Egg Problems!

[Ducklings199]

My campbell ducks have been laying for just under 6 months now and they are 10 months old. My white campbell has recently been irregular with laying, laying in the early evening instead of in the morning, and the egg seems to have only a thin pinky cover rather than a shell. She seems to be healthy, eating and drinking normally. However she is currently molting - could that be the reason causing her egg problem. My apricot campbell has also laid like this twice but my khaki has been laying fine.

If anyone could help that would be amazing!

I've tried contacting the vet but they were very unhelpful.

Lucy

 

[Amiga]

Hi, Lucy, with domestic ducks laying can get really interesting. I have found no one source with sufficient definitive information for all my questions. But I can share some of what I have learned from reading, and from my flock.

I do not look at the calendar or even the seasons with my Runners and Buffs. Nope. Each duck has her own internal clock. And it changes year to year.

I find that Blue Seal Organic layer does not seem to have all they need for egg laying in their current environment. Perhaps if it was all they ate, or if the pH of the water were different, or or or . . . . But in fact, I supplement my Runners' food with about 50 to 80 mg of extra calcium per duck most days. I still get a soft egg every week or two. But without that supplementation, we were talking one or two eggs per day that were without shells.

Some of the things that affect laying - calcium, calcium to phosphorus ratio, protein, temperature, stress, light, vitamin D, vitamin K. And that's just what I know about. I think there are more factors.

The pattern here is lay, perhaps go broody, get over being broody, molt, start to lay again. Most of mine don't go broody. So it's lay, molt, lay. The times change. Might be lay six months, molt, a month later lay again for eight months, molt, and so on.

I give good quality dry cat kibble as a treat from time to time, especially during molt, and in the winter. Sometimes I add some flaxseed meal, but not too much, as it is high in phosphorus.

 

[Ducklings199]

Hi, Lucy, with domestic ducks laying can get really interesting. I have found no one source with sufficient definitive information for all my questions. But I can share some of what I have learned from reading, and from my flock.

I do not look at the calendar or even the seasons with my Runners and Buffs. Nope. Each duck has her own internal clock. And it changes year to year.

I find that Blue Seal Organic layer does not seem to have all they need for egg laying in their current environment. Perhaps if it was all they ate, or if the pH of the water were different, or or or . . . . But in fact, I supplement my Runners' food with about 50 to 80 mg of extra calcium per duck most days. I still get a soft egg every week or two. But without that supplementation, we were talking one or two eggs per day that were without shells.

Some of the things that affect laying - calcium, calcium to phosphorus ratio, protein, temperature, stress, light, vitamin D, vitamin K. And that's just what I know about. I think there are more factors.

The pattern here is lay, perhaps go broody, get over being broody, molt, start to lay again. Most of mine don't go broody. So it's lay, molt, lay. The times change. Might be lay six months, molt, a month later lay again for eight months, molt, and so on.

I give good quality dry cat kibble as a treat from time to time, especially during molt, and in the winter. Sometimes I add some flaxseed meal, but not too much, as it is high in phosphorus.

Hi Amiga!
Once again thank you for helping, you've given me advice before and I really appreciate it! I'm glad that it seems to be normal to get these soft shelled eggs. I didn't realise that so many factors could affect egg laying, but thinking about Daisy (my white campbell), she did have a problem with her neck when she was young which we put down to her not absorbing certain vitamins - maybe this may be affecting the eggs? I'll look into getting a calcium supplement if the soft shelled eggs persist.

Thank you so much!

Lucy