Help! Is this wet feather?

[paigeber]

Hello! One of my ducks ( unknown gender but think they’re a boy) has had a hard time keeping the underside of their belly dry after swims. They’re now 3 months old & molting into adult feathers but I’m worrying they are getting very cold after swims because those feathers arnt drying through. I’ve noticed they shiver also after swimming. When I tried to “fluff up” the feathers for them they came off in like chunks so I’m super worried any help much appreciated

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Just the underside is wet? How long after swimming did you take the photos?
What is their run and housing like?

 

[paigeber]

These photos are pretty quick after swimming to be fair (like 10-15 min) but when I compare to my other duck it’s drying WAY WAY slower. They are indoor ducks at night & sleep in a pen, that’s cleaned fully every 2 days and topped up with bedding multiple times a day & they have an large outdoor run during the day

 

[Crazy Maizie]

These photos are pretty quick after swimming to be fair (like 10-15 min) but when I compare to my other duck it’s drying WAY WAY slower. They are indoor ducks at night & sleep in a pen, that’s cleaned fully every 2 days and topped up with bedding multiple times a day & they have an large outdoor run during the day

Does this one sit down a lot? Wet feather looks wet even when they haven't bathed in days. Check the oil gland to see if it is dirty. But, I'm thinking this isn't wet feather.
Read here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/wet-feather-on-my-ducks-stomach.1436802/

 

[Miss Lydia]

If they are shivering after bathing and it's cold where you are maybe only give them bath time on warm days.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

-If it was wet feather your ducks would look like this all of the time regardless if they had just swam or if it's been days.

-If your ducks do not have 100% of their adult feathers they are taking longer to dry because their down is wet and this is also why they are shivering. Ducklings that do not have their mothers to oil their wings need to be thoroughly dried by you either blow drying, towel drying or keeping under a heat source until dried etc. until they are completely 100% fully feathered. Until they have their adult feathers it's like jumping in the bathtub with your clothes on and then having to air dry so of course there will be shivering. Also as you are seeing ducklings grow in their adult feathers at different rates and no two ducklings are the same. Some grow them in very quickly and some need a little longer to fully feather. Their chest/bellies appear to dry the slowest because they are usually the areas that become fully feathered last.


-The feathers are coming out in chunks because they are molting into their adult feathers. It's not uncommon for the down to fall out and leave bald spots behind until the adult feathers grow in.