prestoconfuoco
Songster
Hi all,
This is sort of a two-part question...
Laid an egg yolk?
I have four female ducks housed together and today I found a perfectly formed egg yolk laid on the ground with tiny blood spots (though I have seen the blood spots in chicken eggs and I know it is usually not a cause for worry. There was absolutely zero evidence of broken eggshell anywhere around it, so I assume it was just laid this way. Weirdly, the ducks also didn't eat it. All of the ducks are acting normal, with the (slight) exception of one of the layer ducks who acts a bit odd. More on that in a bit. I'm not sure who could have laid it. Because I keep my ducks as pets and not for production, I've been giving them maintainer feed for a while now. So most likely, they need calcium! I'll pick up some oyster shell from tractor supply tomorrow, and in the meantime I've given them some crushed up chicken eggshells. I'm also ordering Mazuri breeder and I'll put them on a ratio of breeder-maintainence feed as soon as it arrives.
The two youngest were born on April 10th (a Welsh Harlequin and a Silver Appleyard) and as far as I can tell, neither of them have laid any eggs yet, or if they are it's very infrequent.
The older two (about 1.5 years old) are both "white layer ducks" (as far as I can tell), just those egg-production breeds they sell at tractor supply and the like. We rehomed them from a farm, so we don't know where they got them -- but they appear to be this kind of duck. In any case, especially since giving them maintainer feed, they aren't laying most days, and every few days I'll find one egg in the duck coop. These two used to be housed with chickens, and when they were on 100% layer feed they did lay much more often, so I'm glad that they aren't laying as much so as to extend their lifespans!
If it were just a soft-shelled egg, I wouldn't be worried, but since it is just a yolk, I just wanted to see if anyone had any advice other than to keep an eye out and give them more calcium.
Panting duck, who is also sort of "short" and stubby?
The other part: I mentioned one of the layer ducks is a bit odd. She's been panting and none of the other six ducks (I have males in another pen) are panting, and it isn't particularly hot outside. I've noticed her panting like this before -- when it gets hot, she's always the first, and I have noticed her panting when it isn't hot before, so this isn't new. She's always been a little weird. I wanted to ask if she appears healthy, because she is a lot "shorter" and stubbier than the other layer duck I have. She stands less upright and almost seems like she has a shorter neck, too. Here are two videos, showing her odd walk -- almost limp-like but I am not sure? And her panting. She just seems such a different "shape" from the other duck that is definitely the same breed, and with her panting and stuff, I wanted to make sure she isn't unhealthy.
Because she has always been a little odd I am naturally worried she could have been the one to lay the yolk. However, back when they were on 100% layer feed, she laid normal eggs very frequently, so as far as I can tell she doesn't have a reproductive problem.
Thanks so much for your help, and if you read the whole post thank you! Sorry it's so verbose.
This is sort of a two-part question...
Laid an egg yolk?
I have four female ducks housed together and today I found a perfectly formed egg yolk laid on the ground with tiny blood spots (though I have seen the blood spots in chicken eggs and I know it is usually not a cause for worry. There was absolutely zero evidence of broken eggshell anywhere around it, so I assume it was just laid this way. Weirdly, the ducks also didn't eat it. All of the ducks are acting normal, with the (slight) exception of one of the layer ducks who acts a bit odd. More on that in a bit. I'm not sure who could have laid it. Because I keep my ducks as pets and not for production, I've been giving them maintainer feed for a while now. So most likely, they need calcium! I'll pick up some oyster shell from tractor supply tomorrow, and in the meantime I've given them some crushed up chicken eggshells. I'm also ordering Mazuri breeder and I'll put them on a ratio of breeder-maintainence feed as soon as it arrives.
The two youngest were born on April 10th (a Welsh Harlequin and a Silver Appleyard) and as far as I can tell, neither of them have laid any eggs yet, or if they are it's very infrequent.
The older two (about 1.5 years old) are both "white layer ducks" (as far as I can tell), just those egg-production breeds they sell at tractor supply and the like. We rehomed them from a farm, so we don't know where they got them -- but they appear to be this kind of duck. In any case, especially since giving them maintainer feed, they aren't laying most days, and every few days I'll find one egg in the duck coop. These two used to be housed with chickens, and when they were on 100% layer feed they did lay much more often, so I'm glad that they aren't laying as much so as to extend their lifespans!
If it were just a soft-shelled egg, I wouldn't be worried, but since it is just a yolk, I just wanted to see if anyone had any advice other than to keep an eye out and give them more calcium.
Panting duck, who is also sort of "short" and stubby?
The other part: I mentioned one of the layer ducks is a bit odd. She's been panting and none of the other six ducks (I have males in another pen) are panting, and it isn't particularly hot outside. I've noticed her panting like this before -- when it gets hot, she's always the first, and I have noticed her panting when it isn't hot before, so this isn't new. She's always been a little weird. I wanted to ask if she appears healthy, because she is a lot "shorter" and stubbier than the other layer duck I have. She stands less upright and almost seems like she has a shorter neck, too. Here are two videos, showing her odd walk -- almost limp-like but I am not sure? And her panting. She just seems such a different "shape" from the other duck that is definitely the same breed, and with her panting and stuff, I wanted to make sure she isn't unhealthy.
Because she has always been a little odd I am naturally worried she could have been the one to lay the yolk. However, back when they were on 100% layer feed, she laid normal eggs very frequently, so as far as I can tell she doesn't have a reproductive problem.
Thanks so much for your help, and if you read the whole post thank you! Sorry it's so verbose.
