Couldn't believe what I thought I saw my duck doing

[Callender Girl]

As I looked out the window, I thought I saw one of my runners carrying an egg in her bill and then dunk that egg in the baby pool. I dashed out, and sure enough, it HAD been an egg. But it was just the emptied and very clean shell that remained.

The runners like to hide their eggs in underbrush and because the shell was spotlessly clean, I'm guessing some wild thing ate all the insides. But, why would my runner: 1) carry an egg, which I've never seen any of them do before; and 2) drop it in the baby pool?

Any thoughts?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Because they're just weird little things. lol cuties but weird. Maybe that was her way of tidying up.
My Muscovy is nesting over 3' high in the coop on a shelf. When I went to candle her egg which there is just one I found another duck egg in her nest. None of my other ducks can fly up there and it was not a Muscovy egg. So most likely Dolly carried it up there in her bill she has to fly climb to get into her nest. Needless to say I was surprised to find that egg.

 

[DobieLover]

But, why would my runner: 1) carry an egg, which I've never seen any of them do before; and 2) drop it in the baby pool?

Any thoughts?

My guess would be to remove the egg and try to get rid of the scent because it had been either accidentally broken by her or a predator and she didn't want the scent to attract a predator again.

My current broody hen on eggs has had two fights (or more) with a second broody hen with a chick who keeps entering the maternity ward where the first hen is setting. They broke an egg while fighting once when I was there and I removed it.

On nest check one night a few days later, I found that the nest was down one more egg with no trace of it. I believe Astrid ate it so as not to attract predators to her nest. It's instinctive behavior.