Broody guinea and fake eggs

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

So, Viceroy is still very broody - wow is she dedicated! I asked DD to remind me why we aren’t letting her keep the eggs, and she said, “Um, because they kill or abandon their babies?”. Oh yeah, that.

She barely gets off the nest. I was able to get her off the next easily yesterday to collect eggs, but she fought me today. I really feel bad about upsetting her and am not looking forward to doing this daily... I don’t want eggs to develop and my glue eggs will need at least another week to set, so I came up with the idea of briefly (3 min) steaming the marked eggs today. I cracked one open and it’s more soft boil than I expected... Any idea how long that soft boil egg can stay under her? Or should I steam more eggs for a shorter time? What do all of you do with fake or marked eggs and your broody guineas? And does anyone know if she will eventually break herself? Sigh. Guineas and their nests...

 

[R2elk]

So, Viceroy is still very broody - wow is she dedicated! I asked DD to remind me why we aren’t letting her keep the eggs, and she said, “Um, because they kill or abandon their babies?”. Oh yeah, that.

She barely gets off the nest. I was able to get her off the next easily yesterday to collect eggs, but she fought me today. I really feel bad about upsetting her and am not looking forward to doing this daily... I don’t want eggs to develop and my glue eggs will need at least another week to set, so I came up with the idea of briefly (3 min) steaming the marked eggs today. I cracked one open and it’s more soft boil than I expected... Any idea how long that soft boil egg can stay under her? Or should I steam more eggs for a shorter time? What do all of you do with fake or marked eggs and your broody guineas? And does anyone know if she will eventually break herself? Sigh. Guineas and their nests...

I get Sculpey oven bake clay and make my own properly shaped fake guinea eggs. They have held up well for me over the years. Some of them do have chew marks on them from the skunks.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I get Sculpey oven bake clay and make my own properly shaped fake guinea eggs. They have held up well for me over the years. Some of them do have chew marks on them from the skunks.

Awesome idea - thanks! How do you deal with broodies? Between this year and last, I feel like I have the broodiest guinea gang!

 

[R2elk]

Awesome idea - thanks! How do you deal with broodies? Between this year and last, I feel like I have the broodiest guinea gang!

I don't. By the time the guinea hens are ready to go broody, they are using hidden nests outside the coop. Every evening I round them up and herd them into the coop for the night. After they are in the coop, I gather their eggs. I have found that if I leave at least 3 of the fake eggs in the nest, they will continue to use the nest long after I have found it. With leaving just one fake egg, they would abandon the nest in a day or two.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I don't. By the time the guinea hens are ready to go broody, they are using hidden nests outside the coop. Every evening I round them up and herd them into the coop for the night. After they are in the coop, I gather their eggs. I have found that if I leave at least 3 of the fake eggs in the nest, they will continue to use the nest long after I have found it. With leaving just one fake egg, they would abandon the nest in a day or two.

I’ve been leaving more than that, more like 6-10 left. Yesterday, the flock laid 11 eggs there in addition to the marked eggs, so there will be eggs in the teens there every day. Do your hens lay in communal nests also? If mine are going to go broody with less than 20 eggs, I’ll always have a broody hen...

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

@BennieAnTheJets , I think that you maintain your guineas similarly to us. How do you handle broody issues?