Usually, ducks don’t eat their eggs. But there are certain things that can encourage them to do so. Eating their eggs can be a dangerous thing for the ducks themselves. Due to this, they can develop deadly diseases. We’ve discussed that later in the article.
So, why do ducks eat their eggs?
There are several reasons for which ducks can start eating their eggs. These include an unbalanced diet, overcrowding, curiosity, hunger, boredom, etc. Most of the cases ducks eat their eggs when an egg is broken by accident. It is not impossible to stop ducks from eating their eggs.
If you delay stopping this habit it will be harder for you. Read on to find out the reasons for ducks eating their eggs and how to prevent them.
Reasons for Ducks Eating Their Eggs
There are several reasons for ducks eating their eggs. Let’s know them all.
Unbalanced Diet
The main reason for ducks eating their eggs is an unbalanced diet.
Egg-laying ducks require more healthy food. When they don’t get it from the food they try to find other sources like eating eggs.
Plus, duck food requires at least 3% calcium in it. So if there is not enough calcium in the food ducks can eat their eggs. Eating eggs is a very common scenario for chickens. But it can also be seen in ducks.
Besides, ducks will seek to eat eggs as a supplementary diet when they lack protein and calcium.
Overcrowding
If there is not enough space in the duck shed it can create problems. Eggs can break in overcrowded situations. As a result, ducks can start eating those eggs.
Curiosity
Most of cases ducks eat eggs when they are already cracked. But there are some ducks so curious that they break their own egg and eat it. If they like the taste of it they continue to do the same again.
Hunger
If you don’t feed your ducks enough food or water it can lead them to eat their eggs. Ducks can crack eggs and eat when they are hungry.
Boredom
If the ducks are kept in a small space and have nothing to do, they can become bored and end up cracking eggs. Besides, they can bully each other. This also can encourage them to start eating eggs.
Risk Of Ducks Eating Their Eggs
If ducks eat raw eggs it can create a risk of salmonella infection. So you should stop your ducks from eating eggs at any cost.
Ways to Stop Ducks from Eating Their Eggs
As you already know the reason why ducks eat their eggs. Now you have to definitely stop them from eating eggs.
Here are five steps you can follow to stop your ducks from eating their eggs.
Adequate Number Of Nest Boxes
Usually, ducks don’t break or eat their eggs purposely. Normally when an egg is broken accidentally ducks acquire the taste of it. So if they like the taste of it, they try to break the egg and eat it next time.
If there is enough space for all the ducks, it will decrease the chance of getting eggs broken.
So make sure to provide enough nest boxes when ducks are laying eggs(our pick: Cackle Hatchery Laying Hen Nest Box Pads) You should provide at least one nest for every four female ducks. Try to ensure that each nest has two inches of wood shavings on the bottom.
There should be a 3-4″ front in the nest. Bigger duck breeds like Pekins broke more eggs than lighter breeds. So, if there is enough space in front the possibility of breaking eggs will be reduced.
Pick Up Broken Eggs
Now if you see that your ducks have broken eggs already, you should pick up broken eggs as soon as possible. Never toss broken eggs back to your ducks.
Feed Balanced Food
Feed your duck balanced food which should contain at least 2% of calcium (our pick: Manna Pro All Flock Crumbles). Don’t mix chicken scratch with balanced layer feed. It would make it unbalanced.
Because the scratch adds a very low amount of protein, besides, you can buy oyster shells (our pick: Small Pet Select Flaked Oyster Shell) and let the ducks eat.
Remove Offending Ducks
Not all ducks will break eggs. Only a few will do this.
You can check which ducks break eggs on a regular basis. Then separate them.
Use Fake Eggs
The last thing you can do to stop ducks from eating their eggs is using fake eggs(our pick: Plastic Fake Eggs for DIY Easter Eggs). But there is also a problem. Although ducks are not that brilliant, they are smart enough. They will soon learn that they can’t eat plastic fake eggs. So they will ignore it and continue to eat their eggs again.
FAQs
Are Eggs Good For Ducks?
If you really wanna feed your duck eggs you can give them cooked eggs. Cooked eggs are good for ducks. You can make it even better if you add some eggshells to it. They can get a lot of energy from one single egg! One boiled egg contains 26% protein. In the meantime, one scrambled egg contains 20% protein.
What Other Animals Can Eat Duck Eggs?
Mice, rats, and snakes can eat duck eggs.
What Eat Duck Eggs And Leaves The Shell?
If your farm is unprotected it becomes an easy target for predators. Raccoons, foxes, and crows eat the eggs. Often they leave the shells after eating.
Can Duck Eat Chicken Eggs?
Duck can eat chicken eggs also. When you are keeping chicken and ducks together. If the ducks get a chance and the above-mentioned situation happens, ducks can eat chicken eggs.
Conclusion
Now that you know why ducks eat their eggs, you can easily fix this problem. And, you’ll need to fix this problem as soon as possible. Because, if you are keeping ducks for business or as a pet it can lead to losses.
So, if you want to stop ducks from eating eggs give them enough balanced food and water, enough space to roam. Never give them broken eggs.
You can also cover the area where your ducks lay eggs. It will prevent them from eating eggs they won’t see.
Good luck!
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