Re: Duck laying question leathery shells (newbie)


" Jill" <news@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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"mulroys" <xuewspam@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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I've got a pekin duck who is just starting to lay. She layed two decent
eggs, about the size of a grade-AA large, with a good, hard shell. She
also layed three enormous eggs, but the shells were leathery. One even
had this bizarre stem!

She gets all vegetarian, un-medicated, game bird crumbles, (29% protein)
oyster shell, and kitchen scraps. -Along with what she can forage in the
yard.

We live in the upper Willamette valley of Oregon.
What gives?

That is a HUGE amount of protein
Its what is normally given to the young game birds not laying game birds
and absolutely not to laying ducks
Bring her down to 16 - 18 per cent protein and a proper laying bird fomula
like that for laying chickens
A game bird crumble will not have the right mineral balance for the start
of lay.

Also young birds will make mistakes as they get started so expect a few
oddities at the start and end of lay

too high a protein level can cause all sorts of problems - like slipped
tendons, angel wing, physiological problems, too fast a growth rate,
kidney problems etc

If you still have a lot of this food left then get some wheat -- NOT
CORN -- and dilute the crumble down to only about 20% of the diet; add
20% of the layers and then 60% of the wheat. Give her separate sources of
soluble calcium and insoluble calcium.

Does she have any duck mates?

Yes, she has a drake. We bought them together as hatchlings.

Last night, she layed a normal egg, but one of them broke it.




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