Weird behavior

[NewAtThis8]

My khaki Campbells are both females and about 6 months old. They’ve been laying for about 2 months. Sometimes I’ll find an egg in the middle of the run during the day but usually they lay at night/early morning sometime in their house, which is closed during the day. Right before bed time one of the girls was acting super weird- they’ve both been big into foraging since they started laying and drill holes all over the run and eat the sand. This evening one of the girls took the foraging into overdrive- she was like insatiable, her head was outstretched all the way forward and she was nibbling to the left and the right, only pausing to shake her head and tongue when she got hold of something gross tasting (poop, probably). She wasn’t choking, crop felt fine, rear end looked fine, she let me pick her up nothing felt out of place. My question is I guess since I never see them lay their eggs, was this some kind of frantic “gotta find a place to squat” behavior? She didn’t settle down even when put to bed, she was very vocal (she has these soft squeals she makes when she’s busy or happy) and was nosing through her bedding. I worry about every unusual thing they do so any advice, even telling me I’m being too observant, is welcome!

 

[Jenbirdee]

My khaki Campbells are both females and about 6 months old. They’ve been laying for about 2 months. Sometimes I’ll find an egg in the middle of the run during the day but usually they lay at night/early morning sometime in their house, which is closed during the day. Right before bed time one of the girls was acting super weird- they’ve both been big into foraging since they started laying and drill holes all over the run and eat the sand. This evening one of the girls took the foraging into overdrive- she was like insatiable, her head was outstretched all the way forward and she was nibbling to the left and the right, only pausing to shake her head and tongue when she got hold of something gross tasting (poop, probably). She wasn’t choking, crop felt fine, rear end looked fine, she let me pick her up nothing felt out of place. My question is I guess since I never see them lay their eggs, was this some kind of frantic “gotta find a place to squat” behavior? She didn’t settle down even when put to bed, she was very vocal (she has these soft squeals she makes when she’s busy or happy) and was nosing through her bedding. I worry about every unusual thing they do so any advice, even telling me I’m being too observant, is welcome!

is she hungry? what do you feed them?

 

[NewAtThis8]

is she hungry? what do you feed them?

I feed them kalmbach duck and goose and it’s available all day (feeder wasn’t empty) and black soldier fly larvae for protein / calcium treats.

 

[Jenbirdee]

I feed them kalmbach duck and goose and it’s available all day (feeder wasn’t empty) and black soldier fly larvae for protein / calcium treats.

maybes now that they’re laying a dish of crushed oyster shells ? is that what you mean by calcium treats?
it’s possible she was looking for a place to lay an egg like you said.

 

[ruthhope]

I am sure she is eating dirt/sand for her crop.

I don't know about the more frantic behavior, but my son's ducks also mainly lay in a nesting box in their duck house overnight. But every now and then one will lay in the garden. I one had one of his who had a habit of nibbling my shoes, pop out and egg at my feet -- no warning behavior. It was only after she moved off that I realized she had laid an egg. I'm thinking it wasn't frantically looking for somewhere to pay an egg as she would just lay and egg wherever she happened to be when the time came

 

[NewAtThis8]

I am sure she is eating dirt/sand for her crop.

I don't know about the more frantic behavior, but my son's ducks also mainly lay in a nesting box in their duck house overnight. But every now and then one will lay in the garden. I one had one of his who had a habit of nibbling my shoes, pop out and egg at my feet -- no warning behavior. It was only after she moved off that I realized she had laid an egg. I'm thinking it wasn't frantically looking for somewhere to pay an egg as she would just lay and egg wherever she happened to be when the time came

It was almost like she had a bug or something, lost track of it and was trying to find it again. Super strange behavior. Also, i got the grittiest sand for their run but should i be worried about them eating it at all? The guy at the construction yard said that chickens like to use it to grit up their food so I guess that could apply to ducks as well- we have soldier fly larvae and sometimes oyster shell for the calcium but they don’t love oyster shell.