broody guinea on nest- fox around last nite... advice?!

[mcsammie]

Our female guinea is currently sitting on her nest- we know exactly where it is. it's about an hour - 1.5 hours before it gets dark.

She was on the nest for most of the day, maybe an hour or two off at different times?

I've read that we should put her in a kennel with the eggs. Anyone have luck with this? We'd really like some more keets.... and we'd like her to hatch them at least.

We have two options of where we could put her- in a large sized dog kennel in the barn, or in a small shed we made in the hopes of her laying in there. (obviously she decided she liked the brush pile better...

) there is no enclosed run attached to the small shed, but it does have food and water and roosts. Which does anyone advise?

Also- should we put the male with her? They are pretty attached to each other (though not enough apparently, since he's safe in the coop with the chickens now!

)...

Should we lock her in there for a few days? for the whole sitting? should we open the door so she can leave to eat bugs, etc?

In my ideal world, I'd put her in the shed with the male, and let her sit in there, but leave the door open during the day so they both could come and go as they pleased...

advice would be awesome!!! I love these birds, but man they're stubborn and stupid!

thanks much!!!

 

[Sherry]

I had the same problem, except no way to catch my guineas, they are not friendly at all. I had 2 females and a male. One was sitting on a nest for two days and a fox got her. I found the second nest and put her eggs in my incubator. She is back to roosting on top of the chicken pen with the male.

I'd say put her up if you can catch her. The male may call for her at night but he'll get used to her being separated from him. Besides if she can successfully hatch the babies they'll be the first to be eaten after they hatch.

I've also heard that guineas don't make great mothers.

 

[mcsammie]

thanks Sherry,

We caught her and nabbed all the eggs and put everything in the little shed. earlier today, I tried to make it more like the woods where she sat by putting sticks and leaves and stuff in there... so hopefully she gets the clue. Maybe we will leave her shut in there tomorrow, though I'm sure Igor will yell about it....

she didn't put up too much of a fuss when I grabbed her- I'm hoping that doesn't mean that she is going to go off the eggs, but just that maybe she was asleep or something.

We decided we'd rather risk her not hatching the eggs than losing her and the eggs to a fox or fisher.

hope she sits though! counted 30 eggs!

 

[Sherry]

Hope you have good luck with them. I love guineas. I've got 15 one month old ones in the barn and 19 eggs in the incubator.

My DH fussed when I bought the original 3 last summer. Now he watches the little ones and laughs at the big ones. I knew he'd come around.

Let me know how it goes.