Ducks eating there own eggs?

[George678]

Hi my ducks Aylesbury ducks haven’t laid in over 3 weeks and this morning noticed one had yellow/orange colour over there feathers so I presume it’s egg yolk is there any way of stopping them eating there eggs? Thanks

 

[BelovedBirds]

Hi my ducks Aylesbury ducks haven’t laid in over 3 weeks and this morning noticed one had yellow/orange colour over there feathers so I presume it’s egg yolk is there any way of stopping them eating there eggs? Thanks

Photo? If it's egg yolk it will be very obvious. It's possible it's something else. I don't think it's common for ducks to be able to get into their own eggs, my girls love their eggs but fail to crack them. I have to crack the shell a bit so that they can get into it. so I'd be suspicious about it being a soft shell. Do they have access to oyster shells?

 

[George678]

Photo? If it's egg yolk it will be very obvious. It's possible it's something else. I don't think it's common for ducks to be able to get into their own eggs, my girls love their eggs but fail to crack them. I have to crack the shell a bit so that they can get into it. so I'd be suspicious about it being a soft shell. Do they have access to oyster shells?

I might need to get them some oyster shells it’s just bit unusual that they went from laying every day to not laying in over 3 weeks just a bit strange.? Do they usually take long breaks ?

 

[BelovedBirds]

I might need to get them some oyster shells

Its important they have access to it, they will eat it for calcium as needed, otherwise shell quality can deteriate

it’s just bit unusual that they went from laying every day to not laying in over 3 weeks just a bit strange.? Do they usually take long breaks ?

They can do, but mostly over colder months. And some breeds aren't the greatest layers. And Aylesbury aren't, so there may be more time between laying.

 

[George678]

Its important they have access to it, they will eat it for calcium as needed, otherwise shell quality can deteriate

They can do, but mostly over colder months. And some breeds aren't the greatest layers. And Aylesbury aren't, so there may be more time between laying.

Just looks like egg yolk to me not sure what you think? Thanks

 

[BelovedBirds]

View attachment 3830517
Just looks like egg yolk to me not sure what you think? Thanks

Looks like it!
Just one thing though, this is almost certainly an Aylesbury mix and not pure bred, looks like perhaps white campbell or white layer, or more likely pekin crossed with Aylesbury. Pure bred Aylesbury ducks have very pale pink bills 99% of the time, if theres some yellow, its usually a mix of breeds. Older hens are also built a bit differently, with a sort of square shaped body.

That's all to say, you can expect more eggs to be layed and random gaps might be more odd.
With this very suspicious looking lady, caught yolk handed, I expect they are eating their eggs just as you thought. Though, again, it's very unusual for them to be able to crack their eggs- so I would before anything else, try to ensure good egg shell quality. Start offering crushed oyster shells if you aren't already, and you could also try calcium rich treats, such as calci worms

 

[George678]

Looks like it!
Just one thing though, this is almost certainly an Aylesbury mix and not pure bred, looks like perhaps white campbell or white layer, or more likely pekin crossed with Aylesbury. Pure bred Aylesbury ducks have very pale pink bills 99% of the time, if theres some yellow, its usually a mix of breeds. Older hens are also built a bit differently, with a sort of square shaped body.

That's all to say, you can expect more eggs to be layed and random gaps might be more odd.
With this very suspicious looking lady, caught yolk handed, I expect they are eating their eggs just as you thought. Though, again, it's very unusual for them to be able to crack their eggs- so I would before anything else, try to ensure good egg shell quality. Start offering crushed oyster shells if you aren't already, and you could also try calcium rich treats, such as calci worms

Thanks, yes I’ll buy them some oyster shells so it’ll hopefully harden up there egg shells so there’re less likely to crack them .