When ducklings fledge: at what age does down change to feather and possible deviations
How do ducklings grow when they start to fledge? It turns out that each breed of birds has its own individual terms of development. And in chickens they are not like ducks, and in ducks they are different from turkeys. Farmers who start breeding ducks will inevitably face this issue. Knowledge will help to more accurately determine the age of the bird, the timing of slaughter for meat.
At what age do ducklings fledge
It has been established that ducklings appear plumage around the 20th day. Moreover, all chicks, including mulards, are born in down. This is, as it were, the forerunner of the future adult plumage of a bird. Gradually, the embryonic fluff disappears, and full-fledged feathers begin to grow in its place.
Starting from 2 weeks, ducklings grow, stretch, their body proportions change: neck, tail become noticeably longer. White breeds change color to grayish, colored ones also fade, the pattern is blurred. At the same age (but before 21 days) the first feathers appear.
Feather set in ducks is distinguished by type:
- Outline.
- Machive.
- Covering.
If molting did not start from 2 to 3 weeks, change of fluff to feathers, something went wrong. Probably a developmental glitch.
From 21 days of age, feather growth begins on the belly and sides. On the 35th day, the plumage of the front of the neck, on the tail, and wings should appear. Flight feathers are not growing yet.
Gradually, the chicks begin to change their timbre: their quacking becomes coarser. Differences between ducks and drakes become more noticeable on the 49th day. By this date, the feathering of the chicks should be completed.
On the 56th day fly feathers appear. From about 71 to 90 days, molting begins, it lasts about 3 weeks. At the end of the process, colored breeds are strikingly different from white ones in plumage color.
Possible deviations from the norm
If, for some reason, the feathers in the full set were not formed within the established time frame, this indicates developmental deviations, perhaps even a disease of the chicks. Small discrepancies, random attacks on the frequency of plumage formation are acceptable.
In especially difficult situations, when the growth of feathers does not occur or suddenly stops, there is a high probability of manifestation of apteriosis.
The main cause of the disease is the lack of nutrients necessary for the formation of plumage.Poor lighting, high humidity in bird pens can also affect. Long delays in the development envisaged by nature are a reason for the owner to think. And even seek advice from a veterinarian, to study the possible causes of what is happening.
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