Laying soft eggs - two eggs in one day with soft shells same duck????

[newbyduckmom]

I was wrong. Two soft shelled eggs in their run this p.m. After she laid a normal egg this morning. (Three eggs from three hens at 7 am. then two soft shelled eggs after I put them out at 8 am.)

 

[newbyduckmom]

Is is unusual for ducks to lay a perfectly hard shelled egg followed by soft shelled? Seems to be hard shelled one early followed by a couple of soft shelled ones later in the day. Then she will "not lay" for a could of days.?????

Okay, so only got two eggs this morning. The new layer (based on size of eggs) did not lay again this morning. I examined all three hens to see if I could see anything abnormal from outside and found nothing. If she is reserving soft eggs in her abdomen, would there be some sort of bulge visible? Also didn't feel anything weird, gently felt all their abdomens to see if I could find anything that way. Thy still have oyster shell available, although hard to tell if the are eating it. Left them in the smaller pen today, and am considering separating them to see if I can determine which of the Khaki's has the issue. Although my Magpie hen has sure been squawking for the last couple of days.....she lays larger eggs though and have had one everyday that has been large since this started.

Sometimes I wish animals could talk!

 

[newbyduckmom]

Quote:
Anybody? Have been monitoring the ducks today, and no eggs from third hen, soft or otherwise.

 

[veronicasmom]

Ever since the weather turned cold, I have been getting a lot of soft shelled eggs. Had a few days of hard shelled, then back to soft. I am sure it is my runner, she usually lays almost year round. I am worried, there is oyster shell free choice all the time.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Anybody? Have been monitoring the ducks today, and no eggs from third hen, soft or otherwise.

I am wondering if she is new to laying if she just needs to get her system worked out, Is she acting normal eating ,drinking doing ducky things? the boys are mating with them too much? Maybe you need to give them something called Nutri Drench for poultry, I give it to my birds when they are going through molt or any other stressful event, they have been getting it in their water daily for about a month since thats about when molt started. Leave the oyster shell out for them and maybe add something like ND to their water for a while, if she needs some extra vitamins and support this will give them too her. I hope she gets it worked out soon, it's hard when they can't tell you they are having problems, but lets just hope it will work itself out. http://barnyardsandbackyards.org/2010/09/18/review-nutri-drench/

 

[newbyduckmom]

Thanks, Miss Lydia. I will try it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Hope it works

 

[trees]

Hello,

one of my lil ducks had issues for a few weeks like yours when she first started laying but it settled down. She now lays hard shelled eggs everyday, once in a while she will miss a day and then we get a massive double yolked egg.

Hope yours settles down too.

 

[70%cocoa]

Soft shelled eggs can happen when two yolks get released at once. The system can't coat both in shell (it can only do one at a time) so they either turn into a double yolker or two soft shelled eggs. Your bird may not have a calcium problem, just a timing problem. Still, giving the oyster shell is a good idea. Laying does use up an awful lot of calcium even when everything is functioning normally.

 

[newbyduckmom]

Thanks for the information all! Still having the problem, and trying the suggestions. Hoping it resolves. If it is a timing problem (releasing two yolks), it that something that will likely work itself out or likely to be systemic?