Pekin laid her first egg, I have questions.

[Milo_Shazam]

I have two Pekin ducks. They are about 5 months old. Today I went to change their water and feed them and I found that one of them had laid an egg but it was broken in half. Is this normal for them to break their first egg. Could it have been the other duck that broke it?

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

what are you feeding them? can you post a picture? it might’ve been broken when she laid it

 

[Milo_Shazam]

what are you feeding them? can you post a picture? it might’ve been broken when she laid it

I don’t have a picture of the egg but it was basically in half. When I threw the egg away it was kinda soft. I think they need more calcium in their diet.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

I don’t have a picture of the egg but it was basically in half. When I threw the egg away it was kinda soft. I think they need more calcium in their diet.

you can feed her egg shells, my girl refused oysters shells

 

[Milo_Shazam]

you can feed her egg shells, my girl refused oysters shells

Will this train her to eat her own eggs? I would like to start collecting her eggs.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

Will this train her to eat her own eggs? I would like to start collecting her eggs.

no, just bake and crush them shells. she won’t even know they are eggs. you can use her own eggs shells or even store bought egg shells

 

[Daisy Minotaur]

Oyster shells are a calcium supplement usually broke down into fine gravel like pieces. Supplementing oystershell will not train her to brake her eggs.

In my experience when ducks or chickens intentionally brake eggs it’s because they are short on calcium or protein (in which case they usually eat the cracked egg pretty quickly) or because they are over confined which causes them to be stressed and bored.

If your duck has plenty of room and has ample protein in her food, then she’s likely low on calcium. Lack of calcium makes egg shells soft.

If the shell of her first egg was soft it might have broken by hitting the ground or the floor of the coop when she laid it, she might not have broken it at all.

 

[Isaac 0]

We need to realize that new laying birds will tend to lay soft shelled eggs in the first place, so that is nothing abnormal and doesn't necessarily mean she doesnt have enough calcium in her diet. Regardless, if she eats any of the calcium supplement, it should always be provided free-choice, in a separate dish so she can eat as needed in the case she does need some. It sounds to me like she is laying soft shells, and any little disturbance is causing them to split, which is nothing abnormal, but heavyweight breeds will also tend to crush their own eggs inadvertently since their so heavy.

If she continues laying softies, you may consider administering 23% calcium gluconate to her orally, at about 1ml a day.

 

[Milo_Shazam]

Oyster shells are a calcium supplement usually broke down into fine gravel like pieces. Supplementing oystershell will not train her to brake her eggs.

In my experience when ducks or chickens intentionally brake eggs it’s because they are short on calcium or protein (in which case they usually eat the cracked egg pretty quickly) or because they are over confined which causes them to be stressed and bored.

If your duck has plenty of room and has ample protein in her food, then she’s likely low on calcium. Lack of calcium makes egg shells soft.

If the shell of her first egg was soft it might have broken by hitting the ground or the floor of the coop when she laid it, she might not have broken it at all.

Thanks you! They are free range and have a large pool and we spend a lot of time with them so I don’t think they are bored. And she didn’t eat the egg, it was still there when I found it. I am getting some oyster shell today! Thanks for the advice!

 

[Daisy Minotaur]

Thanks you! They are free range and have a large pool and we spend a lot of time with them so I don’t think they are bored. And she didn’t eat the egg, it was still there when I found it. I am getting some oyster shell today! Thanks for the advice!

Glad it helped!

As duck mommy 2019 said you can feed duck or chicken eggshells too as long as they are prepared properly.

Oyster shell was easier for me, I never could find the time to bake and crush eggshells. Though, I still want to try it sometime to see how mine like them.