New duck keeper here

[clairered]

Hello, my name is Claire, I have two female cherry valley ducks, I kind of inherited them 4 months ago and I'm the first to admit I'm no expert in duck keeping! They were 16 weeks old when I got them and have become very attached to them. They have the run on our garden and have a kiddies hard shell pool which I clean out daily, at night they are in a large wooden pen which I also clean out daily with fresh straw. I feed them layers pellets, fresh tomatoes, sweetcorn, cucumber and mealworms.
They are great characters, very friendly and enjoy popping in and out of the house if I leave the back door open.
Everything was going great until the last two days when one of them has started pulling her feathers out, drastically.
The tip of her wings are now bald and she's now started on her under belly. I have checked for mites, can't see any.
Please help! What have I done wrong?

 

[dorsetduckowner]

Hiya you sound like you are taking amazing care of these two babies! You are doing everything right!
As for the feathers.... She is molting ducks molt every year at least once sometimes twice and when they have a full molt they look a sorry sorry state! She will grow new feathers and when they grow back they may look yellow.
Lucky ducks to have such a charmed life! Oh she may act a bit grumpy and shy while she is molting too.
Can we see some piccies?
Zo

 

[clairered]

Thank you so much for the info, I've been worried about her all day.
Here's a couple of pics of them, they thoroughly enjoyed my flooded garden last week, I guess the old saying "it's great weather for ducks" really is true!
I should probably mention that although they're both girls their names are Steve & Danno!!!!!!
(I was watching Hawaii five-0 when I got the phone call to ask if I'd take them in).
Danno is the boss, she's full of attitude, a total diva.
Steve is much quieter, she'll happily eat out of my hand and have her neck stroked.
She's also the one who's loosing her feathers.

 

[Katydid]

Clairered,
Although it does sound like she's moulting, 8 months old seems quite young to be going through it.
Sometimes birds will eat feathers ( their own, or their companions) if they are short of calcium. I give my birds baked, crushed eggshells if they look like they need it. Other people use oyster shell, I find that a bit sharp and can cause mouth problems.
Regards
Katydid

 

[clairered]

Thanks for the advice, it's very much appreciated.
I'm trying her on the eggshells now, cheers

 

[Katydid]

Let us know how they get on.