Mallard Duck eggs

[EAWCinci]

Hi! I have two female Mallard ducks, both born in the spring of 2014. They started laying eggs on Christmas, 2014. They would each lay an egg every day until about July, 2015, only 1 duck lays an egg each day. I've been waiting to see if the other will start laying eggs again, but she hasn't yet. Does anyone know if this is normal, will my one female duck lay eggs again or is something wrong with her?

 

[cymbaline]

Mine usually quit during the cold weather; not sure what would cause them to stop in the summer. I'd keep a close eye on the one that stopped to make sure that when she tries to start again she doesn't get egg-bound.

 

[buff goose guy]

what r u feeding them ?

 

[EAWCinci]

I feed them poultry feed I get from the Tractor Supply store. It's for chickens or ducks. Plus they graze the yard for bugs, worms or whatever. I give them dried worms for treats and kale or leaf lettuce. I sure hope she's not egg bound. She doesn't look like there's anything there.

 

[cymbaline]

Is it layer feed? If not, I'd offer some oyster shell or some other calcium supplement. If they run low on calcium, the egg shells don't form and they can have trouble pushing out a soft egg and get backed up, or if it bursts, they can get egg-yolk peritonitis.

If she was egg-bound, you'd know within a few days, I think. When my two mallards started laying, I found one egg and then within a few days I noticed one girl was sitting a lot and walking funny and slowly. I brought her inside, put her in a tub of warm water with some dandelion leaves and a liquid calcium supplement and by the next morning she'd laid an egg (I'm assuming her first and that the other egg came from the other girl). I don't know that that means she was necessarily egg-bound, but maybe was just having trouble getting her first egg out. She never had any trouble after that as far as I know.

As helpful as that all that info is, I don't think any of it explains why she's not been laying for so long though, sorry.

 

[EAWCinci]

I had to go out and check their bag... yes it is poultry layer crumble feed. That's usually what I get, but once when I sent my husband to get the food, he's come back with poultry grower instead. The bag looks almost identical. It's been since summer since the one hasn't been laying, so I guess if she was egg bound I would have seen signs of it. They both seem healthy. The one that doesn't lay gets upset when the other duck leaves her to go lay. I hope they both will lay again... I really love the eggs!

 

[EAWCinci]

Hey, I just had to update.... the other duck started laying again about a week ago! Woooohoooo!!

 

[cymbaline]

Hey, I just had to update.... the other duck started laying again about a week ago! Woooohoooo!!

Good to hear!