somethings wrong

[BelovedBirds]

Okay have another weird one?
Went to check nest box and clean out for bed, and found an egg smashed open

Surely the ducks wouldn't have smashed it then not eaten it? But if it were laid broken, idk. Their vents look fine, no blood anywhere to indicate it was laid this way.

The weirder part is, away from the egg a bit, there was a white thing. About an inch long. I grabbed it and to my surprise it felt... weird? Like it had air inside, like a very thin pocket of air. Slightly spongy.
I thought it seemed like reproductive matter, perhaps from the broken egg, so I dissected it (poked it with a stick, sorry I really should've brought it inside and cut it properly, there photos are awful).

It was definitely full of egg whites or something. But just a tiny amount. The membrane was thick and textured.

Is it a massive meat spot from the egg or something more worrisome?
My gut is telling me this is from Dougie, but that instinct is mainly because of her recent laying glitch. I found nothing else odd about the broken egg.

@Miss Lydia

 

[BelovedBirds]

Okay have another weird one?
Went to check nest box and clean out for bed, and found an egg smashed open

Surely the ducks wouldn't have smashed it then not eaten it? But if it were laid broken, idk. Their vents look fine, no blood anywhere to indicate it was laid this way.

The weirder part is, away from the egg a bit, there was a white thing. About an inch long. I grabbed it and to my surprise it felt... weird? Like it had air inside, like a very thin pocket of air. Slightly spongy.
I thought it seemed like reproductive matter, perhaps from the broken egg, so I dissected it (poked it with a stick, sorry I really should've brought it inside and cut it properly, there photos are awful).

It was definitely full of egg whites or something. But just a tiny amount. The membrane was thick and textured.

Is it a massive meat spot from the egg or something more worrisome?
My gut is telling me this is from Dougie, but that instinct is mainly because of her recent laying glitch. I found nothing else odd about the broken egg.

@Miss Lydia View attachment 3449162View attachment 3449163View attachment 3449164View attachment 3449166View attachment 3449167

Bump?

 

[Canadian Wind]

I have no idea...

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

@Eggcessive

@casportpony

@Wyorp Rock
@Miss Lydia
@DuckyDonna

 

[BelovedBirds]

I have no idea...

Hoping it's nothing too worrisome
Haven't seen anything like this before!

 

[Miss Lydia]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/
most likely someone stepped on the egg and it crack open. The thing that looks like a worm is something I have seen before don't know what it is called though.

 

[BelovedBirds]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/common-egg-quality-problems.65923/
most likely someone stepped on the egg and it crack open. The thing that looks like a worm is something I have seen before don't know what it is called though.

Do you think it's anything serious? Or likely a blip?
Eggs this morning were normal, nothing odd inside them

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

I’ve definitely seen little oddities like that from my older Rouen, Daphne, who has had reproductive issues for years. I don’t know what mechanical glitch causes them. I would certainly keep a very close eye on Dougie and treat at the first sign of illness (sitting down more often, the slightest tail bob). If you have an avian Veterinarian available, it would absolutely be worth bringing Dougie in when able. 1 soft egg could be a glitch, but continued issues definitely need a long term plan. They may recommend a change in diet or a new supplement. They may also be able to come up with an emergency plan for if she has another more serious bout.

In the hopes that it will make you feel better, Daphne has been having reproductive issues since I got her 5 years ago (she’s 7 years old now), and she’s still surviving with good QOL. She gets calcium at the first sign of illness + a good warm water soak (I don’t use Epsom salts as I’m too afraid she will drink it) + a bit of exercise. Her Vet recommended Mazuri waterfowl food + oyster shell + very minimal treats.

There are others out there that have had their ducks get hormone shots (the name of which escapes me) to stop egg laying temporarily. These are not available in all areas. There are even folks that have gone as far as surgery.

Just know that there is hope out there if Dougie continues to have issues. Take care

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I’ve definitely seen little oddities like that from my older Rouen, Daphne, who has had reproductive issues for years. I don’t know what mechanical glitch causes them. I would certainly keep a very close eye on Dougie and treat at the first sign of illness (sitting down more often, the slightest tail bob). If you have an avian Veterinarian available, it would absolutely be worth bringing Dougie in when able. 1 soft egg could be a glitch, but continued issues definitely need a long term plan. They may recommend a change in diet or a new supplement. They may also be able to come up with an emergency plan for if she has another more serious bout.

In the hopes that it will make you feel better, Daphne has been having reproductive issues since I got her 5 years ago (she’s 7 years old now), and she’s still surviving with good QOL. She gets calcium at the first sign of illness + a good warm water soak (I don’t use Epsom salts as I’m too afraid she will drink it) + a bit of exercise. Her Vet recommended Mazuri waterfowl food + oyster shell + very minimal treats.

There are others out there that have had their ducks get hormone shots (the name of which escapes me) to stop egg laying temporarily. These are not available in all areas. There are even folks that have gone as far as surgery.

Just know that there is hope out there if Dougie continues to have issues. Take care

My girl is getting the hormone shots so she can get a break while we treat her fungal issue
This is what my girl is getting
I’m in Canada

 

[BelovedBirds]

I’ve definitely seen little oddities like that from my older Rouen, Daphne, who has had reproductive issues for years. I don’t know what mechanical glitch causes them. I would certainly keep a very close eye on Dougie and treat at the first sign of illness (sitting down more often, the slightest tail bob). If you have an avian Veterinarian available, it would absolutely be worth bringing Dougie in when able. 1 soft egg could be a glitch, but continued issues definitely need a long term plan. They may recommend a change in diet or a new supplement. They may also be able to come up with an emergency plan for if she has another more serious bout.

In the hopes that it will make you feel better, Daphne has been having reproductive issues since I got her 5 years ago (she’s 7 years old now), and she’s still surviving with good QOL. She gets calcium at the first sign of illness + a good warm water soak (I don’t use Epsom salts as I’m too afraid she will drink it) + a bit of exercise. Her Vet recommended Mazuri waterfowl food + oyster shell + very minimal treats.

There are others out there that have had their ducks get hormone shots (the name of which escapes me) to stop egg laying temporarily. These are not available in all areas. There are even folks that have gone as far as surgery.

Just know that there is hope out there if Dougie continues to have issues. Take care

I think that is an option for the future if she continues to have problems-
When I took Dougie in to the vets a while back, I had asked about the hormone shots. So if need be, they do them, but they warned me it's extremely expensive and they dont last long, so that'd be fun....

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to explain all of that! I might cut back on treats for a while, she doesn't get very many anyway, but at least it will ensure she's getting all the balanced vitamins in her food, while I monitor both girl's laying

It scares me because these aren't just ducks who lay a lot, they came directly from the egg industry, so they're bred for excessive egg laying and I'm doubtful that they gave much thought to hardiness and longevity, when concocting their breed
It definitely scares me, but overall they seem pretty healthy, good appetites, plenty of running and excitement. So hopefully we don't run into any serious issues, at least not for a while yet