To Move the Nest or not

[oldbird53]

Hello first new thread, I guess I am introducing myself and my chickens. I've got two hens, laying and one of them has sat on a nest for 17 days. She only gets off for a few minutes every day to eat and drink. My problem is she is not in a safe place to hatch her babies.. We live in rural area with every kind of wild life there is. I have made a coup and nest area to keep her safe. Is it ok for me to move her nest now or should I wait til they hatch? We have been lucky so far but there are so many critters close by. Oh I forgot about Brewster our rooster. My name is Lori, but my son fondly refers to me as Old Bird.

 

[sourland]

Hi, Lori, welcome to BYC. If they were mine, I would beef up the coop and nest area and then move her and the chicks as soon as they hatch.

 

[oldbird53]

Thanks, that is what I thought. I just really wanted her secure before they hatch. She is out in the open with no way to protect her. She has one board leaning over her up against the house. I had no idea she would start sitting like this. It was a suprise.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Good luck with your broody and her eggs. I hope you can get her to hatch those babies soon and into the coop!

Welcome to our flock!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! Good luck with the hatch, hope the hen stays safe, X3 as close as the eggs are to hatching I'd move her after the chicks hatched.

 

[drumstick diva]

I agree - do all you can to protect her now - maybe some kind of fencing around her area, etc. till her chicks are hatched. Then I would move them all to a safe place. Sometimes if you move them before hatch, the hen will abandon the nest.

 

[gander007]

Alright

 

[oldbird53]

It was horrible...just horrible. My son had told me that day you better do it now mom. He couldn't believe they had not been eaten yet. 17 days they were. My partner with the chickens said its to late now. I got the other two in their old house inside their new coup, the door closed safe and sound. I just could't mess with the nest at that time. As I was shutting down for the nite I heard a noise. It wasn't dark yet but I went got the flash lite any way incase I need to see in corners ect. And there was nothing and no noise. After it got dark I heard a noise....grabbed a cane and took off running. By the time got around the corner of the house, the motion lite came on and there was a skunk with my momma hen in his mouth. I wacked him in the back and he spit her out.. the story to continue is so dreadful for me I don't want to tell it. I still have two good hens and a Rooster...we will recover from our losses...learn from our mistakes. When they started laying again it still wasn't in the coup. I am a good chicken farmer. I put everything in my yard I could think of and they are now laying their eggs in a planter in their coop. Thats all I have to say about that. By the way, My family now calls BYC my chicken support group.

 

[oldbird53]

Did you say I am in a flock.?