Soft eggs in older (4 yrs) duck

[schoolhouse_ducks]

Hello all - I have a small flock of 3 ducks - two Welsh Harlequin and one White Crested. They all live together and have the same food (Mazuri waterfowl layer) and water (fresh water daily, from the well). During the day, they are in an outdoor run (fully enclosed and predator-proof). At night, they are all in a predator-proof stall in our barn. One of the Welshies started laying soft eggs at the end of the laying season in the fall. I gave her calcium and she stopped laying for the winter and was fine.

This spring, when they started laying again, she was laying normal eggs for about two weeks. Then they started to get soft. Neither of the other two are having issues. I started supplementing with calcium again (Calcium Plus) and this time it didn't make a difference.

I took her to the local vet, who said that she has nothing physically apparently wrong and he suspected an infection in her reproductive tract. She was on 10 days of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory (as needed for pain). After those 10 days, she laid a few stronger eggs and one actually whole normal egg.

A few days later though, she's back to laying soft eggs. I called the vet this morning and had to leave a message with my question, but I wanted to check in with this community and see if there is any wisdom to be had here. Is this what happens when ducks get to the end of their laying abilities? Thanks very much!

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

@casportpony @Jenbirdee

 

[Jenbirdee]

Hello all - I have a small flock of 3 ducks - two Welsh Harlequin and one White Crested. They all live together and have the same food (Mazuri waterfowl layer) and water (fresh water daily, from the well). During the day, they are in an outdoor run (fully enclosed and predator-proof). At night, they are all in a predator-proof stall in our barn. One of the Welshies started laying soft eggs at the end of the laying season in the fall. I gave her calcium and she stopped laying for the winter and was fine.

This spring, when they started laying again, she was laying normal eggs for about two weeks. Then they started to get soft. Neither of the other two are having issues. I started supplementing with calcium again (Calcium Plus) and this time it didn't make a difference.

I took her to the local vet, who said that she has nothing physically apparently wrong and he suspected an infection in her reproductive tract. She was on 10 days of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory (as needed for pain). After those 10 days, she laid a few stronger eggs and one actually whole normal egg.

A few days later though, she's back to laying soft eggs. I called the vet this morning and had to leave a message with my question, but I wanted to check in with this community and see if there is any wisdom to be had here. Is this what happens when ducks get to the end of their laying abilities? Thanks very much!

I have ducks ten years old who are still laying - not as much as my younger ones but still laying good eggs. I have one I suspect has a problem like your vet mentioned reproductive track infection possibly because I’m finding some soft and no shell eggs but still don’t know who’s doing them… these kind of problems are pretty common. I’ve had a few and the one who died of salpingitis after a few rounds of antibiotics they didn’t help anymore. They only help for a few months and then the problem would come back.

Which kind of Mazuri waterfowl are you feeding the breeder kind that has the extra calcium
Do you have a dish of oyster shell crushed or flaked on the side for any duck who needs extra more? They take as they need.