Rough Shelled Eggs

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

My Muscovy hen has just laid the first egg of her second run and see (and feel) that the shell is rough and bumpy, almost like tiny little pebbles are stuck to it but it’s shell. Is this an indication of something else we need to be aware of and address?

 

[KaleIAm]

Check out this excellent informative article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

I have mallard derived ducks. But one of them regularly gives me eggs with gritty calcium deposits speckled on the shell. I've taken her and her eggs to the vet and her vet suspects that she has a defective shell gland. She's 7.5 now and has been doing this her entire life with no complications. We've have her blood tested twice yearly and her calcium levels are appropriate, too.

I suspect that your duck could just be a new layer working out the complicated business of making eggs. If she doesn't start making more normal eggs in a couple weeks you could take her to the vet for an evaluation if she is a precious pet.

 

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

Check out this excellent informative article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/

I have mallard derived ducks. But one of them regularly gives me eggs with gritty calcium deposits speckled on the shell. I've taken her and her eggs to the vet and her vet suspects that she has a defective shell gland. She's 7.5 now and has been doing this her entire life with no complications. We've have her blood tested twice yearly and her calcium levels are appropriate, too.

I suspect that your duck could just be a new layer working out the complicated business of making eggs. If she doesn't start making more normal eggs in a couple weeks you could take her to the vet for an evaluation if she is a precious pet.

Thank you. Gritty is a good way to describe it and yes, she is very precious to us. Either her first batch of eggs, only one of the TWENTY-FOUR(!) was slightly gritty. This first egg of her second was significantly more so and will definitely keep an eye on the situation.
I actually have another question as well as
I’ve read conflicting things. We have a male so her eggs may very well fertilized and we do not want more ducks, at least most more drakes so last batch we pulled eggs every other day as to leave her with just two consistently until we were sure she’d finished laying and
then pulled those last two. reading that they go broody when there are 6 or more. Ive read that pulling the eggs is what should be done but have also read that pulling the eggs before she’s done laying will only encourage her to keep laying until she’s formed her clutch. What is your experience?

 

[KaleIAm]

Thank you. Gritty is a good way to describe it and yes, she is very precious to us. Either her first batch of eggs, only one of the TWENTY-FOUR(!) was slightly gritty. This first egg of her second was significantly more so and will definitely keep an eye on the situation.
I actually have another question as well as
I’ve read conflicting things. We have a male so her eggs may very well fertilized and we do not want more ducks, at least most more drakes so last batch we pulled eggs every other day as to leave her with just two consistently until we were sure she’d finished laying and
then pulled those last two. reading that they go broody when there are 6 or more. Ive read that pulling the eggs is what should be done but have also read that pulling the eggs before she’s done laying will only encourage her to keep laying until she’s formed her clutch. What is your experience?

I've never had Muscovy ducks, but I've read many times on this forum that they go broody a LOT easier and with less eggs than mallard derived breeds.

My own ducks don't go broody until they get 8+ eggs in a nest. I pick up eggs daily because I don't want them to be broody. @SolarDuck has muscovies that go broody so he can give his personal experience with that.

Are you wanting her to stop laying eggs? Doing so by having her go broody isn't the best way, in my opinion. You could give her a clutch of dummy eggs, but then she might feel sad when nothing hatches. Plus she would miss out on nutrition sitting on the eggs for a month.

When one of my ducks was having life threatening reproductive issues my vet had me shorten the length of her daylight. It worked and she stopped laying eggs because it tricked her body into thinking it was winter, but I wouldn't do that unless it was truly necessary and your vet recommended it. We also did regular testing.

 

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

I've never had Muscovy ducks, but I've read many times on this forum that they go broody a LOT easier and with less eggs than mallard derived breeds.

My own ducks don't go broody until they get 8+ eggs in a nest. I pick up eggs daily because I don't want them to be broody. @SolarDuck has muscovies that go broody so he can give his personal experience with that.

Are you wanting her to stop laying eggs? Doing so by having her go broody isn't the best way, in my opinion. You could give her a clutch of dummy eggs, but then she might feel sad when nothing hatches. Plus she would miss out on nutrition sitting on the eggs for a month.

When one of my ducks was having life threatening reproductive issues my vet had me shorten the length of her daylight. It worked and she stopped laying eggs because it tricked her body into thinking it was winter, but I wouldn't do that unless it was truly necessary and your vet recommended it. We also did regular testing.

We’re fine with her laying eggs unless she develops harmful reproductive issues in which case we’d probably have a hormone implant placed. We just don’t want her going broody because of that nutritional concern and also because we don’t more ducks. Actually we wouldn’t mind more hens but unless we know for sure we had homes to send the drakes we won’t risk it (we could never cull them). The resulting offspring would be Hinnies as our female is Muscovy and our drake a Pekin and from my understanding the odds are good that male hatchlings are more prevalent with that pairing.

 

[KaleIAm]

We’re fine with her laying eggs unless she develops harmful reproductive issues in which case we’d probably have a hormone implant placed. We just don’t want her going broody because of that nutritional concern and also because we don’t more ducks. Actually we wouldn’t mind more hens but unless we know for sure we had homes to send the drakes we won’t risk it (we could never cull them). The resulting offspring would be Hinnies as our female is Muscovy and our drake a Pekin and from my understanding the odds are good that male hatchlings are more prevalent with that pairing.

I understand. I'll never be able to hatch ducklings for the same reason - I'd never be able to cull them, keep them all, or find enough loving homes for them.

One of my ducks is more interested in going broody than the others, and I have had to remove all the eggs early in the day and destroy all the nests. I've even had to lock them out of their barn. Then she'll start making a nest in the corner of her aviary. So I have to destroy that and put a big rock there. Lol.

BTW, I've used the hormonal implant before and it worked as well.

 

[DukesDucks]

I have Muscovy ducks - 2 drakes and 8 females - separated into 2 flocks during mating season. I'm not sure I understand your question. If your duck is laying, but you don't want ducklings, why are you leaving any eggs with her? I'm collecting 8 eggs a day. None are left with the ducks.

 

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

I have Muscovy ducks - 2 drakes and 8 females - separated into 2 flocks during mating season. I'm not sure I understand your question. If your duck is laying, but you don't want ducklings, why are you leaving any eggs with her? I'm collecting 8 eggs a day. None are left with the ducks.

The point of my question was to gain clarification as I’ve read contradicting suggestions from varying sources, each with accompanying reasons for why eggs were either left or gathered. Some stating that their ducks just keep laying indefinitely if their eggs are pulled potentially increasing the risk of reproductive problems while others, and as it’s beginning to sound the majority, pull the eggs daily. I have no issue with pulling the eggs daily as long as it won’t prolong the amount of days she would otherwise lay.