khaki campbell keeping head close to body

[jbugw]

I have 1 female khaki who is about 11 months old. In the last month she has been keeping her head really close to her body. Squishing her neck and sinking her head down. She pretty much stays like this all the time. Is this normal? We got her as a baby last year and she has never done this before. We also have a khaki drake, Indian runner drake and Indian runner duck. The IR duck is sitting on the nest with both girls' eggs. Coco- the female khaki- doesn't show any interest in sitting on the nest but does go in for about 20 minutes a day at which time Chick-a-dee (the IR) comes out for a swim. We did get some new ducklings but they only went outside a week ago, long after she started squishing her neck. Why is Coco squishing down her neck and head and it is it normal behavior?

 

[BayBay Peepers]

Can you get a picture of her when she's doing it? Mine will squish their heads down when they're napping and then nap for large portions of the day. Sometimes I swear they just stay up all night so they can cause trouble in the early morning and then sleep all day long to cause more trouble in the evening at lock up haha

 

[jbugw]

I'll try to get a picture tomorrow but she is not sleeping. She is walking around with her head squished down.

 

[Amiga]

She could be broody, or on the verge of broody.

Take a look at post number 791 on this thread - that's a video of Romy, broody, that I posted a while back.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/850706/the-broody-duck-thread-for-2014/790#post_13973888

Any similarities?

Also - you have two drakes, and one duck (female) sitting on a nest - I would be concerned for Coco's safety - two drakes on one duck? Please separate them if that's the case. She may be traumatized.

 

[jbugw]

Some similarities. I didn't know I should be watching for the drakes but I watch them anyway. There hasn't been any increased activity in that area. My Indian Runner drake prefers Chick-a-dee and hasn't shown any attention to Coco at all. My khaki drake is way more active than the Indian Runner. He seems to prefer Chick-a-dee as well. Coco doesn't get a lot of attention in that area. She is sitting on the nest this morning so I think she was just broody. I'll see how long she sits. She has only been sitting for about 30 minutes every couple of days. There are about 24 eggs in there now and Chick-a-dee is trying her hardest to cover them all, Coco joining her full time would be good.