My duck laid a soft, unusual egg. Is something wrong?

[TwoDogFarm]

See picture below: Is this normal for first-time layers? We have two Khaki Campbell females that are laying eggs with shells a little softer than the eggs we are getting from our other females (we purchased our others as adults so aren't sure what their eggs looked like at first). This egg in the picture came from one of our female Pekins (that has also started laying recently). We have six female Pekins and have gotten a couple of large eggs (assuming it's from one of the Pekins and not our other ducks). I'm not sure if this could be her first egg and I'm not sure if you can tell much from the picture, but the whole thing is soft, cut in half and has nothing inside, but a little bit of the stringy "egg white" substance. I also found another one in similar condition on the ground nearby.

Right before I found this egg, I noticed one of the Pekins laying down. (We were letting the ducks free-range, which they don't normally do and all the others were foraging, so I thought this was strange behavior). Anyway, she seemed to be uncomfortable and her tail kept moving up and down. One of our Khaki Campbell drakes came over and started trying to mate with her. When I went to run him away, I found this egg. She seemed okay after this. Should I be concerned or is this normal? I know that there is a condition that ducks and chickens can get where they are unable to pass eggs. I just want to make sure this is not a warning sign for something bad. Please help.

 

[khakimamma]

I'm sorry I wish I had an answer for you. Best of luck, I hope everything goes OK with her.

 

[Amykins]

I'm not sure what I'm looking at. I've heard of ducks basically pooping out un-shelled eggs, maybe this is similar? I don't know why they do it.

 

[Nyssa03]

Do you have oyster shell where they can get it whenever they want? Sometimes they will have soft shelled eggs if they aren't getting enough calcium.

 

[TwoDogFarm]

Amykins, This appears to be the inside part of the egg membrane, but that's all. There's no shell on the outside and no yolk on the inside.

Nyssa, We have been throwing down oyster shells with their scratch, but they don't seem to want to eat it. They'll pick out the scratch and leave the oyster shells on the ground. I read somewhere that drakes and roosters don't need oyster shells, and if they eat too much they'll have a lot of problems. I know that the hens need it though. We have four drakes and a rooster in there and I'm worried to throw out too many. I've probably not been giving them enough though.

I need to figure out how to make the oyster shells more appealing to the ladies. If I start feeding them more oyster shells and they start eating them, should the soft shells stop? Thanks.

 

[Amiga]

I might cut back on the scratch (they are getting layer pellets, yes?), and get some calcium gluconate, adding a teaspoon per half cup of water to either a side bowl of water for them to drink, or to water added to their feed. Yes, you need to monitor the feed so it doesn't get moldy or off, but somehow get some of that calcium into them.

I sometimes add a quarter teaspoon Ca gluconate to a tablespoon of thawed frozen peas as a treat.

How many drakes? Ducks that get too much "attention" can have egg problems, too.

 

[subhanalah]

It looks like a broken egg. Either it broke inside her while she was making it (too many drakes?) Or it broke after she laid it and they ate it to clean up the mess.

I wouldn't give everyone calcium, just the girls. They should have it free choice (in a bowl or some sort of container) available all the time, not just mixed in their food/mix.

You can crush up a rums and give it to your hens if they are having trouble with it until you get the free choice available to them.

 

[TwoDogFarm]

Thanks for the responses.

I might cut back on the scratch (they are getting layer pellets, yes?), and get some calcium gluconate, adding a teaspoon per half cup of water to either a side bowl of water for them to drink, or to water added to their feed. Yes, you need to monitor the feed so it doesn't get moldy or off, but somehow get some of that calcium into them.

I sometimes add a quarter teaspoon Ca gluconate to a tablespoon of thawed frozen peas as a treat.

How many drakes? Ducks that get too much "attention" can have egg problems, too.

Amiga, our chickens and ducks are in a run together and we feed them the Dumor layer crumble in two hanging feeders. So are you saying I can just put the calcium gluconate in with their food? Is this also okay for chickens? Where can I find calcium gluconate? Is it okay if the males eat it as well?

We have four drakes and twelve hens (ducks). We also have one rooster and three chicken hens in the same run. We're worried about the "attention" problem with some of the females, but we're still new to all of this and are trying to figure out a lot, especially since many of them are just reaching sexual maturity.

It looks like a broken egg. Either it broke inside her while she was making it (too many drakes?) Or it broke after she laid it and they ate it to clean up the mess.

I wouldn't give everyone calcium, just the girls. They should have it free choice (in a bowl or some sort of container) available all the time, not just mixed in their food/mix.

You can crush up a rums and give it to your hens if they are having trouble with it until you get the free choice available to them.

Subhanalah,

How can I make sure the girls are the only ones that eat the calcium if I give it to them free choice? They're all in together right now. Will the drakes just not eat it?

Sorry for all the questions. Our flock has increased tremendously over the past year and this is the first summer we have had female ducks. We just want to make sure we're doing what's best for them. Thanks in advance.

 

[subhanalah]

Thanks for the responses.




Amiga, our chickens and ducks are in a run together and we feed them the Dumor layer crumble in two hanging feeders. So are you saying I can just put the calcium gluconate in with their food? Is this also okay for chickens? Where can I find calcium gluconate? Is it okay if the males eat it as well?

We have four drakes and twelve hens (ducks). We also have one rooster and three chicken hens in the same run. We're worried about the "attention" problem with some of the females, but we're still new to all of this and are trying to figure out a lot, especially since many of them are just reaching sexual maturity.




Subhanalah,

How can I make sure the girls are the only ones that eat the calcium if I give it to them free choice? They're all in together right now. Will the drakes just not eat it?

Sorry for all the questions. Our flock has increased tremendously over the past year and this is the first summer we have had female ducks. We just want to make sure we're doing what's best for them. Thanks in advance.

I would not feed layer to a flock consisting of drakes or other male fowl. The excess calcium is dangerous for them and can cause kidney damage/failure. This is why I suggested against treating the whole flock with even more calcium.

If you offer it free choice, the girls will eat it and the boys will leave it alone since they don't "want it".

Since they are on layer, I am more inclined to think that you have too many drakes and they are gang raping the hen, causing stress and possibly breaking her egg inside her during the struggle.

Let me be sure I have the numbers right. 4 drakes and 8 ducks? I would make a place for the boys to be separated for a little while so the girls can get their wits about themselves.

I'm also confused, you've found three of these eggs in one day? And the one that you witnessed coming out was already empty when she laid it?

 

[Amiga]

For my ducks with bigger calcium problems, I take them aside and feed them their favorite treat with calcium gluconate mixed in with it. They know what I am doing, and they make it easy for me to bring them aside and feed them their own special treat.