When doing inquiry , you will find a fairish amount of information available on chicken molting . When I browse through station , it becomes light that chickens molt around fall . Some chicken have hard molts ( lots of feather loss ) , and some have soft molts ( only some feather lost ) .
According to these billet , everyone agrees that chicken call for more protein during that clip . Also , their egg output will correct . During hard moult , ballock yield may even halt all for a while .
When you do the same enquiry on duck ecdysis , you get a very dissimilar scene . There are only a handful of posts on duck molting . They each give different variations on the detail of duck molting .
For model , I interpret in one place that ducks molting once a year . I read in another that ducks replace all their feathers each yr , but that they molt multiple times .
None of what I read matched up to the moulting - activeness I ’ve seen in my mountain over the age . So , I resolve to dig deeper and get to the bottom of this duck’s egg molt mystery story .
A Tale of Two Duck Families
The first matter you demand to know about duck moulting is that there are two different families of ducks . There are the Mallard - descendants and the Muscovies .
Mallard Family
If your backyard duck is not a Muscovy , then it is a Mallard - descendent . Pekins , Khaki Campbells , Runners , Swedish , Cayuga , Call , Silver Appleyard ducks and more , are all distant relatives of the wild mallard .
precisely count because Mallard - descendant duck’s egg molt on a different cycle than Muscovy ducks . Mallards are migrant birds that lay , nest , and hatch eggs seasonally . moult , for this family of ducks , roll around the timing of migration and mating .
Domesticated mallard - descendants do n’t transmigrate . However , they still have the genic trigger that secernate them when migratory seasons would begin and cease based on the climate conditions and availability of forage . Their biological clocks related to breeding and molt are still affect by these natural patterns even when they do n’t play on them .
Muscovy Family
Muscovy are not migratory bird . In the wild , they subsist in tropical or semitropic environment . They may fly scant distances to feel solid food . However , their ability to pilot is related to predator protection rather than migration .
Let ’s take a close flavor at the differences in molting between the two families of duck .
Molting Patterns for Muscovy Ducks
ground on the limited research available , it is believed that only female muscovy duck’s egg ecdysis annually . Females have a “ nesting moult ” where they take out downy feathers from their body to practice tofeather their nest . It ’s not clear when females re - rise these feathers or how long that regrowth mental process film .
Among my female Muscovy , some molt profusely while nesting . Others will only utilize a low phone number of feathers to line their nest .
There is one academic study on Muscovy that noted a molting stop between July and August . However , there was no documentation to brook that statement . Other researchers have suggest that it may only pass off in hold environments that may induce molting using things like dietetic practice .
In my facts of life good deal of Muscovy , other than nesting molts , I have not seen adult Muscovies molt . Two of my older males broke wing feathers almost three long time ago , while fighting , and have not replaced the damaged feathers . So , they also do not seem to molt to replace damaged plumage annually .
Managing Muscovies Through Molts
During the training time of year , Muscovy female ducks gain from additional protein before they start to sit a nest so they can make up reserve of brawniness to nurture them during the 35 - 24-hour interval egg brooding menstruation . increase protein from previous winter to early give is an fantabulous scheme to prepare female for bringing up .
to boot , their body condition is typically depleted after their ducklings have hatch , so extra protein after breeding expedites recovery . increase protein in telling to breeding may also assist with the regrowth of lose feathers after nesting .
Insects such as mealworm , grubs , and crickets are excellent protein sources . If you ordinarily feed your ducks chicken layer provender , consider upgrading to game fowl feed with 20 - 22 % protein before and after your Muscovy females nest . For non - nesting Muscovy female , a normal diet , and some time to forage is sufficient .
For molts not relate to nesting , check that your Muscovy does n’t have underlying health problems , accidental injury , or stress factor that may have caused the moult . Then , conform protein content to match the extent of the ecdysis .
Minor feather loss belike does not require much additional dietary protein if your duck has access code to light-green pasture areas . For significant feathering red ink , particularly of protein - thick wing feathers , raising protein layer to 20 - 22 % may expedite feather .
Now , let ’s take a look at Mallard - descendent molting patterns and management strategy .
Molting Patterns for Mallard-Descendants
Mallard - descendant molting patterns are entirely dissimilar from Muscovy molting . Male and distaff Mallard - related ducks also have two separate molting timelines .
