While ducks have been laying eggs for centuries complications can still arise, complications including the egg breaking while stuck in the bird.
This article explores why your duck’s egg may have broken while still inside of her,
Table of Contents
Egg broke inside duck:
If your duck’s egg broke inside of her then the bird was likely egg-bound, this is quite a serious condition and if the egg broke then this can be very dangerous to the bird.
Here is what you need to know if your duck’s egg broke while inside of her:
Egg binding:
Egg binding happens when a bird fails to release an egg. If the bird starts straining when laying, and the egg can’t pass, then it may crack inside of her body.
Eggs may become stuck in the bird’s body because the eggs are too large.
Or, this could be happening because the bird is too small, and is producing normal-sized eggs, but these normal-sized eggs are too large for her to lay.
Other signs of a duck that is egg-bound include lethargy, constipation, a swollen abdomen, and fluffed feathers.
What to do:
The recommended course of action in this situation is to have a physical exam done on the bird to see if it does in fact have a cracked egg in its body.
You could do this yourself or have a vet do this. The vet will also do an x-ray on the bird to determine if it does have a cracked egg in its body.
If your duck does have a cracked egg then removal is necessary to keep the fragments of shell from causing lacerations in the bird’s oviduct or uterus and causing the bird to develop septicemia (blood poisoning as a result of a bacterial infection).
Taking your bird to the vet to have the egg removed is the recommended solution in this case. The vet will be able to safely remove the egg without injuring the bird’s insides while doing so.
If the bird is already suffering from an infection then the vet will likely prescribe some antibiotics to treat the bird’s infection.
It is not recommended that you try to give your bird antibiotics that have not been recommended by a vet as you may not give the bird the correct antibiotics, or, you may not give the bird the correct dose of antibiotics.
It is also recommended that you take your bird to the vet to be treated because this is an emergency situation.
If you cannot get the bird to the vet then you may need to very gently pull the eggshell out using forceps or tweezers.
Once your duck is back from the vet it is recommended that you keep the bird isolated as it recovers from its condition. Make sure that your duck stays stress-free during its recovery.
You may have to keep the bird in a darkened crate for several hours to help her relax. She will start to eat and drink once she feels better.
If the egg is not removed then the bird will produce more eggs and these eggs will build up in the bird’s oviduct causing a blockage in the bird, this can be fatal to the bird.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Do Ducks Hide Their Babies?, Why Do Ducks Bite Your Feet?, How To Communicate With Ducks, How To Play With Baby Ducks, Duckling Keeps Getting Stuck On Back, Why Does My Duck Jump On Me, How Does A Mother Duck Take Care Of Her Ducklings, Chick Sitting Back On Legs, Why Does My Duck Lay Flat?