Can chickens... carry stuff??

[TheLeadbetterLife]

Okay bear with me.

I've kept chickens for years, and I've never experienced this phenomenon.

I've currently got three broodies, one has just hatched five lovely chicks.

The other two are sitting on turkey eggs in neighbouring nest boxes. The nest boxes are plastic fruit crates, so they have raised sides all round. One hen is on two eggs, the other on three. They come off the nests for a bit every day, and often swap nests, as they're side by side.

Here's what's weird - the number of eggs in each nest keeps changing. Somehow, one or more of the turkey eggs (bigger than normal hens' eggs) is being moved from one nest to another. I know broodies will instinctively roll any eggs they see into their nests, but how the hell are they lifting them over the sides of the crates?

Has anyone experienced this?

[Redsquirrel5]

Wow that is weird!

[TheLeadbetterLife]

I think it was just one of the hens that was doing it. In the end they hatched four turkey poults between them, and since neither could tell who had hatched who they raised them together, like a blended, lesbian poultry family.

The one I suspect of moving the eggs was doing it by holding them under her wing as far as I can tell.

[AlwaysLatte]

they raised them together, like a blended, lesbian poultry family.

I'd love to see a chicken carry an egg! But thinking about it it would make sense if they had evolved to be able to carry their eggs to safety.
There isn't a joker in the family is there?

[TheLeadbetterLife]

@AlwaysLatte

they raised them together, like a blended, lesbian poultry family.

I'd love to see a chicken carry an egg! But thinking about it it would make sense if they had evolved to be able to carry their eggs to safety.
There isn't a joker in the family is there?

No, just me and my partner, and he was as mystified as I was.

I never actually saw her do it, but she went broody for a brief few days last week and we had the egg moving shenanigans again. I found some forums online where people reported the wing-tuck technique, so that's what she must be doing.

The other one will just sit on any eggs she finds wherever when she's broody (which is all the bloody time - she's currently on her fourth clutch of eggs in less than a year), but she hasn't worked out how to carry them.