Cayugas started laying smaller eggs?

[NorthernCabin]

Hi Duck Lovers, I have three adult Cayuga hens who all started laying eggs that are smaller. Has anyone had this before? Does anyone know why? They used to lay regular size duck eggs, then all of a sudden the eggs were fairy eggs, and increased in size to about the size of quail eggs, and they all have yolks. I thought one egg started to get bigger back to normal but it turned out to be a double yolk tiny egg. Anyone have this?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I see this from time to time in my flock. With my older girls.
How old are they and have they been laying since spring without a break? I've never had a fairy egg with a yolk. That is interesting.

 

[NorthernCabin]

I see this from time to time in my flock. With my older girls.
How old are they and have they been laying since spring without a break? I've never had a fairy egg with a yolk. That is interesting.

They are only a year old, this is their first year laying, probably started in March. It’s very weird. The fairy egg did not have a yolk, I don’t want to confuse the two. The eggs are small, if they were a chicken egg, nobody would buy them, they would be too small. I consider them to be closer to quail egg size. I bet 3 of their eggs are equal to a regular duck egg in weight if that helps.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Have they taken a break at all since they started laying in March? Do you feed layer and offer extra calcium like oyster shell?

 

[NorthernCabin]

Have they taken a break at all since they started laying in March? Do you feed layer and offer extra calcium like oyster shell?

They have had breaks because we have had a lot of rain and not a lot of sun. There was a week they did not lay. I have them on nutrena because we don’t have much else to choose from for ducks around here that has enough niacin. I do offer them oyster shell.

 

[p4PaDuck]

I mean the fourth was not long ago… maybe they got stressed out and layed tiny witty bitty eggs.

 

[NorthernCabin]

I mean the fourth was not long ago… maybe they got stressed out and layed tiny witty bitty eggs.

I wish! This has been going on for about 10 days in a row. Not sure what is causing it. The internet search doesn’t say much so I thought I would try here.

 

[Miss Lydia]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

 

[NorthernCabin]

Hey everyone, I think I figured it out! I have some young runners that are only a few months old, 4 months maybe, and I think they are the ones laying the small eggs! They are oddly early, considering our other runners laid eggs at 9 months but hey, I think I figured it out! I now have more eggs than what I thought were laying ducks so that’s my best guess.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That really sounds about right before i got my Runners in 2016 my Muscovy never laid an egg until they were at least 9 months old. Then My Muscovy hatch Runners and Buffs and at 4 months the girls are mating with the Runner drake and they started laying about 2-3 weeks later, I was very surprised.
Great you figured it out.