Soft shelled egg laid at 3:43 in the afternoon

[DucksOhio]

I had been providing oyster shell calcium when my other duck was still laying. I don't ever recall seeing the duck that laid a soft shell egg partake of it.

I'm a bit freaked, as my first batch of ducks laid eggs with strong, thick shells, and always in the morning.

I'm also wondering how efficacious the oyster shells are. My other duck that just stopped laying last week, was laying eggs with painfully thin shells and she was the one I always saw eating oyster shell.

I’ve tried different variety of oyster shells. Some are used for gardening, so that wouldn’t be good for ducks.

I think the crushed shells have to be pretty fine in size. This is the brand my ducks seem to really love:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UIM7N0A/?tag=backy-20

 

[austroberta]

The drakes are great for being the “lookout” for the flock. They can be overly randy which is annoying, but I wouldn’t want to get rid of him. He can be very valuable.

I haven't seen that his undesirable traits are much greater than his valuable traits. He doesn't forage very well, he is unfriendly and aggressive and frankly the stress his aggression causes isn't worth whatever lookout potential he might have. He's currently harassing one of my ducks big time.

 

[austroberta]

I’ve tried different variety of oyster shells. Some are used for gardening, so that wouldn’t be good for ducks.

I think the crushed shells have to be pretty fine in size. This is the brand my ducks seem to really love:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00UIM7N0A/?tag=backy-20

I got mine from a tractor supply store. I believe the stuff they sell is meant for poultry and not the garden.

 

[DucksOhio]

I haven't seen that his undesirable traits are much greater than his valuable traits. He doesn't forage very well, he is unfriendly and aggressive and frankly the stress his aggression causes isn't worth whatever lookout potential he might have. He's currently harassing one of my ducks big time.

I can appreciate how stressful that is for you. If he really is that aggressive, perhaps it’s best to rehome him.

I’ve had khaki drakes. They can be mean. I’ve run out in the yard many times threatening the khaki drakes with a ton of curse words.

What surprises me is that my khaki girls are about the sweetest things I’ve ever encountered.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I haven't seen that his undesirable traits are much greater than his valuable traits. He doesn't forage very well, he is unfriendly and aggressive and frankly the stress his aggression causes isn't worth whatever lookout potential he might have. He's currently harassing one of my ducks big time.

My first drake Sheldon was just like that! He was hateful from the start and once he was gone things got better. Just a nasty duck that caused nothing but trouble and he was very mean to everyone.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I haven't seen that his undesirable traits are much greater than his valuable traits. He doesn't forage very well, he is unfriendly and aggressive and frankly the stress his aggression causes isn't worth whatever lookout potential he might have. He's currently harassing one of my ducks big time.

As far as the no shell egg goes I don't know if that has anything to do with the drake.
I had a couple of completely shelless eggs out in the duck run last summer. Looked like someone cracked the egg into a frypan but there was no shell to be found. I didn't know what to think and hadn't found BYC yet so I emailed Metzers and they told me it was not abnormal. My ducks were over 1 year old too. That was when I got oyster shells.

 

[austroberta]

As far as the no shell egg goes I don't know if that has anything to do with the drake.
I had a couple of completely shelless eggs out in the duck run last summer. Looked like someone cracked the egg into a frypan but there was no shell to be found. I didn't know what to think and hadn't found BYC yet so I emailed Metzers and they told me it was not abnormal. My ducks were over 1 year old too. That was when I got oyster shells.

I'm just really concerned as this appears to be her FIRST egg and she plopped it out in the afternoon. (Although to be quite honest I have not been looking in the yard to see if maybe she has laid other eggs that I just have not seen.) I would expect as things go along I would find a few soft-shell eggs, but the first egg? I almost had to use a hammer to crack the eggshells of my older ducks when they laid their first egg.

I just hope that it was an egg laid too soon, that is an egg that should have been laid in the next morning but came out in the afternoon before.

 

[austroberta]

My first drake Sheldon was just like that! He was hateful from the start and once he was gone things got better. Just a nasty duck that caused nothing but trouble and he was very mean to everyone.

I knew he was going to be handful when he would start bill butting/charging my arm when I would put my hand in the brooder to give everyone treats. I love my other ducks so much, and they each have their personalities that are so endearing, but this drake is so difficult for me to like.

 

[austroberta]

I can appreciate how stressful that is for you. If he really is that aggressive, perhaps it’s best to rehome him.

I’ve had khaki drakes. They can be mean. I’ve run out in the yard many times threatening the khaki drakes with a ton of curse words.

What surprises me is that my khaki girls are about the sweetest things I’ve ever encountered.

I'd put out a neighborhood shout out on Nextdoor to see if anyone wants a KC drake. My husband thinks CL is terrible for re-homing animals.

If no one wants him, I really don't know what I will do.

 

[EggWalrus]

You could always have a nice duck dinner.