The timing for molting can vary importantly between reclaim duck breeds and even familial lines in the same breed . They can also be dissemble by environmental conditions including fear practices and natural factors like mood and conditions .
Besides all that , there ’s a noticeable amount of fluctuation from duck to duck , even in the same stock and genetic line . Each duck’s egg may molt on schedules that vary as much as 1 - 2 month . Feather passing , too , can browse from being unperceivable to almost total .
The Annual Molt
The right news show is that there is a basic overriding approach pattern to the Mallard - descendant ecdysis . Unlike the Muscovy , these ducksdomolt every twelvemonth . However , unlike chickens who molt all at once , duck molts are progressive and happen over a good portion of the year .
It is not entirely clear to researchers if the replacement of feathers is a uninterrupted process or an intermittent one . It could be that there are stop and start full stop and short respite in between each form of moulting . Or , this may be one long process that appear faster or dull depend on some environmental and dietetic factors .
The Nuptial Molt
Drake ( male duck’s egg ) molts start with what is often called the bridal molt . The nuptial molt happen at some peak after completion of the winter migration , usually in fall to other wintertime .
During the nuptial molt , males lose their drab - coloured contour plume and get brightly colored new dress - up plume . Often , duck’s egg owner only notice this moult when it is completed in previous winter full point is because drakes may suddenly look all dressed up for their at hand spring nuptials with iridescent low or green feathers ( in some breeds ) under their wings or on top of their head .
The Nesting Molt
The female version of the bridal molt is the nesting molt that pass off from spring to early summer . The ladies do n’t have to put on new feathers to attract the Sir Francis Drake . However , they do need to have a good supply of feathers to apply to make their nest comfy and lovesome for the niggling ones on the way .
It ’s not only exculpated when female total new downy feather . However , by the time it is fond enough for female person to lay and sit a clutch bag of eggs , they have fluffy feathers to spare for feathering their nest . Even in ducks that do not get broody or posture nest , they still tend to slough during this time frame .
This is the clip of twelvemonth when most people notice their duck’s egg molting because there are often lots of pubescent feathers pilot around the homestead .
The Wing Molt
Toward the tail terminal of the education time of year from summer to former crepuscle , adult Mallard - descendants misplace their wing feathers . Similar to chickens , this can be either a knockout ( almost all wing feathering ) or soft ( only a few offstage feathers ) character of molt .
The extent of the molt is believed to be ground on the country of the feathers , the usable protein in the duck’s egg ’s diet , when the moulting starts ( e.g. , did they sit a nest former or late ) , and other factors . Also , like chickens , some ducks seem to put back on new feathers in no time , while others seem to drag it out for months .
In other word , there can be a considerable divergence in wing ecdysis from duck’s egg to duck , from class to twelvemonth .
The Safety Molt
There is one more moult . Around the time of the offstage molt , male duck will also lose those fancy nuptial feathers and spring up some newfangled dull , boring feathers .
The purpose of this molt is to make the males invisible to predators while they are regrowing their wing feathers and then later during migration . During tough wing moulting , Mallard - related ducks that can unremarkably fly , are ground and more vulnerable . Drab - gloss feathers blend in better and offer a greater chance of endurance .
Some mass chunk this ecdysis in with the wing molt or consider it part of the bridal / nesting moult . However , in my Drake , I have witnessed this safety moulting both before and after the wing moult .
In my Mallard - relate ducks that still fly like my Mallard - looking call duck , this molt happens weeks before the annexe moulting starts . In most of my Pekin drakes , this take place well - after the wing molt is observably afoot .
The Whole Molt Picture
Now that we ’ve gone through the different phases of the ecdysis , have us back up a step and look at the big word-painting . Molting is the process of both losing and exchange those old feathers .
Male Mallard - deign ducks can essentially be molting from fall to late summer . For the most part , the only meter when feather personnel casualty and production is n’t likely to be going on in drakes is during the winter migration .
You might think from the description above that female expend less of the year molting since they do n’t have those drab and colored feathers to vex about . However , on average female are trust to suffer more feathers than males .
They also lean to start their wing molts later . They can also have a nesting moult multiple times if their first few attempts to nest are n’t successful .
Females can be slough from their first nest through to the moment their wild ancestors would typically take off for their winter migration . They are also probably putting on redundant downy feather in winter while the boys are swapping out their nuptial plumage .
Overall , molt – as in the replacement of old plumage with fresh – is a process that takes places throughout most of the year in Mallard family ducks .
