soft eggs

[secuono]

Two of my duck hens laid a very soft and squishy shelled egg each today. Past eggs were normal, they just started laying this month. They eat chicken layer crumbles. Ideas?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Very normal just trying to work out the kinks, you might want to offer some oyster shell also.

 

[Amiga]

I learned this year (they are 17 months old now) that when my girls have a big foraging day, that throws off their calcium intake, and they give soft-shelled eggs. I'm giving them oyster shell, both free choice and mixed in their feed, and due to the calcium issue, I'm also slipping some calcium gluconate into their moistened feed.

Initially Sieben had the most trouble, so we got her some prescription calcium (Neocalglucan). That seems to have helped - she's laying regular eggs now. But Vier, Acht and today Zwei have laid softshelled eggs. Sheesh!

Anyway, whatever you can do to get them to eat more calcium is good. I have also been told that the phosphorus to calcium needs to be right, and that a deficiency in Vitamin D makes it hard for them to absorb enough calcium.

I put some dry cat kibble fortified with Vitamin D in their ration anyway, but I was glad to see they're getting some.