In my experience with my ducks. Usually a raccoon will eat the inside of the egg and leave the shell. I have never had an oppossum get into the eggs, and if it were a snake (I know too cold) the entire thing would be gone. Usually though at my farm, the critter would get a few birds while in for the eggs. This makes me think a drake is doing it, they will eat the shell, at least mine did. Perhaps some one else has had more experience than me could help more.

I am really new at this so I don't know if this will help or not my experience is really limited. but I have read where a chicken lacking protein in its diet will eat its own egg shells. Maybe its something like that.

CI

Thhanks! Maybe thats what is happening. Cause if something was getting them they would eat the inside of the egg, not the shell? You know, so maybe its the boys...My girls hvae laid eggs before. But that was before I had the boys and this is the first time this has ever happened with the eggs....

A opossum or skunk will lick out the shell and leave it... so probably is the ducks doing it.

gennym, Sounds like your Muscovies are lacking calcium. You should go to your local feed store and buy some crushed oster shell. I'm pretty shure one of ducks is eating the shells.

Eric

Thanks--they have been doing this so much there are only 2 eggs left in the nest :( I guess its my fault but I had no idea that they might not be getting the nutrients that they needed. We buy them pretty $expensive$ food. We bu y them baby chicken starter feed ( just because they LOVE it!) & reg. duck feed that has cracked corn and stuff in it. Then we feed them cereal, crackers and stuff like snacks and bread. Maybe thats not what they are needing and I will go and buy them something so they will get more protien in their food. Are the boys the only ones that will do this? Thanks :)

Hopefully someone more knowledgable in ducks than I, such as motherduck, will join in and help out...but with chickens, when they eat their own eggs (if not from boredom or overcrowding) it's usually a nutritional deficiency. If they eat the shells, they crave calcium. If they gobble up the inside of the egg first, they need protein. A bird has to be pretty desperate to eat their own eggs, so you'll want to correct their diet quickly. :) If an egg laying hen doesn't get enough calcium, her body will begin robbing it from her own bones in order to keep laying eggs, which can damage her bones.

The baby chick food may be medicated and/or the wrong formulation for ducks and not good for them, even if they love it. I'd keep the human food as an occasional treat only. :) Muscovies are really cool duckies!

Velvet ~:>

How long does it take the eggs to hatch after she has started sitting on them? There are 4 now--so she must have laid some more yesterday or today. Genny

gennym,

Natural nesting I believe is 25 to 32 days.

Eric

Quoted from feathersite.com, off their 'Duck' page:

Duck eggs take 28-30 days to hatch, except for Muscovy eggs, which take 35 days.

feathersite.com is a fantastic resource for all kinds of chicken, duck and other poultry pictures of adults, chicks and eggs, along with some breed club info. :)

Velvet ~:>

thankyou Velvet and everyone else :)

Hey, do ya'll know the answer to this question?!!?

I have cockatiels and I've heard that when they eggs you shouldn't take them away from them until atleast 20-25 days. If you do then the cockatiel will just keep laying more to replace the ones that were taken away.
Well, since the males have been taking and eating the shells on my female muscovies eggs will she keep maying more to replace the ones that were taken away? or will she just sit on what she has and only lay the rest of what she was going to lay anyways? Genny

Just curious, why would you wnat to take the eggs away @ 25 days?

Giventake, Are you talking aboout the cockatiels??
If so, if a female lays eggs and doesn't have a mate so the eggs will be fertile and hatch then your just supposed to take them from her so she won't continue to sit on them after 20-25 days. Thats about how many days it takes for them to hatch if they were going to--if you take them before 20-25 days the cockatiel will just lay more to replace the ones you took.

gennym,

Check out the site below. It's a waterfowl forum. They could probably answer your questions. I still don't think its the drakes eating the egg shells. The females need the calcium for shell formation. Do the remaining eggs have thin shells? You could always seperate the drakes from the hens for awhile. This would comfirm that the males are not the problem.
Eric

Here is a link that might be useful: general waterfowl forum

no, the eggs look normal, they aren't thin or anything..

I bought 2 female muscovy's that were aut a year . i was told they lay eggs but so far ive seen only one and it was open on top with 1/2 the egg out. I found it laying in yard so i think it was carried there by something? I can't find out where they are laying eggs if they are. any help? i also have a male mallard.