Please Help - Holes in eggs??

[Janie]

Hi, these photos show a decline in shell quality over a few days

This is the first one and it shows a ridged area

A few days later this one was laid by the same duck and it looks like a bit of stone is stuck to the outside of the shell

And the next day this one was laid.

The 3 together;

Any ideas? I assume it a lack of calcium but they gorge thenselves on snails, I feed them ground eggshell and there are cuttlefish in the house too.

 

[chickens112]

my guess is that they are lacking calcium.

 

[Janie]

Thanks chickens, as I thought.

I bought some oyster shell yesterday so am hoping that will fix the problem??

It does seem interesting that the weakness is on the same part of each egg, need to read up on how an egg is formed to work that one out I guess...

Has anyone else seen anything like this?

 

[Kesta]

yes the first pic looks like an egg i got this week it had air bubbles every where except the shell inprint was all the way around the top!

 

[cmom]

Withdrew post

 

[d.k]

* You can add a very little ACV to their drinking water. I'd keep the dose super-light if the ducks can dip their heads in their drinking water, though. ACV aids in the assimilation of calcium.

 

[Janie]

Thanks kesta - have you recently got your birds or changed their food at all? Do you think yours is due to a lack of calcium?

d.k - ACV = Apple Cider Vinegar? If so I'll try that.

cmom - I'm intrigued!!

 

[d.k]

* Yep, a little apple cider vinegar. Good for you, too.

 

[patandchickens]

Most land snails and freshwater snails really do not have *that* much calcium in 'em, especially if you are not on very limestoney ground. The shells are mostly protein, with minimal mineral content. So adding oystershell (or their own eggshells, dried and crushed and fed back to 'em) may well do the trick.

In chickens, very hot weather or infectious bronchitis can produce somewhat similar effects, but I haven't a clue whether that would apply to ducks.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Janie]

Oh wow, I never knew that!

I assumed they were bubbling over with calcium and I had relied on the fact as we have sooooo many snails here due to our outrageously wet summer that all the birds were getting their fill.

Thats the problem then, thank you so much for the info Pat. The oyster shell is deffo the answer

xx