature type reaction if so cos they don't go into the house hardly during the day and certainly no sign of them attempting to ' sit ' on them .

i'm not overly concerned as there's no sign of nasties (in house or the other birds) and she doesn't look in any sort of distress at all, feeding and behaviour is normal, cleaning and preening as normal and its just a mystery that we've not encountered before and i suppose the broody bit has to happen sooner or later and they've now been laying since the end of january . . . . . .

Edit: nearly forgot  .. . . .  no paints etc at all recently i.e months.

[muntjac]

well she is a momma in the making then matey

[daveinmanc]

hmmm i'll keep that to meself then lol