Do ducks need crushed oyster shells like chickens?

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I have 9 runners and a mutt drake. For 3 days now I've found shell-less eggs outside their house in the late afternoon. They are also laying normal eggs in the house in the AM before I let them out. They started laying @ 21 weeks and are now 28 weeks old. They get all purpose poultry crumbles, mixed grain scratch, peas (evening treat), 2 bowls available of oyster shells (which does not seem to be eaten much) and free range all day. Could they still be not getting enough calcium? I started mixing Ca in their scratch and hope they all get a share. My next step if I don't see improvement in 1 week, is to add CaGluconate to their water. What is the risk of them getting too much calcium? Are shell-less eggs part of the learning curve as they grow? Thanks.
 
I have two juvenile ducks, with my full grown chickens, will the oyster shell hurt them since they arent laying yet.
 
toonlou said:
I have two juvenile ducks, with my full grown chickens, will the oyster shell hurt them since they arent laying yet.
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I don't think they'll eat it till they need it, that's the way it's always been here anyway, I may see one kinda tasting but not much. I put the Oyster shell in a different bowl than feed.
 
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My Ancona girls are LOVING the oyster shell and have just started laying a lot. Some of the eggs have chunky calcium deposits on them and there's still the occasional thin shells.
 
mandabach said:
My Ancona girls are LOVING the oyster shell and have just started laying a lot. Some of the eggs have chunky calcium deposits on them and there's still the occasional thin shells.
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How old are your ancona girls? My older girls are just over 3 months, we also have a boy who is 3 months and two younger girls. We are definitely seeing mating behavior in the older trio. How much longer until we should look for eggs? When did you start providing the oyster shell? :)
 
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They are 13 months. I'm not sure when! You can wait til you see the first egg, or start early. I think it can't hurt. I'll look up when mine first started laying. Yours are cute! Post another pic!
 
My two oldest girls started laying the same day we got the ducklings for most of the rest of the flock. So most of my ducks had oyster shell available from the time they were let free from the brooder (when they were fully feathered). They didn't really care about it until they were laying eggs themselves. So I would think that is one of the advantages to using oyster shell vs layer food. They will eat it when they need it so you can have 8 week olds, drakes and laying ducks eating the same food and only the laying ducks will eat much of the oyster shell.
 
Oh no I just mixed the oyster shells in with my ducks food ?!?! I hope it don't hurt him u think it will be OK till I change it tomorrow ?? The guy at Tractor supply told me to do that he said it would not hurt my male duck !!I feel so bad now please someone let me know if he will be OK till tomorrow when I feed them again ..
 

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