Chicken stealing duck eggs?

[John McLain]

We have 8 leghorn chickens (all hens), 2 peking ducks (1 drake 1 hen), and 2 mallard ducks (both hens). I have them all in a very large enclosure and a small coop designed for 6 to 8 chickens attached. My chickens just started laying a few weeks ago and I usually only get 6 eggs at the most. Past few days we will get 7 and 1 day we got 8. I am thinking we have a broody hen cause during the day there is 1 hen in the nesting boxes and all the eggs are in the same nesting box just about every time I go to collect. But I have yet to find a duck egg on the ground in the enclosure. They were all purchased around the same time so I can only assume the peking hen should be laying. Is it possible that a chicken hen is stealing the duck egg and taking it up to the nesting box? Most of the chicken eggs are small with about 1 or 2 large eggs every day or so. Is there anyway to tell the difference other than cracking an egg open?

 

[Kiki]

Could the duck be getting in that nest to lay? I've never heard up a chicken carrying an egg up somewhere

 

[John McLain]

Could the duck be getting in that nest to lay? I've never heard up a chicken carrying an egg up somewhere

I have never seen the peking inside the upper level of the coop. Our mallards are in there quite often, but not the pekings

 

[andreanar]

I had a broody Marans that would take eggs out of another nest and bring them to her nest. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't believe how she did it.

 

[Kiki]

I had a broody Marans that would take eggs out of another nest and bring them to her nest. If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't believe how she did it.

How did she do it? Was the two nests at different levels?

 

[chickens really]

Hens can carry eggs up under their wings to move them...

 

[Kiki]

Hens can carry eggs up under their wings to move them...

I wouldn't believe it unless I saw that too. Thanks

 

[The Moonshiner]

A few thoughts.
I have never seen hens take eggs anywheres except rolling them a short distance. Also curious how the hen of the other poster moved an egg .
I wouldn't expect your leghorn is broody. I've heard stories of leghorns going broody but I've had hundreds of leghorns and never had a broody.
Another thing is that pekins or mallards won't start laying as early as a leghorn will
They also aren't as consistant layers as leghorns.. Our mallards laid great but did take time outs from laying so I wouldn't be surprised that they aren't laying even if they were old enough. Right now we are getting next to none from our ducks.
Duck eggs are also different then chicken eggs. As my kids say they have a shinier look and a slicker feel to them.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I wouldn't believe it unless I saw that too. Thanks

Ya me either.
Got a video?

 

[John McLain]

A few thoughts.
I have never seen hens take eggs anywheres except rolling them a short distance. Also curious how the hen of the other poster moved an egg .
I wouldn't expect your leghorn is broody. I've heard stories of leghorns going broody but I've had hundreds of leghorns and never had a broody.
Another thing is that pekins or mallards won't start laying as early as a leghorn will
They also aren't as consistant layers as leghorns.. Our mallards laid great but did take time outs from laying so I wouldn't be surprised that they aren't laying even if they were old enough. Right now we are getting next to none from our ducks.
Duck eggs are also different then chicken eggs. As my kids say they have a shinier look and a slicker feel to them.

My leghorn hen is showing signs of broodiness but not enough for me to assume she definitely is. I was just thinking the peking would have started laying as most of what I read showed they start around 24 weeks. I guess we will just wait and see. Thanks for the info.