Soft shells in mature duck

[Sjax]

I started Calcium Gluconate 2 days ago. There was one solid egg this morning. What treats do folks use to administer? It’s not fun to dosewith a syringe. My boy is in with the girls so am cautious about putting it in their feed. Thank you all for your help!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I use a syringe but I’ve seen some put it over peas or mealworms. I bought a thing that fits on the end of the syringe so it goes further down into the throat so I don’t have to worry about aspirating. This attaches to the syringe.

 

[Sjax]

How do you determine if you get it in the esophagus or trachea.?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Here ya go https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/
I had my dh hold my bird for the first few times just so I could see what I was doing. Once you have done it a few times you are better at doing it by yourself. You can also wrap your duck in a towel like a burrito so she can't be so squirmy and her wings are not flapping and hitting you in the face.
Here is where I ordered mine https://www.squirrelsandmore.com/co...uge-straight-4-stainless-steel-feeding-needle

 

[Jlw0903]

No idea if this is coincidence, but I started feeding one meal a day of layer feed, using scratch and peck and fermenting it, which they go crazy for. So far Susan has had 3 eggs with hard shells in the last week, so I'm crossing my fingers that this is the cure.

How's this treatment been going this far since it's a few days since you posted this comment? I'm having similar issues and may try if your having success

 

[PicklesMom]

How's this treatment been going this far since it's a few days since you posted this comment? I'm having similar issues and may try if your having success

I did calcium citrate for a few days and we had a few hard shells... then she went into a molt. So I've been keeping up on giving the girls about 1/3 layer feed but I can't say if it's working. Two are broody and will hardly leave their house and one's got feathers coming out everywhere, we have one normal duck out of the lot right now!

 

[Luv Ducks]

She is! I found this egg in her run this morning, similar to others I've seen on these threads.

I know this is an older thread, I just wanted to let you know that I get an egg like that almost daily from my 6 year old Rouen Ducks. I attribute it to their age as they never used to do that. I eat the eggs and am just thankful to still be getting them from them at this age and stage.

 

[Palomabunny]

Try Calcium Gluconate it not only helps with egg binding but also with soft shell.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/calcium-gluconate-for-egg-bound-ducks-preliminary.959537/
or try calcium citrate @DuckyDonna uses it over the oyster shell she gives her ducks.

 

[Palomabunny]

Hi, what type of Calcium Citrate do you give your ducks? Product, brand, at what dose please? Much thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I bought Nutricost brand from eBay since it’s hard to find things here. Many drug stores sell it though