Daphne’s reproductive issues have returned

[DuckyDonna]

Thank you! She laid another decent egg overnight and is doing well, so I’ll hold off, but keep the bottle nearby

thats great! That's exactly what I do. It seems like I just have one out of 6 that is having this problem so keep an eye on her. It's so cute because when she gets bad she knows I'm going to pick her up and dose her and she's somehow cool with that. I think she's actaully learned that it's to "help" her, not to torture her.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Darn transition periods. With the shortening days, Daphne’s body is trying to adjust once again, and once again she’s having trouble. My husband was out of town this past week and I worked a lot, so I’m not entirely sure that she hasn’t had any symptoms before this afternoon. She’s been bright and happy all day, but is currently straining. She’s too fast to catch right right now for a warm bath, but I’ll dose her mealworms with calcium gluconate tonight.

I wish that hatcheries would start to breed ducks (and chickens, for that matter) for better longevity instead of breeding them to lay as many eggs as possible in the first couple of years. I wonder what percentage of hens die prematurely from reproductive issues.

Anyways, crossing fingers once again.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Oh no! Not again.
Katharina Duck sends warm quacks and recommends the usual warm baths...
Daphne is a Rouen, right? They have definitely not bred for longevity
Same and story as with Pekin & Co.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Oh no! Not again.
Katharina Duck sends warm quacks and recommends the usual warm baths...
Daphne is a Rouen, right? They have definitely not bred for longevity
Same and story as with Pekin & Co.

Thank you

I committed a crime against duck humanity tonight by offering Daphne her dosed-with-calcium mealworms in a bowl she had never seen before. Oh, the horror! She wouldn’t go anywhere near the offending bowl! After a period, I decided to just dump the soaked mealworms in her dirty water bowl, after which she gobbled them up

When cleaning their pen, there was evidence of a possible unshelled egg. Daphne is the only suspect. She was bright and happy when she went to bed, so we’ll see! She’s pulled through this a few times before, so I have hopes that she can do it again!

Edited to add that yes, Daphne is a Rouen. Perhaps the Rouens could join up with the Pekins of the world to lodge a complaint!

 

[DuckyDonna]

Do you have any calcium gluconate? I have one of my runners with this problem quite a bit. I do 1ml of cal glu and she's fine the next day. You can get it at Tractor Supply.

I use a syringe and a flexible 14ga angiocath sheath to administer it. It's quick and easy. I put her on my lap, we talk for a bit and I calm her down and then zip zip it's done. I pry her bill apart with my fingernails, slip in the sheath. My little Eva is used to it since she has been plagued by this for about 2 years now. We are pretty good together and she's learned that it will make her feel better.

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

Do you have any calcium gluconate? I have one of my runners with this problem quite a bit. I do 1ml of cal glu and she's fine the next day. You can get it at Tractor Supply View attachment 1920534

Thank you I do indeed have that exact bottle and Daphne got 1.2 mls tonight! It helped her a great deal last time, and I hope it does again! I’m glad that you’ve found it helpful also, and hope that all of your ducks are doing well currently!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Rooting for Daphne!

 

[DuckyDonna]

Thank you I do indeed have that exact bottle and Daphne got 1.2 mls tonight! It helped her a great deal last time, and I hope it does again! I’m glad that you’ve found it helpful also, and hope that all of your ducks are doing well currently!

I do watch constantly for it especially since my older fawn/white runners have changed colors so much I can't tell them apart. It's so obvious when it's starting to happen, I look for the dragging butt, waddling walk, the neck that looks like an "S" and then I know it's time to get into action. It works like magic! Next day, all better. I guess you and I both have ducks that will probably always have a problem but at least we know how to fix it!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

It is good to know that Calcium Gluconate can work wonders with reproductive tract issues! It definitely did work wonders with my broken ankle, will never forget the surgeons surprised face when he saw the amount of bone growth after just two weeks.
Just wanted to mention that this stuff is available online as a powder too, so if you don't have time to drive to TSC or if that is too risky due to duckling season…

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

So, Daphne laid an egg overnight. It had an extremely thin and brittle shell (better than no shell at all!) and had a teeny bit of blood on one end. Daphne is currently running around the yard like crazy with her ‘Scovy sisters and is not currently straining. I will repeat the calcium this evening! Thank you all