Duck laid 2 eggs in one day, one of them shell-less

[austroberta]

My duck Sage laid an egg later in the afternoon and then several hours later, plopped out a shell-less again. There have been some strange things going on with my ducks regarding eggs lately. They used to religiously leave me an egg in their house before I let them out for the morning, but they started to lay them outside, some of them doing so in the afternoon. Sage had egg issues when she first started laying (shell-less eggs), but she's been consistently laying great eggs with hard shells. I'm not sure what's going on. All my ducks have, and eat, oyster shells.

Her first egg had a nice thick shell and the second egg must have just come out as she was going from one part of the yard to the next, as it was just laying there, all broken up.

There's been a slight uptick in stress for everyone, since I've been taking my 2 new month old ducklings outside and my older ducks are quacking their displeasure. 'Oh man, not this again.'

Should I be concerned?

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Mine have done that before as well. I do think stress plays a role and it is normal. Things should settle down after the spring craziness.

 

[austroberta]

Mine have done that before as well. I do think stress plays a role and it is normal. Things should settle down after the spring craziness.

Thanks so much! It really freaked me out, and it makes me feel better to hear other people's experiences.

 

[qwackers9]

Thanks so much! It really freaked me out, and it makes me feel better to hear other people's experiences.

I was wondering how your egg situation has been going. My 2yr old duck seems to skip an egg about every 10-14 days. Also my nephew has chickens & his coop had been raided by something and all were killed but one. After that stress she didn't lay at all for few days & now only lays during the week. She takes the weekends off. He has since got several more hens one is just starting to lay. Like yours, tho, they are shell-less. How old is your duck?

 

[qwackers9]

I was wondering how your egg situation has been going. My 2yr old duck seems to skip an egg about every 10-14 days. Also my nephew has chickens & his coop had been raided by something and all were killed but one. After that stress she didn't lay at all for few days & now only lays during the week. She takes the weekends off. He has since got several more hens one is just starting to lay. Like yours, tho, they are shell-less. How old is your duck?

Just to add to my last post..my nephew says he mixes the oyster shells in with their food.

 

[austroberta]

I was wondering how your egg situation has been going. My 2yr old duck seems to skip an egg about every 10-14 days. Also my nephew has chickens & his coop had been raided by something and all were killed but one. After that stress she didn't lay at all for few days & now only lays during the week. She takes the weekends off. He has since got several more hens one is just starting to lay. Like yours, tho, they are shell-less. How old is your duck?

Thankfully she hasn't had any shell-less eggs and is laying eggs daily. The only thing I notice is that her egg shells are not quite as strong as before (although they are not super thin either.)

My duck is about 10 months old.

 

[DuckyDonna]

go to Walmart and get some calcium citrate pills. I take a hammer and crush them up since my coffee bean grinder died. Sprinkle it on some kind of a treat it will stick to. I use tomatoes so that I'm sure they are getting all of it.

 

[austroberta]

go to Walmart and get some calcium citrate pills. I take a hammer and crush them up since my coffee bean grinder died. Sprinkle it on some kind of a treat it will stick to. I use tomatoes so that I'm sure they are getting all of it.

Thanks! I do have some of the Calcium citrate pills.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Thanks! I do have some of the Calcium citrate pills.

I believe if they've been laying consistently they get "egg tired" and the shells get thinner. I had a pretty thin one today so I'll add some to their treats this afternoon. I watch all the time and if I see that they're getting too thin and then just add it PRN. I think mine probably need a break because they've been laying gangbusters since January!

 

[chickens really]

Do you provide oyster shell in a separate dish?