Duck going bald...

Kate and her Ducks · « **on:** July 27, 2008, 17:42 »

Well my 3 Campbell girls have been looking decidedly scruffy for a while and badly in need of a moult. Had been wondering if I should force a moult which didn't seem very nice and took everyones advice from here and left them to do their own thing. Now everyone seems to be moulting from my old girls to all the new ones and ducklings (my garden looks like I have been having pillow fights out there). My problem is that yet again one of them (different one to last time) seems to be losing all her feathers in one go. She has bare, pink patches showing through (not being pecked by the others, she is the bossy one in charge) and it looks like all her flight feathers are going to drop off any minute. A bit creepily you can now see her earholes which are quite odd, they look like holes just drilled into her head. :shock:
I'm a bit worried that I am going to have the same problem with sinking ducks if she ends up with just a bit of down left like that other one last time. Does anyone have any advice for helping her get over this as quickly as possible. Started them on poultry spice but wondering if there was anything else I should give a go?

Foxy · « **Reply #1 on:** July 27, 2008, 17:49 »

With chickens if they moult quickly means they grow feathers back just as quick. What I do with a dramatic moult is feed them cat food -a good kitten brand which contains high amounts of protein, I also give a little poultry boost in their water.
Can you reduce the water levels for a while? or just give them all access to a small cheap paddling pool?

6 days till we have more runners!!! yippee!

Kate and her Ducks · « **Reply #2 on:** July 27, 2008, 17:55 »

Yipee on the impending runners

. Will give the cat food a go (the ducklings get a bit anyway as it is their fave bribe and if I don't shut the backdoor they're in the kitchen at the cat's bowl in a flash. Will just give some deliberately to them all. Will order some poultry boost and get that into the water. Looked at some and will just put it in at a higher concentration (recommended by the manufacturer) to account for the fact they will still drink some pond

Kate and her Ducks · « **Reply #3 on:** July 27, 2008, 17:59 »

Lifeguard poultry tonic ordered. Seemed appropriately named given my concerns about her sinking

Vember · « **Reply #4 on:** July 27, 2008, 17:59 »

Hi Kate,

What food is she on??

Is it worth supplimenting with either some tinned cat food & or duck crumbs??

Higher the protien so the feathers gro back a bit quicker?

Can't really think of anything else off hand, am going through all my books now

Edit: I was typing this whilst reading up in my books didn't notice Foxy had replied :oops: Sorry

Kate and her Ducks · « **Reply #5 on:** July 27, 2008, 18:05 »

They have been on mainly growers pellets at the moment as didn't want to run into problems giving the ducklings layers pellets but they will all be moving onto the duck breeders pellets in the coming weeks.
Will the dry cat food be as good as my cats don't really like the tinned wet stuff and the ducks do seem to love the dry stuff anyway

I think if I gave them tinned tuna that is the only thing that would induce my cats to take on the ducks. It is their special weekend treat, don't think they would share :shock:

Vember · « **Reply #6 on:** July 27, 2008, 18:09 »

Dry food should be fine Kate

I've just had a look at our biscuits and they still have high protein levels

Kate and her Ducks · « **Reply #7 on:** July 27, 2008, 18:11 »

Cool, cat food it is. Hopefully they will all take to it as well as the ducklings and I won't have to look at earholes for long

poultrygeist · « **Reply #8 on:** July 27, 2008, 19:10 »

Only thing I can suggest as an interim is to buy them all armbands. :roll:

Rob

Kate and her Ducks · « **Reply #9 on:** July 27, 2008, 20:18 »

I asked Babe if she could make a little wetsuit and armbands afer seeing her chicken T-shirts. Think she thought I was being kinky :shock:

poultrygeist · « **Reply #10 on:** July 27, 2008, 22:26 »

Have to get some deckchairs and shades for them to lounge around the pool.

Maybe build a bar too. :roll:

Rob

Kate and her Ducks · « **Reply #11 on:** July 27, 2008, 22:42 »

Not sure I fancy having to rub sunblock into their bare bits though!

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Duck going bald...

Foxy

Vember

Vember

poultrygeist

poultrygeist