Duck Laid A Shell-less Egg

[MerryFeather]

One of my 7 laying ducks laid a shell-less egg this afternoon. I had one duck that went to the vet last week for what we thought was a stuck egg. But she has since laid 2 eggs with normal shells. She probably has laid more but is back with the other ladies so I'm not sure who did it. They are on layer feed and I have added back the free choice oyster shells last week. What else should I do to make sure they are getting enough calcium?

They do get to go out for a couple hours or so a day to forage. The are eating a ton of cicadas. That may be cutting down on calcium from feed in their diet. I don't know. We tried giving the duck with the kind of stuck egg tums as per the vet. But getting it down her was impossible. We did dissolve some in water and she messed with it some but it wasn't very effective as a way to give it to her or know how much she had.

 

[fatty and friends]

feed back their eggs (including shell)

 

[SolarDuck]

If you continue to experience soft shell eggs you can try a calcium supplement, calcium gluconate is available at tractor supply co or calcium citrate +d3 pills from Walmart

 

[Joduck]

We have had one off soft eggs with no issues. It was when they were young and hasn't happened since
Our ducks forrage all day and eat a lot of snails
I also catch snails for them from the part of the land they can't get too.

 

[416bigbore]

Calcium Gluconate is a must have on hand for egg issue emergencies with your girls. 1ml per 5lbs is the recommended oral dose.

Even though we keep a big dish of OS in the coop for all the girls to eat as they need, we still have one Isa Brown hen who must have a reproductive glitch and from time to time she will get egg bound. Our other three hens are perfect layers with no problems.

 

[MerryFeather]

Calcium Gluconate is a must have on hand for egg issue emergencies with your girls. 1ml per 5lbs is the recommended oral dose.

Even though we keep a big dish of OS in the coop for all the girls to eat as they need, we still have one Isa Brown hen who must have a reproductive glitch and from time to time she will get egg bound. Our other three hens are perfect layers with no problems.

Is the calcium gluconate in a pill, powder, or liquid form? How did you give it to them? Thanks for the reply.

 

[416bigbore]

Sorry for the delay it took me a bit to find the correct video. This is how it is done oral.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[416bigbore]

Make sure the syringe is small enough and once you do it a time or two, you will be ok from there on. All part of having poultry without a nasty Vet. bill.

 

[CoriM]

I read that calcium citrate is more easily absorbed and I've been giving my ducks the mini pills, which are pretty easy to pop down their mouths if you hold their tongue down for a second.

 

[416bigbore]

I read that calcium citrate is more easily absorbed and I've been giving my ducks the mini pills, which are pretty easy to pop down their mouths if you hold their tongue down for a second.

Best of luck.

https://www.health.ny.gov/publicati... has less calcium,than a high-dose supplement.