Soft Shell Help!

[fethr37]

Is it common for ducks to lay soft shell eggs during the off-season?

 

[casportpony]

Is it common for ducks to lay soft shell eggs during the off-season?

No. Might help to make sure they have access to lots of fresh oyster shell. If you know what duck it is, give her a human calcium pill or tums every other day a few times and see if that helps.

-Kathy

 

[fethr37]

Quote:
Thankyou, and how would one administer the tums or calcium pill? They do and get plenty of shell

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Open bill, insert pill on their right side as far back as possible, close bill and massage pill down into crop. Tums are big, so those you would have to quarter, but most other calcium pills don't need to be cut.

-Kathy

 

[Miss Lydia]

Open bill, insert pill on their right side as far back as possible, close bill and massage pill down into crop. Tums are big, so those you would have to quarter, but most other calcium pills don't need to be cut.

-Kathy

can't you also crush and mix into some water?

 

[casportpony]

Quote: You sure could! For me it's just easier to make them swallow a pill. One could also buy Calcium Gluconate from the cattle section at Tractor Supply and give the liquid orally. Dose would be 0.2 ml per pound orally. It looks like this:


Refridgerate after opening. It has no preseravtives, so watch for mold.

-Kathy

 

[Miss Lydia]

You sure could! For me it's just easier to make them swallow a pill. One could also buy Calcium Gluconate from the cattle section at Tractor Supply and give the liquid orally. Dose would be 0.2 ml per pound orally. It looks like this:


Refridgerate after opening. It has no preseravtives, so watch for mold.

-Kathy

I've used the cal glu and mixed in with thawed peas as a treat. they gobble it up.

 

[fethr37]

Thanks, I just worry about stressing her..I'll give it a few weeks and see. I did add more shell in all their hang outs.

 

[casportpony]

Thanks, I just worry about stressing her..I'll give it a few weeks and see. I did add more shell in all their hang outs.

If she is otherwise healthy, giving her a pill will not stress her. Note that it is much harder for them to pass a soft-shelled egg. Soft-shelled eggs = stress, IMO.

-Kathy

 

[Amiga]

I use the peas and calcium gluconate approach - though lately I have switched to dissolving calcium citrate in water, then using it the same way.

And that does not stress the ducks. When Romy would see me coming with her "special" - I always made it in a ramekin - she would sneak away from the other ducks to enjoy her treat. No stress.