Duck Eggs of Doom

One Saturday last summer, I was a couple of days out from a trip to Costa Rica, and I was making my dad some blueberry muffins with fresh berries from my mom's old patch, a thank you for taking care of my dog while I was gone. Suddenly, out of the blue, I felt nauseous. I continued with my baking, but it got worse, so I rushed to the bathroom. My body ached so badly that I thought I was going to pass out. By that evening, I'd thrown up 13 times and felt like death warmed over. The next day, I felt a little better and chalked it up to food poisoning. My last meal had been Taco Bell, after all. 

Determined to go on my trip, I bucked up and headed for the airport, but let me tell you: I spent the first few days in Costa Rica drinking my weight in rum every night and determined to have a good time with a friend who I knew I'd likely never see again after that trip. At first, it was fine, but by day three, I felt awful. I could barely eat meals from my favorite restaurants and had to replace trips to the beach with naps. I traded my rum for gin and eventually, ginger ale. But after a while, I began to think something was seriously wrong with me. Of course, it didn't help that by the next week, I'd come down with a case of COVID on top of whatever this mysterious illness that kept me nauseous was, and by the end of that trip, all of my Google searches had me convinced that I had some sort of serious disease. I was anxious about it for months. 

It never occurred to me that I hadn't actually vomited since I was in college, and doing so 13 times after two-ish or so decades was probably rough on my body, especially when I followed that by drinking half the rum in Central America, but I digress.  

Fast forward to this weekend, Saturday, and I was in my kitchen, cooking what I call egg doughnuts. They're basically eggs with savory ingredients mixed in and baked in a doughnut-shaped pan. A great high-protein, low-carb snack of my own creation. But it's early October; the days are getting shorter and my chickens are molting, so they're not laying as many eggs. 

On the other hand, I also have a small flock of ducks, but I've never been able to bring myself to eat their eggs. My dad does. My cousin who lives next door does. I have friend who swears by them, but they've just never appealed to me. However, I've been trying to cook more and eat healthier, and what's better than food from your own yard? So, I mixed two of the duck eggs in with six chicken eggs, and as soon as the first batch was done, I dug in. They were amazing. I'd added chicken, hashbrowns, and cheese, and they tasted just like Chick-fil-A's breakfast burritos. But when I was eating the second one, my lip started itching, and soon, my mouth began tingling.  

It felt weird, but I ignored it and finished my snack. Big mistake. Suddenly, my body began to ache. I got nauseous. I felt like I might pass out. By Saturday night, I'd thrown up 10 times. It was almost identical to what happened last summer. Was that terrible Dr. Google disease that I'd kind of forgotten about but that still lived in the back of my mind flaring back up?

It took me a little while, but I finally realized exactly what my issue was. When I was making those blueberry muffins last year, I'd used duck eggs in the batter — they're great for breaking — and I'd tasted it raw while I was mixing it up to ensure I'd added enough sugar.  

Apparently, my body and duck eggs do not mix. Thankfully, my reaction wasn't as serious as it could have been, though it was absolutely miserable. 

I've never had a food allergy or, really, any kind of allergy in my life. As a child, I scoffed at those who couldn't eat peanut butter or shellfish or whatever. My immune system is better than yours, I thought. As I got older, I figured your body has already worked all this stuff out, and you don't just suddenly discover a random food allergy. 

As it turns out, I was wrong. Then again, I'd just never eaten the duck eggs of doom before. 

Eggs are one of the most common food allergies, especially in kids (many outgrow it as adults). The chicken egg contains up to 23 different types of proteins, and the ones most people are allergic to are contained in the white. Duck eggs, while more nutritionally dense, contain a different type of protein that many people find easier to digest. That's why, when someone is allergic to chicken eggs, they can typically eat duck eggs without any problems, and they may do so to get their egg fix. 

I, of course, have the opposite problem. Though, after perusing some message boards where some of my fellow duck owners like to gather, I found out that it's not just me, so I felt a little better. 

I guess my ducks are just pets now, even if they tried to kill me. Not that they ever weren't — I love those little birds more than anything (don't tell the chickens). Seriously, having ducks for the last four and a half years has been so much fun. If you're even thinking about starting your own flock for eggs, and you aren't allergic, like I apparently am, I highly recommend them. They're messy but oh so fun. 

Also for our VIPs: Do Animals Grieve?

And since you suffered through a story about me throwing up, I'll repay you with some cute videos of my four newest girls, Annabelle, Clementine, Cinnamon, and Ophelia, a few days after I brought them home last October. I'm a sucker for ducklings.  

I got some new baby ducks. We’re working on a @CanadaDry sponsorship. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/U3tK2fASYc

— SarahDownSouth (@SarahDownSouth) October 26, 2024

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So, who else has discovered they had a food allergy the hard way? Let me know in the comments!