Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have recently gotten a duckling, and it started scratching a lot today. I was wondering if this meant its feathers were coming in, or something more serious?

Hey,

How old is the duckling? And what breed is it? As these will give more of an idea of whether its feathers are coming through or not. In most breeds, the feathers appear between 3-5 weeks of age.
Make sure the duckling has plenty of drinking water.. deep enough for it to submerge it's bill/head. But don't let the duckling get too wet, as it will then develop a chill.. and this casues many deaths in young ducklings.
Ducks need to bath regularly, otherwise their feathers or fluffy down will go into bad condition. Parasities, dust and lack of oilling can cause ducks to scratch if they are unable to clean themselves.
Also check for parasites such as mites and lice.
If your not sure i would suggest taking it to a Vet, just to check.

Mel X

The duck is about 4 weeks old I think. I got him from a pet store, but I'm not sure what kind he is. I will go check. He has a water bowl that is big enough he can't fit his whole body in it, but he does have enough for his head. Should I give him a bigger bowl every once in a while to swim in? I've checked for lice and fleas and he has none that I can see. He also has what looks like a huge feather coming in near his rear end. Is this normal? I live in a college town and there are no vets that will look at ducks. I will have to drive somewhere else whenever I get a chance, but for right now, I don't have time to.

Hiya,

I would say then that your ducklings feathers are now coming through. They normally start to grow around the tail and either side of the chest first. So it sounds normal. As the feathers push through the skin they should appear to be surrounded by a clear covering. This is normal to and nothing to worry about.
The water bowl sounds big enough, but if you do let it swim in a larger bowl, make sure you put it in a warm room (preferably with a heat lamp if you have one) so that it keeps warm and can dry off thoroughly.

Regarding Vets, it will pay you to do research into what specialist vets you have in and around your area. Birds even when ill don't always show signs of an illness until its sometimes to late. They are very good at disguising illness until the last minute.
So when you do notice a problem you may have to take your duck to a Vet immediately. So it may pay to regisiter with several Veterianry Surgeries both local to you, and with others that may be more speciallised with birds... Just to be on the safe side.

Mel X