Soft Ducks Eggs - How to treat when you don’t know the hen with the issue?

[sheenersb]

Hey there, I have 8 girls and get 5-7 eggs each day. The girls were all born in April of this year. For the last three weeks I keep finding soft shelled eggs around my 1/2 acre yard, usually broken and most of the time there are two together, as if one hen is laying two eggs at a time, both soft shelled. Half of the time they are found broken, but yolk intact. The eggs will be in an area where all the ducks walk so I could see them easily breaking that soft membrane open by walking on them.

I provide oyster shell and crushed egg shells in addition to a great organic layer feed.

None of the soft shelled eggs are laid in their house, it’s always after 11 AM, and sometimes as late as the late afternoon/early evening.

I don’t know which duck it is, and don’t really have a set up to isolate all the ducks from each other to figure it out.

They are fed with organic layer feed and free range all day on bugs, alfalfa, clover, dandelion leaves, and lots and lots of bugs. We are in southern Utah, with abundant sunshine though the girls seem to seek shade even now into the fall when temps have dropped quite a bit. They love the shade!

Should I be concerned, how can I figure out which duck, and how can I help whatever duck it is, especially if I can’t figure out which one?

I just want to make sure whatever girl it is, is getting what she needs and is healthy and can lay healthy, good eggs.

I do have a vet 2 hours south, but his charges are outrageous. $400 for the first visit for a duck. I could order an additional flock and build more housing for them for that much. I love my girls but that’s too high of a price for me to pay.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Personally, I had issues with soft shelled eggs until I stopped using chicken layer feed and starting using duck feed. I use Purina. I just found that the layer feed was missing something.
But, since it seems to only be one, you could wait and see if it continues.

 

[Jenbirdee]

if you have time to sit with them and watch their behavior, sometimes the duck who needs calcium will be off by herself laying down panting and pumping her tail.

 

[sheenersb]

if you have time to sit with them and watch their behavior, sometimes the duck who needs calcium will be off by herself laying down panting and pumping her tail.

What does pumping their tail look like?

I did notice one was off by herself for a minute late yesterday morning when I left the house but couldn’t tell which. She was in the alfalfa so I couldn’t see her leg band and the others were snuggled under a wheelbarrow with one more in a pool.

 

[Jenbirdee]

What does pumping their tail look like?

I did notice one was off by herself for a minute late yesterday morning when I left the house but couldn’t tell which. She was in the alfalfa so I couldn’t see her leg band and the others were snuggled under a wheelbarrow with one more in a pool.

because soft shells take more time and work to get down through and out, the duck has to 'pump' it just looks like her tail is going up and down a little bit not super fast its more like 1 per second or 2 seconds or so
If you are able to watch around the time that you said (10-11 am?) maybe on your day off? Its probably the one who is by herself yes and it does not hurt to give her the extra calcium even if she doesnt need it
I'd give her 1 ml of calcium gluconate orally with a syringe (no needle on it) OR 1 calcium citrate +d3 tablet every day for up to a week
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[Moments]

Hey there, I have 8 girls and get 5-7 eggs each day. The girls were all born in April of this year. For the last three weeks I keep finding soft shelled eggs around my 1/2 acre yard, usually broken and most of the time there are two together, as if one hen is laying two eggs at a time, both soft shelled. Half of the time they are found broken, but yolk intact. The eggs will be in an area where all the ducks walk so I could see them easily breaking that soft membrane open by walking on them.

I provide oyster shell and crushed egg shells in addition to a great organic layer feed.

None of the soft shelled eggs are laid in their house, it’s always after 11 AM, and sometimes as late as the late afternoon/early evening.

I don’t know which duck it is, and don’t really have a set up to isolate all the ducks from each other to figure it out.

They are fed with organic layer feed and free range all day on bugs, alfalfa, clover, dandelion leaves, and lots and lots of bugs. We are in southern Utah, with abundant sunshine though the girls seem to seek shade even now into the fall when temps have dropped quite a bit. They love the shade!

Should I be concerned, how can I figure out which duck, and how can I help whatever duck it is, especially if I can’t figure out which one?

I just want to make sure whatever girl it is, is getting what she needs and is healthy and can lay healthy, good eggs.

I do have a vet 2 hours south, but his charges are outrageous. $400 for the first visit for a duck. I could order an additional flock and build more housing for them for that much. I love my girls but that’s too high of a price for me to pay.

Oh wow that is expensive for a vet... We only have one we've found that sees ducks, 45mins away and was around $120 for the first visit. We bring our dog to a vet not far from there cause our local vets prices are crazy and they try to upsell you on stuff you don't need when you've made it clear you came in with a set amount we could pay akd already and to pick between treatments because we couldn't do everything recommend cause of the cost. When we switched to a vet further away to cost to be seen was significantly cheaper as well as the medication. It was crazy. My new layer was laying soft shelled eggs but it straightened out on its own pretty much it seems. Along with the oyster and egg shells I give them greens in water like kale every morning, kale is a good natural source of calcium. Are your girls all seeming to eat the shells well? My new layer wasn't seeming to really eat them and when I noticed her starting to eat them more the eggs seemed to improve. Not sure if that's it but something I noticed. I also noticed the kale seemed to help my seasoned layers to produce better, it really being the only change I had made at that time. Also garlic is good at aiding with calcium absorption. I dice up a clove and put in their shared water about an hour before letting them out in the morning so it has time to absorb into the water before they eat it. I do the garlic usually a few times a week. It's also good for immune support.

