Troubled Duck Lays Soft Shelled Eggs

[Nessquick]

My wife and I rescued a duck this year from a pretty bad situation. She has had a really hard run at it and is finally starting to improve after 3 foot surgeries, months of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory medication, and a month of daily handheld baths in the house... She also just finished molting. She's a hot mess but improving.

So, now she's laying soft shelled eggs. I realize this is a diet thing but I'm not really sure what else we can do. We feed "Rogue Brand Organic All in One" which has 3.5-4.5% calcium per serving and then use a dry Poultry Booster Mineral and Vitamin Supplement mixed into the feed, which has an additional 2.75-3% calcium. We mix them according to the directions at a 1 to 24 ratio, or rather 13.2 ounces of supplement for every 40 lbs of feed. We also allow them free range of our garden and yard when safe, usually 3-4 days a week. Lastly, they have access to oyster shells at all times of the day. They don't seem to eat the shells at all...

Honestly I'm surprised she's laying at all given the recovery she's going through and having just finished a molt. What can else can/should we be doing to make sure her eggs are normally shelled?

 

[Perris]

be patient...? you've gone to enormous lengths for this lil duck; I do hope she appreciates you!
PS welcome to BYC!

 

[Miss Lydia]

It may work it's self out with out you doing a thing. But like you are doing giving her good feed with calcium added and the Poultry booster. it can just take time and is pretty normal for first layers. Sounds like she has found a wonderful home and is on her way to full recovery. Is she on antibiotics? or any meds? And just finishing up molt is probably the culprit. Can you post a pic of your rescued girl?

 

[Pasha838]

You can try to give her food width vitamin D, which is used by the body to absorb calcium. It is produced in the sunlight, but, apparently, it would be nice to give it more.
If there is not enough of this vitamin in the body, calcium is absorbed badly.
You can try to feed the duck with parsley or yolks from some boiled chicken eggs. This will add her vitamin D and she will have better absorption of calcium.

 

[casportpony]

You could try giving her some human calcium citrate and D3 a few days in a row to see if that helps.

 

[chickens really]

Hmmm?..Also you can trick them to eat the calcium buy adding in a treat or to the feed a couple times a week?

 

[casportpony]

Hmmm?..Also you can trick them to eat the calcium buy adding in a treat or to the feed a couple times a week?

The calcium pills are too big to hide in a treat, so it's best just to open their mouths and give it orally.

 

[Nessquick]

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions everyone, I appreciate all your help. It seems like the best thing is to maybe wait and see for a little while and hope she starts absorbing more calcium now that she's done molting, and if needed give her some vegetables/eggs to help her along a little more.