Cuckoo Marans...odd behaviour...could she be about to lay?

[Wokawidget]

Hi,

I have a Cuckoo Marans hen, she's about 24 weeks old now.
She lives with 2 other chickens and a duck.
The duck has laid an egg a day now for the last 18 days. I am well impressed. She always lays b4 6am.
This morning when I went to let them out of the coup the Marans didn't appear. When I looked inside she was "playing" with the duck egg. She was very gently trying to roll it under her chest, then gave up after 10 seconds and moved to a different area in the coup and started to construct a "nest"...then got bored of that after a minute and played with the egg again.
I kicked her outside, but within 30mins she wanted back into the coup and has now been playing with the egg for about 4 hours. She's never actually sat on it though. she just pulls it next to her.
She now sat in a small makeshift burry in the straw in the coup while picking up straw and dropping it on her back...over and over again.

She's never laid before, is she getting broody, or about to lay?
The duck egg is never in the coup longer than a few hours and she's never paid any attention to it at all.

Her wattles and comb have grown a little and are redder, but I would say they were massive, not like my RIR...who is 24 weeks and she isnt laying yet.

Cheers,

Woka

 

[canada-goose]

It sounds like she wants to lay an egg!

 

[claud]

Yes, sounds like she feels like she needs to lay an egg and is not sure what to do.

That's pretty young to be broody. Cuckoo Marans are a very broody breed though so when they get older they'll all be in the nests!

 

[Wokawidget]

I was just outside just now giving them some live mealworm treats when Maggie, the Marans, started squatting and walking funny. I managed to carry her to the coup but she wouldn't go inside...then plop...proper dark brown Marans egg plops out of her! I am impressed at how chocolate brown it is.
Since I made my last post my little Bantam Cochin now won't leave the coup and is also putting straw on her back...

Woka

 

[canada-goose]

We want pictures!

 

[newchicksnducks]

I was scrolling down, going to tell you how my chickens first "nested" in the coop, throwing shavings on her back about 2-3 hours before her first egg...then I saw your next post with the egg news. Congrats!!

I would love that dark brown egg...for my next chickens (sigh)

 

[Wokawidget]

My Bantam Cochin laid an egg 1hr after my last post. A very small pinky colored egg.
That 2 1st time layers in 1 day.
I am afraid my camera is broken...and the eggs have been eaten.

They were fantastic. The Campbell Duck, Bantam Cochin and Marans eggs are all fantastic...I would have to say I like the Cochins best as the yoke was HUGE...the whole eggs was pretty much yoke and oh boy was it tasty.

Now we're just waiting for the RIR to join in the egg laying...she's the one that was the bookies favourite...and she's come in last. Haha.

Woka