 

[Jenbirdee]

can you sit near the area where you find the soft shells broken eggs , and watch the ducks , on your day/s off at around 11 am ? i find it b very relaxing to sit out with my ducks as often as i can . just yesterday I saw one lay a softshelled egg, so I knew who to give the calcium citrate with D3 tablet that I keep in my pocket for just such an occasion.

 

[Goldendreams]

Hey there, I have 8 girls and get 5-7 eggs each day. The girls were all born in April of this year. For the last three weeks I keep finding soft shelled eggs around my 1/2 acre yard, usually broken and most of the time there are two together, as if one hen is laying two eggs at a time, both soft shelled. Half of the time they are found broken, but yolk intact. The eggs will be in an area where all the ducks walk so I could see them easily breaking that soft membrane open by walking on them.

I provide oyster shell and crushed egg shells in addition to a great organic layer feed.

None of the soft shelled eggs are laid in their house, it’s always after 11 AM, and sometimes as late as the late afternoon/early evening.

I don’t know which duck it is, and don’t really have a set up to isolate all the ducks from each other to figure it out.

They are fed with organic layer feed and free range all day on bugs, alfalfa, clover, dandelion leaves, and lots and lots of bugs. We are in southern Utah, with abundant sunshine though the girls seem to seek shade even now into the fall when temps have dropped quite a bit. They love the shade!

Should I be concerned, how can I figure out which duck, and how can I help whatever duck it is, especially if I can’t figure out which one?

I just want to make sure whatever girl it is, is getting what she needs and is healthy and can lay healthy, good eggs.

I do have a vet 2 hours south, but his charges are outrageous. $400 for the first visit for a duck. I could order an additional flock and build more housing for them for that much. I love my girls but that’s too high of a price for me to pay.

Im looking at Enroflaxin 20 percent or Bayytril 20 mg per lb. everyday for 30 days but i dont know. Shell gland infection?

 

[Moments]

Personally, I had issues with soft shelled eggs until I stopped using chicken layer feed and starting using duck feed. I use Purina. I just found that the layer feed was missing something.
But, since it seems to only be one, you could wait and see if it continues.

I've been using Kalmbach maintenance feed with mine cause I feed my hens and drakes together with Oyster shell flakes or crushed eggshells in a dish to the side for them to take from when they need it. I haven't yet done this in the peak laying season though as my year old layers I purchased late summer when their egg production had already started slowing down. I do have a one 5 month old first time layer who also has very strong egg shells and no issues other than a few soft shelled eggs which I believe is due to her reproductive system getting things figured out. They free range most the day and also get greens in water such as fresh kale (which is a natural source of calcium) in the morning. I give them a diced clove of garlic in their drinking water a few times a week (increases calcium absorption and good immune support) and put it in their water about an hour before I give it to them so it has time to absorb into the water (they tend to eat the garlic first thing). The year old ladies I purchased didn't lay for me for I'd say over a month which I figured may be due to the seasons changing and also stress from the move/new environment. I started adding kale to their morning routine and within a week I was getting 1-3 eggs a day (3 adult layers). Could be coincidence, just was the only change made at the time. I did come across a website today saying it's good to give maintenance feed throughout the year and maybe mixing 50/50 maintenance/layer during peak laying season (if not feeding along with drakes). I'll try to attach screenshots

 

[Goldendreams]

Hey there, I have 8 girls and get 5-7 eggs each day. The girls were all born in April of this year. For the last three weeks I keep finding soft shelled eggs around my 1/2 acre yard, usually broken and most of the time there are two together, as if one hen is laying two eggs at a time, both soft shelled. Half of the time they are found broken, but yolk intact. The eggs will be in an area where all the ducks walk so I could see them easily breaking that soft membrane open by walking on them.

I provide oyster shell and crushed egg shells in addition to a great organic layer feed.

None of the soft shelled eggs are laid in their house, it’s always after 11 AM, and sometimes as late as the late afternoon/early evening.

I don’t know which duck it is, and don’t really have a set up to isolate all the ducks from each other to figure it out.

They are fed with organic layer feed and free range all day on bugs, alfalfa, clover, dandelion leaves, and lots and lots of bugs. We are in southern Utah, with abundant sunshine though the girls seem to seek shade even now into the fall when temps have dropped quite a bit. They love the shade!

Should I be concerned, how can I figure out which duck, and how can I help whatever duck it is, especially if I can’t figure out which one?

I just want to make sure whatever girl it is, is getting what she needs and is healthy and can lay healthy, good eggs.

I do have a vet 2 hours south, but his charges are outrageous. $400 for the first visit for a duck. I could order an additional flock and build more housing for them for that much. I love my girls but that’s too high of a price for me to pay.

Shell gland infection. Maybe in the pelvic inflammatory making white poop or cudtard poop from excretions in the pelvis area. Chronic respiratory disease can cause this but duck had bumblefoot that i think got into her oviduct