Domesticated Mallard-Descendant Molt Variations
Now that you have the big painting let ’s take a closer face at your tame backyard ducks . You probably have ducks for a reason such as nut , meat , garden natality .
depend on your needs , you likely opt breeds that lay heap of egg twelvemonth - circular . Or , mayhap you picked ducks that gain weight fast which means they are flightless and have credibly lose the instinct to go broody .
Through the process of breeding , those favored qualities were selected at the expense of some of the other Mallard - like conduct . What this means for molts is that your backyard ducks might not keep the same timing as Mallards .
They may start their molts a bit earlier or by and by depending on your mood . They might take longer or finish quicker depend on whether and how much they forage in addition to the provender you leave . They may slough more or less .
In some lawsuit or stages of duck’s egg molts , molting may not even be apparent . This pretend it hard for us squatter to have a go at it precisely what to do when our duck moulting .
Do n’t concern though ; there ’s an easy way to manage your slew during their many and wide-ranging molts !
Duck Molting and Egg Production
Before I tell you my secret for manage Mallard - descendant duck molts , there ’s one other issue that has to be address – duck’s egg molts and egg output . With chickens , there is a very clear simplification in egg product during ecdysis .
With ducks , again this is not so clear . Breeding time of year is when duck are most productive at laying eggs . Even in yr - circle layers , the start of leap and the teemingness of food in eatage seems to kick egg - laying into overdrive .
Broody duck’s egg stop laying when they have a clutch of egg and begin to posture a nest . So , if you let your ducks pose a nest , of course of action , you ’ll see a slow down in nut production while they moult . Otherwise , drop off downy feather during the nesting molt period should not conduce to decreased eggs production .
If you have a slow down in egg production during the facts of life time of year , even if duck are moult , there could be a different reason . For case , ducks might be hiding eggs or be egg - bound . Or mayhap snakes are stealing your ballock .
For me , a diminution in egg production while duck’s egg are losing downy feathers would prompt me to do a health review of my duck’s egg and a search of my duck region .
There ’s not a spate of scientific research on annexe molts and testis product . However , the offstage molt marks the tail remainder of the education season and tends to go on during the hottest weather . These three factors may conduct to a slow down in bollock - yield during wing molts .
Managing Mallard-Descendant Duck Molting
If you are like me when I first study all this material , you ’re nous may be spinning from the complexness of ecdysis in Mallard - descended ducks . I mean , how do we get laid when to get them extra protein if this process could be plump on , at different rates , for up to 10 - 11 month out of the class ?
Well , I ’ve got one more interesting fact about duck that can aid you respond that question . Mallards and their posterity are design to be able to manage their protein for molts .
Their body make supernumerary muscle in preparation for molts . They then use that stored protein , combined with abundant pasture , to meet their needs in re - growing feather .
Domesticated duck do n’t have the same foraging stove as wild duck . So , we as duck’s egg keepers need to confirm our duck’s egg with high - quality supplementary feed throughout the twelvemonth .
The simple thaumaturgy to keeping your ducks wellness during their multi - staged molt is right year - round nutrition .
Adult free - range duck can usually do well on 16 % level feed because they can forage for supplementary protein .
Confined ducks will do well on layer feed with veritable protein supplements such as unify in biz bird feed . or else , using formulated duck provender ( rather than chicken feed ) or propose insect treats like grubs , meal worms , or cricket can aid .
During the genteelness season , give any broody ducks that you will permit to sit nests special protein before and after their 28 day incubation menses .
If your ducks are having hard offstage molt and seem to be irksome in regrow feathering ( for example , it wo n’t be done in 6 - 8 week ) , then consider switching them to a provender that has 20 - 22 % protein to expedite the process . There is some evidence to suggest that high-pitched protein during over flank molts might facilitate .
Final Thoughts on Duck Molting
Every duck is different and we each put up ducks in slightly different manner . Extra productive bed , or duck who sit down multiple nests each year , tend to need a little bit of extra feed and protein in the first position . So , mellow performers may profit from a extra boost during literal ecdysis .
Understanding the moulting operation , get a line it as a forward motion , and think of it in sexual congress to the approach pattern of migration and breeding that are built into your snort ’s genetic nature , will help you make informed alternative on managing molts in your good deal .
In event you are a enquiry junky like me and want to learn more about your duck’s egg , here are some of the author I used to draw together the selective information present above .
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