Help with egg issues

[CalBells]

Hi all,
I haven't written into the forum in a while but was hoping for some help today. I have three female runners in a small urban back yard. One of them, Edie has been laying thin shelled eggs for the past 5 days. The shells are thin and powdery. Two that were so thin they broke either when layed or when stepped on in the nest box.

Today she didn't lay but went back into the coop two hours after coming out in the morning (something they have never done before as it is separated from where they range). I peeked into the coop since I didn't see her in my yard, and she was lying down in the nest box. She came right out and walked to join the other girls. I checked for an egg and didn't see one, just a well shaped nest in the bedding. However, I did see what looked like egg white and yolk on the stoop to the the coop. No shell, just the yellow insides of an egg. She is walking around, eating, drinking and foraging like normal. Her poop is normal as well.

Should I worry about broken shell inside? Any advice for firming up her shells?


Info to help:
Three female ducks
Free range in a small back yard with lots of bugs
Fed organic chicken layer pellets
Free access to oyster shells
Fresh greens a few times a week as well as garden gleanings.
Fresh water every day for both drinking and swimming.
All three girls seem to be in the process of molting but none have stopped laying.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi all,
I haven't written into the forum in a while but was hoping for some help today. I have three female runners in a small urban back yard. One of them, Edie has been laying thin shelled eggs for the past 5 days. The shells are thin and powdery. Two that were so thin they broke either when layed or when stepped on in the nest box.

Today she didn't lay but went back into the coop two hours after coming out in the morning (something they have never done before as it is separated from where they range). I peeked into the coop since I didn't see her in my yard, and she was lying down in the nest box. She came right out and walked to join the other girls. I checked for an egg and didn't see one, just a well shaped nest in the bedding. However, I did see what looked like egg white and yolk on the stoop to the the coop. No shell, just the yellow insides of an egg. She is walking around, eating, drinking and foraging like normal. Her poop is normal as well.

Should I worry about broken shell inside? Any advice for firming up her shells?


Info to help:
Three female ducks
Free range in a small back yard with lots of bugs
Fed organic chicken layer pellets
Free access to oyster shells
Fresh greens a few times a week as well as garden gleanings.
Fresh water every day for both drinking and swimming.
All three girls seem to be in the process of molting but none have stopped laying.

Hopefully nothing more the fluke because of Molt, one of my girls from last year did the same thing a couple weeks ago and I was concerned since I have never seen this in one of my ducks in the 9 years I have had them, in my chickens but not ducks, So far she is fine acting normal but hasn't laid since so I'm thinking just something that happens when finished with this particular laying set. they laid an egg with out the shell, I think they would show discomfort if there was an egg shell still inside. I don't feed layer just an all flock and do put out oyster shell, I also try to give them all the free range time they need plus also feed calcium rich greens Kale, Romaine lettuce collards etc. Sounds like your doing all you can as far as calcium hopefully when molt is over and laying picks up she'll begin to lay hard shell again.

update please.

 

[Amiga]

I have this problem with a few of my ducks from time to time. I have not received any real good, new news about what causes it. I can tell you what I have seen and done.

She may indeed be at some risk, but largely from low calcium levels, which can affect the bones and heart and nervous system.

Some ducks seem to go through a time of needing loads of extra calcium. Sources I have used are prescription Neocalglucon for serious cases (like you are having), popping up calcium levels in the layer feed (I wonder if the levels of calcium are for chicken eggs that are thinner than duck eggs, and so, not enough for ducks) with added calcium gluconate (available in liquid form without prescription).

I have shaken the oyster shell dust into the night-time water bowl. I made the mistake of thinking no one was eating the oyster shell, so I stopped giving it after a while of adding the Ca gluconate to the feed, and now one of my runners who had not had shell problems has developed them. So, oyster shell is back on the menu.

If you think a bit of soft shell has been left behind in her oviduct, I would try some lukewarm bath time. Romy passed the rest of a membrane for me when I put her in the tub for a while. It took over an hour, so try to be patient.

You can add the Ca gluconate to water, a teaspoon per half cup, also. I put four or five tablespoons of Ca gluconate in the 8 cups of water I add to their feed - it makes the feed oatmeal consistency. My reasoning is that they eat all their feed, and don't drink all their water especially during the day when they have the swimming pan to play in and drink from.

 

[CalBells]

Thanks for the advice. She has been acting fine all day so I will just wait and see how she does tomorrow. I will get some extra calcium supplements if she continues to have thin shells. Fingers crossed!