Evaluating Who Has the Reproductive Issue...

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Ok I got the calcium (liquid) today at my local farm store, in the cattle department. I'm eagerly awaiting your mixing directions, Amiga! I am setting up a heated water bucket that is 5 gallons and is a hybrid of Miss Lydia's & Wynette's designs (Thank You by the way!!) So I can foresee that I might have some issues making certain that the duck I think has the issue is the only one drinking the mixed H2O. But once again, I'm not completely positive that duck is the layer of the odd eggs... I have a total of 7 ducks, 2 drakes. Today I pulled 22 beautiful eggs from a hidden nest that I found this morning, so I'm pretty sure not everyone needs treatment. Could it also just be a seasonal thing? Shorter daylight, colder temps?
 
HollyDuckFarmer said:
Ok I got the calcium (liquid) today at my local farm store, in the cattle department. I'm eagerly awaiting your mixing directions, Amiga! I am setting up a heated water bucket that is 5 gallons and is a hybrid of Miss Lydia's & Wynette's designs (Thank You by the way!!) So I can foresee that I might have some issues making certain that the duck I think has the issue is the only one drinking the mixed H2O. But once again, I'm not completely positive that duck is the layer of the odd eggs... I have a total of 7 ducks, 2 drakes. Today I pulled 22 beautiful eggs from a hidden nest that I found this morning, so I'm pretty sure not everyone needs treatment. Could it also just be a seasonal thing? Shorter daylight, colder temps?
Click to expand...
With Chickens it can be so most likely with ducks too. 22 eggs my goodness someone has been busy.
 
Bad news, went out to the pen to find a shell-less egg again today :( Makes me think the problem is not solved after all.

So, by process of elimination, I have figured that neither of my 2 drakes laid that egg, neither has the youngling, my Khaki Campbell seems to have returned to laying in her own (wierd) preferred spot, under a ramp, and the good eggs I'm getting look like Pekin sized. So that leaves the two Rouens, one of which had the "funny" looking vent back of the beginning. I suppose it is possible that the Lady with the issue could be the Jumbo Pekin that hatched in Spring, altho I'm not so sure of that since i did surprise her in the act of laying a few weeks back and that egg was perfect. So I'm down to 3 likely candidates. Now what!? How do I identify which duck it is?

Now last year I visited a working historical farm and I learned how the workers were able to identify which ram sired which lamb in a flock of many. I think the rams chests and abdomens were dusted with different colored chalk. After mating, dad would leave a chalk mark on the ewe, clearly demonstrating who had mated. So my question is, is there a technique similar to this that I can use with my ducks and their egg laying? Non invasive, hopefully!

And Amiga, I still have the liquid calcium, I haven't given it yet because a) I wasn't sure of the best method of delivery or proportions, and b) if I need to isolate each suck to avoid dosing my drakes or my healthy flock members.

Well. Experts, thank you for your input! Have a beautiful day.
 
phooey, sorry about the shell problems.

Somewhere on this forum I read what folks used on the vent to mark eggs. . . . Was it CelticOaksFarm? jdywntr? Hmmm. It's here somewhere, a nontoxic material to dab on the vent. They even had photo's.....

I am not happy with myself for forgetting, and apparently never writing down, the proportion of calcium gluconate to water. I remember mixing x number of tablespoons into a couple of cups of water and adding it to their feed to be sure they got it all.....

Something unscientific I also did was rinse off oyster shell in water and give them the water to drink. I would rinse about a cup of oyster shell in a gallon and a half of water.
 
HollyDuckFarmer said:
Terrific, ladies, thank you very much!!! Will do.
Amiga, I found the thread! https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/717294/duck-safe-coloring-for-vent/10
Looks like the options are lipstick, eyeshadow, food coloring in a spray bottle. I'm leaning towards the food coloring. Will try that too.
Thanks again Miss Lydia & Amiga.
Click to expand...
I'd go with food coloring also, lipstick on the vent of a duck just doesn't seem right.
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Amiga said:
Although at my place, that's probably the only use it would be
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. Of course, if I forgot to mention it to my beloved, a garish color at that end would cause him great alarm.
Click to expand...
I don't have any use for it either and cannot see myself buying it to use on the wrong end. And yes that would cause great alarm.
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