Author Topic: Ducks molting misery! (Read 1611 times)

goatredbrooke · « **on:** February 26, 2018, 09:43:54 am »

Hoping you can help with some advice.

My 11 month old Khaki Campbell’s are molting now. They started as we returned from a week away. They were behaving oddly and stressed likely because they hate a change of routine and we had house sitters looking after them.

They look awful, can’t keep themselves dry and the temperatures have dropped. I have wrapped their house in thick horse rugs and given them some extra food but they seem a bit weak to me. This morning they haven’t wanted to leave their house and haven’t eaten much food which is unheard of.

I am wondering whether to bring them in to a shed with a heat lamp until their feathers come in but don’t want them to lose their hardiness.

Any advice? Have put apple cider vinegar in their water, given them some poultry energy drops and am checking on them regularly.

Thank you

landroverroy · « **Reply #1 on:** February 26, 2018, 10:22:49 am »

Give them extra high protein food eg game chick feed, or add such as sunflower seeds, mealworms to their diet. Production of feathers uses a lot of protein so an enhanced feed will help them get over the moult a lot sooner.

11 month old birds shouldn't be moulting this winter, so I would be seriously worried about what had happened to stress them out so much in the week you were away.

chrismahon · « **Reply #2 on:** February 26, 2018, 11:20:39 am »

I'd definitely have them inside. Leaving them out and cold to keep them all hardy is a old myth- what happens is the weak just die leaving the hardiest in a weakened state with a depressed immune system, so you could lose them all. I agree with Landroverroy- they need higher protein intake during a moult and I to would be concerned about the circumstances that induced a moult. One possibility is not being fed for a few days, which is an old method of forcing a moult.

goatredbrooke · « **Reply #3 on:** February 26, 2018, 02:17:53 pm »

Thank you both. They are in now and already look happier. Am upping the protein and will try and find out from the friends who were staying what on Earth happened.

harmony · « **Reply #4 on:** February 26, 2018, 03:13:59 pm »

Is it induced moult or feather loss from some other issue? Parasites or infection of some sort? I would give them a good check over. It seems quite a severe reaction to a change of person looking after them.