Advice on what to do with a broody guinea? Update!

[AnnaLease]

We just found a guinea on a nest in the woods, after she was missing for a day. When my brother and I walked up, she and her "husband" ran off and there were 37 eggs under her! We took three of the eggs and left and then the two guineas went back to the nest. We cracked the eggs open (it took a good whack to crack them!) and it looks like one of them is fertile (it had a bulls eye). If we move the eggs into the coop and put them in a cozy hiding place and lock the hen up, will she sit on them? We don't have an incubator and I'm not too serious about hatching them, but I figure what the heck? might as well try.
I'll post some pics later.
Thanks for the advice!

 

[PeepsCA]

I say go for it and give it a try, the eggs and the Hen don't stand much of a chance outdoors, if any... but once you move her and the eggs she'll most likely abandon the eggs and kick them everywhere or cover them with bedding while she's frantically pacing trying to escape from being locked in. Guineas are very particular about the privacy and location of their nests and don't usually tolerate being disturbed, the results are usually abandoned eggs. They are not like stubbornly broody chicken Hens.

It's pretty late in the year for keets, so you may have to provide a heat lamp to help keep the keets warm for up to as long 8 weeks after they hatch if your winters are harsh (that is of course if she hatches any out). Guinea's aren't usually the greatest mothers and will often lose interest in keeping her keets warm and safe (but there are exceptions). Keets are usually fully feathered by 6-7 weeks, but if the temps are really cold they may need a supplemental heat source a lot longer.

Good luck

 

[AnnaLease]

OK, we are going to get her and the eggs tonight. I'm working on a hidy spot now. We'll see what happens. Thanks.

 

[AnnaLease]

We got her and the eggs last night and put them in a rabbit cage in the coop, but she didn't want to go broody. Oh well. I don't think I really wanted to deal with keets in the middle of winter anyways. But here are some pics.

My handsome brother and the nest. It doesn't seem very well hidden, does it? I thought guinea nests were really hard to find?

The eggs are all so different!

This one is NOT fertilized, right? Also, it has two white spots - what does this mean?

And this one IS fertilized, right?

I am going to crack all the eggs tomorrow and see how many are fertilized, then they are going to be scrambled for the birds. It's kinda sad to think about scrambling what could have been little chickies.

 

[Fenika]

I may never eat scrambled eggs again with that mental image

Sorry it didn't work out. At least your birds will have a great meal.

 

[1muttsfan]

My neighbors guineas spend all day at my house. I just found their third nest this fall! I am considering just removing the eggs, even if they hatch they don't stand a chance this time of year - we have already had snow and it is supposed to get a lot colder this week. Won't they stop at some point? Why did they wait until fall instead of doing this in the summer?
Btw I enjoy having guineas that I am not responsible for; they terrorize my dachshund and constantly beg for handouts, and the male has something against my truck bumper. But they are also pretty, friendly (to me), and eat bugs. Lots of them.

 

[PeepsCA]

Yes they should stop laying, soon... Guineas are seasonal layers (usually Spring thru Fall), tho it looks like that flock is picking which season, lol. I would take the eggs away, and destroy the nest, it's pretty late in the year for a Hen to be going broody, and predators are always extra hungry for a warm meal when it's cold out

OR... you could mark all of the eggs in the nest and start collecting the fresh eggs each day for consumption until the Hen starts setting/goes broody, then destroy the nest (free entertainment AND free eggs

!!).

As far as the male having something against your bumper... he sees his reflection and thinks it is another male, so he's being territorial and displaying the mindless aggression male Guineas are notorious for

You could provide a mirror for him, but he may give himslf a head injury beating the bird in the mirror up instead of the one in your bumper

A mirror might get them all to leave your Doxie alone tho (or at least distract them a little)

 

[AnnaLease]

What do you think about the two eggs? Am I right? What does the two white dots mean?

 

[PeepsCA]

Yes you are right, the 1st egg with the solid dot looks like an infertile egg, the 2nd egg with a bulls eye looks fertile to me.

I only see one white dot on the first egg... unless you mean the little odd shaped white area down on the lower right of the yolk? If so that's one side of the chalaza (there is one on each side), they attach the yolk to the membrane and help keep the yolk in place. You can read about the chalaza here .

 

[AnnaLease]

9 of them looked fertile to me. 4 of them had spots and lumps and funny things on them. Were they just a little more developed? The rest looked infertile and a few I couldn't tell. Regardless, the birds enjoyed them. They were gone in a few seconds.