Is this a problem?

[BelovedBirds]

So today while doing some garden work, I looked over and saw my ducks had laid an egg, I thought "okay, I'll just finish up here and go grab it"
Didn't take me long to finish up, I went over, got in the pen, and-

I SWEAR there was an egg here just one minute ago-

I search the whole pen, no egg!

I go back to where it was originally and saw a little yolk coloured goo on the dirt. Okay so I'm not going crazy, they must have eaten the entire thing, shell and all! Not a piece of shell left behind! I have my suspicions about who laid and ate it.

But my concern is, is this a problem? Is it unhealthy for them to eat the egg like that, raw and everything? Will it cause issues??
Is there a way to prevent the behaviour so that I can still collect their eggs?

 

[Isadora]

No, it's not unhealthy for them to eat it like that. Really it's a behavioral problem.
Best case scenario would be that one of them accidentally stepped on it and broke it and then they ate it. Hopefully they didn't break it intentionally so they could eat it.

 

[AngelinaThePekin8]

My ducks do that all the time, I don't collect their eggs though so I don't mind.

I recently have been grabbing their eggs before they break them and then I break the eggs for them.
I am hoping that me breaking the eggs for them will train them to not break them themselves, I doubt it will work but Imma try it anyway.

 

[BelovedBirds]

No, it's not unhealthy for them to eat it like that. Really it's a behavioral problem.
Best case scenario would be that one of them accidentally stepped on it and broke it and then they ate it. Hopefully they didn't break it intentionally so they could eat it.

Okay! I don't mind too much as I cook almost every egg and feed it back to them scrambled and broken up shell, though I would prefer being able to take one or two a week to give to my parents. As long as it's safe for them, I don't mind too much! I thought I was having a moment of madness when I couldn't find the egg

 

[BelovedBirds]

My ducks do that all the time, I don't collect their eggs though so I don't mind.

I recently have been grabbing their eggs before they break them and then I break the eggs for them.
I am hoping that me breaking the eggs for them will train them to not break them themselves, I doubt it will work but Imma try it anyway.

Aw! I feed most eggs back as well so I'm not too worried, only about it being healthy/safe.

 

[AngelinaThePekin8]

Aw! I feed most eggs back as well so I'm not too worried, only about it being healthy/safe.

I do woody about that too,but my ducks seem fine and they've been doing their whole lives for the most part.

 

[AngelinaThePekin8]

*worry

 

[Miss Lydia]

My tiny OEGB laid a soft shell the other day and I mean as soon as it hit the dirt there was 3-4 hens gobbling it up. It's not the first time.

 

[BelovedBirds]

My tiny OEGB laid a soft shell the other day and I mean as soon as it hit the dirt there was 3-4 hens gobbling it up. It's not the first time.

I wondered if it was a soft shell, I hadnt picked it up so I can't know for sure, but I imagine they could've inquisitively pecked at it, and then it broke easily- I actually suspect my earlier judgement was wrong and that THIS was Sprightly's first egg (unless she's been laying and eating them all along ), so I wouldn't be surprised if she broke it. Dougie already laid one this morning, so unless she laid two large eggs...
I'm interested to see if the next egg survives

 

[fatty and friends]

perfectly normal and healthy for them. we scramble all the eggs they lay and feed them back to the girls.