How long and how often to Gunieas go Broody?

Guineas are seasonal layers, and typically in most areas (and depending on the set up, environment and predator load) a Hen can brood a clutch in the spring, raise them up until they can survive on their own, then breed again and start laying and hatch out one more clutch later in the year before the season is over... in the Fall when the days shorten. (Some Hens manage 3 broods per year). If not allowed to brood any keets then a Hen will normally just continue to lay 20-30 eggs at a time then go broody and if the eggs are taken or if she abandons the nest after going broody on it for a while for some reason (usually predators of some kind) she'll usually take a week or 2 to start laying again, and give it another try. I don't normally let my Hens go broody (I collect and incubate/sell/eat their eggs), so usually I collect anywhere from 150-200 eggs per year from each of my Hens.

Yes, take away the remaining eggs and destroy the nesting site (put a big rock or log in it). She will probably start laying again in a new spot tho, so I'd keep an eye on her.

Glad you found the nest. If possibly hatching some hybrids is worth the risk of losing your Hen to a predator, then leave her. If not then chase her off the nest, collect the eggs, destroy the nest and toss the eggs. She'll more than likely find a new place to lay again tho, unless you pen her up so she can only lay in the pen.

So, I have a question. Can you hatch out half guinea, half rooster chicks? Is that even possible? I tried to hatch out some once but none ever developed. 

Hi, Erin. You can hatch hybrids if the eggs are fertile. They're very interesting looking. Do a search online about "Guin-hens" to get more info. I can't remember if the articles said that hybrids fathered by roosters are more hardy, or hybrids fathered by male guineas are more hardy. But if you let your female guinea sit on the nest, she's at high risk of being dinner for a predator.  Me? I'd toss the eggs like PeepsCA said. If I really wanted a hybrid, I'd try to incubate the eggs myself.

Hey Peeps, I have a couple of questions about his too. Would a hybrid chicken/guinea be less likely to roam? Would the hybrid bird be infertile?

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLeigh 

Hi, Erin. You can hatch hybrids if the eggs are fertile. They're very interesting looking. Do a search online about "Guin-hens" to get more info. I can't remember if the articles said that hybrids fathered by roosters are more hardy, or hybrids fathered by male guineas are more hardy. But if you let your female guinea sit on the nest, she's at high risk of being dinner for a predator.  Me? I'd toss the eggs like PeepsCA said. If I really wanted a hybrid, I'd try to incubate the eggs myself.

 

Hey Peeps, I have a couple of questions about his too. Would a hybrid chicken/guinea be less likely to roam? Would the hybrid bird be infertile?

I don't own chickens, so I've never experienced any hybrids in all my hatching, and I can't say if the hybrids would stick closer to home or not. If they are raised with chickens they might, but it's hard to say, especially since 50% of the (wild) blood and pea brain still comes from a Guinea, lol.

As far as I know all Guinea/chicken hybrids are sterile... like mules. I've also read that Guinea/chicken hybrids do not live very long...

Do a search here on BYC for "Miracle", a Guinea/chicken hybrid. There's a great thread all about her (I think it was an EE rooster that fathered her, I can't remember exactly tho since I'm not a chicken person, lol). There are good pics and updates as she matured. Unfortunately Miracle did not live very long :(