Poor Egg Production in Muscovy Ducks

[Stony7089]

Our Muscovys laid this egg without a shell and have not laid since for weeks. How do I fix this?

Diet
The ducks are eating this star milling waterfowl feed and whatever else they find foraging.

https://starmilling.com/sm-waterfowl/

Any pesticides in the area should be long gone by now and I haven't seen them eat anything hazardous.

Stress:
One of the girls had a stressful brooding before production stopped but that doesn't explain problems with the others. The ducks all seem to get along well and I haven't seen any evidence of predators.

Thank you for your help.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Did you by chance cut that open? It makes me think Lash egg.
A lash egg is caused by coliform salpingitis, which is an inflammation and infection of the oviduct due to a bacterial infection.013 This condition also involves adhesions occurring inside the abdomen, causing egg-like material to accumulate in the oviduct.3 Stress, extreme weather and predator activity can also lead to lash eggs.2

I can't say for sure this is a lash egg but sure makes me think it could be.

If you want you could put her on a course of Baytril just to cover the bases.
https://allbirdproducts.com/products/baytril-10

 

[Canadian Wind]

Agreed, this look a lot like a lash egg to me, which is an accumulation of debris and pus. Weird, I was just reading something about this yesterday evening...

 

[Stony7089]

Did you by chance cut that open? It makes me think Lash egg.
A lash egg is caused by coliform salpingitis, which is an inflammation and infection of the oviduct due to a bacterial infection.013 This condition also involves adhesions occurring inside the abdomen, causing egg-like material to accumulate in the oviduct.3 Stress, extreme weather and predator activity can also lead to lash eggs.2

I can't say for sure this is a lash egg but sure makes me think it could be.

If you want you could put her on a course of Baytril just to cover the bases.
https://allbirdproducts.com/products/baytril-10

I read elsewhere it could be some kind of nutrient deficiency. Should I buy supplements?

I will order that Baytril. The egg is as I found it. Like I said, no evidence of predators. Weather has been very good. Their bath may not be accessible enough to them or they could be over breeding (I've been unable to acquire more females) but the male hasn't struck me as an aggressive breeder.

We changed their ground from pine to sand to reduce dampness after it was recommended to us. This could explain debris, but they only spend the night inside and there's still pine shavings In the nesting area. outside they have free reign of the yard with a variety of floor. They choose to sit in dirt

@Miss Lydia if there's debris in there, how do I remove it?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Explain what you mean by debri in there please. My Muscovy have pine shaving in their house and different mediums out side from dirt to spent shavings. I really don’t think this contributes to egg laying trouble. But if this is an infection that needs to be treated.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Explain what you mean by debri in there please. My Muscovy have pine shaving in their house and different mediums out side from dirt to spent shavings. I really don’t think this contributes to egg laying trouble. But if this is an infection that needs to be treated.

I think they mean from what I said: the mass is debris and pus. I should have clarified it's biological debris from the reproductive tract.

 

[Stony7089]

I think they mean from what I said: the mass is debris and pus. I should have clarified it's biological debris from the reproductive tract.

Yes thank you for clarifying. it sounds like bad sanitation is the problem.

Like I said one of the birds was pudgy. I thought it was within what was normal but in hindsight it's obviously swelling from the infection. The male has probably been cross-contaminating and the whole flock is probably infected by now.

I read the following: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/what-is-a-lash-egg-all-you-need-to-know-more.77939/

It sounds like the affected birds are expected to die. Do you know what the probability of survival is at this point? That mass was laid about two weeks ago and they haven't laid since.

 

[casportpony]

It sounds like the affected birds are expected to die. Do you know what the probability of survival is at this point? That mass was laid about two weeks ago and they haven't laid since.

This can be cured if the oviduct is not impacted and the infection is treated. Is a vet an option for you?

 

[Miss Lydia]

This can be cured if the oviduct is not impacted and the infection is treated. Is a vet an option for you?

@casportpony can you give the OP dose for Baytril? If a vet isn't an option.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@casportpony is this still the right dose?
The dose is somewhere between 4.5 to 9 mg per *pound* per *day*. If I were going to use the pill I would give 4.5mg per pound twice a day, but that's just me. If you need help with the math, let me know and I'll calculate a dose for you.

-Kathy