is it safe to move chicken and eggs close to hatching time?

[chicky pillow]

Chicky Pillow is sitting on a number of eggs, but I'm pretty sure a racoon or skunk is picking them off. I found egg shell in the nesting area this morning. It was caved in at one end, the contents I assume had been eaten. As i cant make the area vermin proof, all i can think of is to move her and her nest inside. They are within days of hatching, can i do this successfully or will disturbing her jeopardize the whole lot?

 

[TexasVet]

Moving her is going to be tricky, because you don't want her to abandon the eggs. If that's the only option, move her at night, when she's the calmest and most likely to accept the change.

Kathy, Bellville TX
www.CountryChickens.com, www.PivotalForce.com

 

[chicky pillow]

thanks - good idea - just hope i dont meet the skunk thinking the same thing! maybe tonight i'll try to make the area skunk proof.

 

[austinhart123]

are you sure the eggshell isnt a hatched babies shell, if your gunna move her do it at night, and make the place u move her semi dark for the first day after you move her so she cant see around as well, move her to a small area so she cant get more than 10 feet away from the nest

 

[chicky pillow]

yes you see i really dont know if it had hatched or was raided. Either way there was no chick around so someone took it. i have tried to make the area more vermin proof tonight and I'll move her tomorrow if another goes down. I will probably have to move her anyway as the young chicks are probably going to be as vunerable as the eggs if a skunk is getting in. Is it possible she would 'attack' her own eggs? - she has rather a lot in there. 15+ -
PS she's a black orpington.

 

[Dirt Road]

Could be a rat. If it were a skunk it would have finished off the whole clutch and likely killed your hen to boot.

Jim

 

[chicky pillow]

a rat - huh! - hadn't thought of that. Rat or skunk - I dont know which i'd rather? Well all eggs seemed in tact this morning - no shells and - no chicks this waiting game is hard - i'm sure its been longer than 21 days.

 

[austinhart123]

tonight, candle the eggs, and maybe move her, especially if she is in an area ahere cyotes and foxes can eat her, if u have cyotes and foxes

 

[chicky pillow]

no coyotes or foxes - she's in a caged run, but is nesting below the coop, where i think the skunk / rat can get into - the wire mesh is not small enough. i will move her to a dog cage wrapped in chicken wire, within the run when i can.