Egg collection problems

[brittanyd]

I got a Khaki Campbell a few months ago she didn't lay at all when I first got her well after about the first month she was laying nearly every day when her mate got killed I built a large pen she was still laying but now for the past 5 weeks she has laid about 4 eggs do ducks stop laying when they see someone taking their eggs?

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Not usually. They will stop laying when they go broody, but if and when that happens, you will see other signs... Freaky feathers, screech quacking, and broody poop.

My bet is she is hiding her eggs someplace.

 

[Going Quackers]

Not normally, i take eggs daily here and it stops no one.. i could loose my mind over the broodies now that said STRESS of a lost mate may very make her cease laying, does she have other companions? is she alone?

A hidden nest is an option, is she penned or free ranged?

 

[brittanyd]

She is pinned with a drake and another duck but before her mate was killed I let her free range but because of predators I decided it was best to build a pen for them when she does lay an egg she puts lots of hay over it

 

[brittanyd]

Not usually. They will stop laying when they go broody, but if and when that happens, you will see other signs... Freaky feathers, screech quacking, and broody poop.

My bet is she is hiding her eggs someplace.

What is broody poop?

 

[Amiga]

Broody ducks - ones that are sitting on a nest to hatch eggs - hold their poop for hours at a time. Then they get up and move away from the nest and make a large deposit that is very aromatic.

 

[brittanyd]

Broody ducks - ones that are sitting on a nest to hatch eggs - hold their poop for hours at a time. Then they get up and move away from the nest and make a large deposit that is very aromatic.

Ohhhh nice to know lol she isn't broody I never seen her try to sit plus I'm getting eggs every now and then I got 2 today guess I missed the other one yesterday cause she is putting them under hay I decided to replace her eggs with infertile chicken eggs just in case she did decided to sit on them they wouldn't develop she eats plenty of grass I also have two small pools in the pen and I fill them at least twice a day for fresh clean water I also like to put peas and corn in the water they love diving for it they get a good diet of greens I also give corn she seems happy and healthy I was doing some reading and I keep seeing threads of low calcium if she has low calcium would that cause low production of eggs and how would I get her calcium level up

 

[Amiga]

So, what does she eat besides grass, peas and corn?

 

[brittanyd]

I give them chick pellets, lettuce, and sometimes spinach Am I missing something?

 

[Amiga]

If she is a grown duck, then layer feed would be good, or a flock raiser or maintenance feed with free choice oyster shell on the side. Low calcium can cause egg binding - a serious problem where eggs get stuck in the body, and that in turn can cause prolapse where part of the oviduct comes out of the body.

I supplement with calcium gluconate 23% liquid in their moistened food and night-time water. Because I have a few runners and a couple of buffs who tend to need more calcium, in spite of eating layer feed and having free choice oyster shell.