Pekin female laid first egg. Need nutritional advice

[Launchpad]

Hello all.
So Daphne (pictured) is just over 6 months old and laid her first egg (pictured) this morning (it seems a little small but I think this may be normal for the first egg(s)). I knew it was coming as she has been sleeping in the coop in the same spot and making her little nest in the wood shavings so I figured it was coming.
The last few days I have been providing oyster shells in the food that she and Niles the male eat.
- Should I separate the egg shells and leave a bowl of them in their enclosure that their coop is in or maybe a bowl inside the coop itself? Does she know to eat the shells? Can the shells injure the male and if so does he know not to eat them?
- So far all the ducks have been eating Purina duck pellets (pictured), with nutritional yeast, both morning and night. Midday they receive a big bowl of ice water with frozen peas and some Rooster Booster. At night they also get a few more frozen peas in their pool.
- Should I give or at least provide Daphne the laying female with a separate form of food since she is now laying? I have some of these Flock Party egg maker pellets (pictured) but have never opened the bag.

Thanks as always for any help/advice/thoughts

 

[ruthhope]

Hello all.
So Daphne (pictured) is just over 6 months old and laid her first egg (pictured) this morning (it seems a little small but I think this may be normal for the first egg(s)). I knew it was coming as she has been sleeping in the coop in the same spot and making her little nest in the wood shavings so I figured it was coming.
The last few days I have been providing oyster shells in the food that she and Niles the male eat.
- Should I separate the egg shells and leave a bowl of them in their enclosure that their coop is in or maybe a bowl inside the coop itself? Does she know to eat the shells? Can the shells injure the male and if so does he know not to eat them?
- So far all the ducks have been eating Purina duck pellets (pictured), with nutritional yeast, both morning and night. Midday they receive a big bowl of ice water with frozen peas and some Rooster Booster. At night they also get a few more frozen peas in their pool.
- Should I give or at least provide Daphne the laying female with a separate form of food since she is now laying? I have some of these Flock Party egg maker pellets (pictured) but have never opened the bag.

Thanks as always for any help/advice/thoughts

Well done Daphne! Unless you have an exceptionally small hand, @Launchpad, that egg looks to me to be a good size.

Female ducks know they need calcium and will help themselves from a bowl on the side. Dont mix oystershell with the pellets if a drake is eating from the same bowl of pellets.

Your drake is unlikely to eat the oystershell served on the side if he free ranges and/or has access to grit that all ducks need.

Its best to feed mixed flocks of drakes and ducks, duck all flock pellets with extra oystershell for the females. Layer pellets are harmful over time for the drake(s) as they cannot excrete the extra calcium to their needs that is in the layer pellets. Also layer pellets formulated for hens do not contain enough niacin for ducks. It's good that you are adding nutritional yeast to your ducks'j diet.

Dont be surprised if Daphne stops laying as the days get shorter. That is normal and she will restart in the spring.

 

[Launchpad]

Well done Daphne! Unless you have an exceptionally small hand, @Launchpad, that egg looks to me to be a good size.

Female ducks know they need calcium and will help themselves from a bowl on the side. Dont mix oystershell with the pellets if a drake is eating from the same bowl of pellets.

Your drake is unlikely to eat the oystershell served on the side if he free ranges and/or has access to grit that all ducks need.

Its best to feed mixed flocks of drakes and ducks, duck all flock pellets with extra oystershell for the females. Layer pellets are harmful over time for the drake(s) as they cannot excrete the extra calcium to their needs that is in the layer pellets. Also layer pellets formulated for hens do not contain enough niacin for ducks. It's good that you are adding nutritional yeast to your ducks'j diet.

Dont be surprised if Daphne stops laying as the days get shorter. That is normal and she will restart in the spring.

Excellent thank you!
(normal hand size ha)
So they have a bowl of grit in the enclosure they sleep/coop is in, and they have a natural source of grit around the property. Should I just add another bowl of oyster shells next to the grit or maybe put of oyster shell in the coop by her nesting area so Niles the male doesn't even consider it and Daphne will know its there by her spot?