Soft shell duck egg

[margarita valentine]

My pekin duck layed this soft shell duck egg, middle egg pictured, anyone know what's attached to it? That's how we found it in the nest box.

 

[Isaac 0]

Are you proving eggshells or oyster shells? Is she a new layer?

 

[margarita valentine]

Yea we have a bucket of oyster/egg shells available at all times. Shes 2.

 

[proudchickenmom]

that sure is one weird looking egg! is this the first soft shelled egg she has lain or does she lay eggs like that often? i am thinking that it might just be a glitch in her egg laying system, probably nothing to worry about as long as she doesn't lay any more like it. the thing that is coming off the top, is it soft? it looks like part of the egg white got caught on the outside of the shell and started to harden. laying weird eggs might be caused by stress, not having enough calcium for the shell to harden, laying to many eggs too fast, or from her being a new layer. in your case it looks like it might be from stress or laying too many eggs too fast. monitor how many eggs she lays and the condition of each egg she lays. soft shelled eggs can burst easily so each time you collect the eggs look for soft shells of egg yolk lying at the bottom of her nesting boxes. has your duck ever had any other issues laying eggs before?

 

[margarita valentine]

Right! It's so weird looking. Yes the thing off the top is squishy. Pretty much all her eggs are soft shelled,basically shes just not a healthy bird.She'll stress herself out laying to the point she has seizures-- I know some people will say to cull her, but shes a pet and we've so far been able to manage her nutritional deficiencies with vitamin supplements. So far luckily she always passes the eggs and they haven't broken. This was the first weird looking egg shes had.

 

[proudchickenmom]

is she in any sort of pain of discomfort?

 

[proudchickenmom]

i don't understand what you meant by " she'lless"
how is she unhealthy?
and has she always been this way?

 

[margarita valentine]

Sorry typo, she will sometimes stress herself out while laying to the point of having seizures. She had her first seizure at I think it was 16 weeks. By unhealthy I mean her eggs never form a hard shell and she gets seizures. Shes never acted as she's in any pain, she participates in all normal bird activities with the rest of my flock.

 

[Isaac 0]

What do you feed her? If she has been laying softshelled eggs it might be a good idea to start her on a calcium supplement such as Calcium Gluconate.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Is she crested?