When do ducks molt? Learn the answer to this question and many others as we dive into why and when ducks molt, proper nutrition for molting ducks, and more.
Why Do Ducks Molt?
Ducks molt for various reasons, including replacing their worn-out feathers in autumn to mating plumage, but to get into the nitty-gritty of why ducks molt, let’s first look at when do ducks molt.
When Do Ducks Molt?
Like chickens, ducks do a big molt in autumn, replacing the worn-out feathers on their heads, necks, bodies, and wings with new ones. The new feathers are more airtight and keep ducks warm during the cold winter months. This molt usually occurs in August or September, but exceptional egg layers may not molt until October. But unlike their chicken cousins, who molt once a year, ducks molt twice.
Female ducks drop their body feathers again in the late winter/early spring just before the point of lay. This molt is a good sign for backyard duck keepers eagerly anticipating those first spring eggs, and it does not seem to cause the duck any discomfort.
Male ducks go into an eclipse molt in late spring/early summer as they replace their bright, vivid mating plumage with subdued plumage, making them look like females. Since all domesticated ducks are Mallard descendants (excluding Muscovies), all drakes go through an eclipse molt. However, if you raise Pekins or other white duck breeds, you will not be able to see any difference in your drake’s feathering except for losing the curly feathers on his tail.
What To Expect
Ducks molt fast. You may find feathers everywhere when you head out to the coop one morning in late summer/early fall. You might think that your flock has been attacked by a predator, but a look around the coop will reassure you all ducks are accounted for. And the fall molt is underway.
Dropping all their feathers may not be the only symptom molting ducks may show. Changes in hormones may result in some ducks becoming grumpy. Grumpy ducks may even start flock squabbles. If this occurs, separate the bully from the other flock members until everything calms down.
How Do Ducks Molt?
Ducks and chickens do not molt the same way, so if you are accustomed to how a chicken molts, ducks may surprise you. Ducks drop all their feathers, including their wing feathers, in just a few days, while chickens drop their feathers over several weeks. Even though domestic ducks cannot fly, losing their primary flight feathers makes them skittish and nervous.
Ducks also appear to feel more prickly than chickens, so be extra careful when handling them (more on that later).
While ducks quickly regrow their feathers, they need a lot of feed and proper nutrition to do that. Molting is hard work, so let’s look at what a duck needs to grow strong, healthy feathers.
A Molting Duck’s Diet
Molting requires a lot of energy, second only to egg laying, so it’s crucial to supply your flock with the proper nutrients they need to molt.
High-Quality Feed: High-quality feed begins with choosing a good brand. Look for a feed with essential amino acids and probiotics to support a healthy immune system. Always feed ducks a layer ration during a molt, as maintenance feed does not have the nutritional values molting ducks require.
Healthy Protein-Filled Treats: Supplementing your duck’s diet with healthy treats will help boost protein levels and encourage your flock to eat, as molting poultry tend to consume less feed. Encourage your ducks to eat by offering healthy treats such as black soldier fly larvae, peas, oatmeal, wheat berries, and zucchini.
Avoid feeding unhealthy treats such as bread, corn, mealworms, pasta, and tomatoes.
Probiotics: If you are not already supplementing your ducks’ diet with probiotics, adding some to their feed or water during a molt is essential to keeping your flock healthy. Molting is stressful for ducks, making them more susceptible to disease. Adding probiotics to your flock’s diet will make the molt easier for everyone.
Brewer’s Yeast: Brewer’s yeast is essential to a duck’s diet. This vitamin B supplement contains high amounts of niacin, an essential vitamin ducks need to stay healthy.
Herbs: Many herbs contain vitamins and minerals beneficial to ducks, especially during molting. Feed oregano to molting ducks to boost their immune system and parsley, fennel, and dill to help them through the molt.
Keep Them Safe
When do ducks molt? In the fall, when many predators are teaching their young to hunt, the combination of increased predator activities and not feeling their best increases a duck’s chance of falling prey.
If your duck flock isn’t already housed in an entirely predator-proofed coop and run, move molting ducks to a safe place to keep everyone safe. Do not allow molting ducks to free-range unless directly supervised by an adult.
Handling Tips
Ducks are often uncomfortable when molting as the new feather growth can make them sensitive to being handled. When handling a molting duck, let them lay across your right arm while placing your left hand on their chest to support them. Pay close attention to the wings as new flight feathers growing in are extremely painful for ducks.
Now that you know the answers to when do ducks molt, what to expect from a molt, and what nutrients they need for a successful molt, you can help your flock through one of the most challenging times of the year.
This article about when do ducks molt was written for Chickens magazine. Click here to subscribe.
