Chicken as Surragate Mother

[1pattydaniel]

I have three hens and three guineas. Two guineas are egg laying females and one is a male. One of my hens has gone broody and is setting on a bunch of mixed eggs. I've tried to grab the chicken eggs from her whenever I get a chance since I know the won't hatch. Since there is a strong possibility that the guinea eggs could hatch, I have a few questions.

Does anyone have experience with hens setting on guinea chicks? Will she mother and protect them like she would her own chicks? Should I separate mother and chicks from the others if the chicks do hatch?

I've only raised chicks in groups (turkeys, chicks, guineas) of the same type and all of them without actual mothers, so any information is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[PeaChick C]

Yep. And they will follow her and stay with her till they become what I call 'pre-teens'. Then they slow start wandering farther during the day for bugs. But they will coop up easier and are usually much tamer.

 

[JacqueOCS]

So glad to read this!!! I have a chicken that is sitting on guinea eggs and has 7 Guinea keets under her

 

[five t guineas]

Hello, I am a big time guinea person. I have been hatching keets for years, using guinea hens and chicken hens. It is definitely easier and nets a higher hatch rate using a chicken hen. That being said, I have lost several babies to several different hens. Some will kill them by pecking them to death. Monitor them closely. At the 26 day mark start watching for cracking or peeping. Keep a close watch until you see her interact with keets kindly..... I only have 3 hens that are good to my keets, and they are excellent moms. Good luck

 

[JacqueOCS]

Thank goodness our hen has taken to those babies as though they were her own. She'll peck the snot out of me when cleaning the brooder though

 

[five t guineas]

I am so glad she was one of the nice ones. I have been broken hearted twice now, by two different hens, when going to check my babies and finding them dead with eyes pecked out. I have one that I rescued from under my hen that has only one good eye. She had removed part of scalp and one eye;( I saw that you also wondered about turning them out with general population. We watch our ducks closely because they can be nasty, but the only problem I really have is with other chickens. The adult guineas usually want the babies, so just make sure they are not giving your mama hen too much grief.

 

[JacqueOCS]

Oh sorry about your babies, that would stink! Thank you for the info on letting them out, we moved the brooder to the chicken coop. The oldest keet is a week old today. I'm hoping by moving them into the coop and allowing the other chickens & guineas to see them thru the hardware cloth that they'll start to get used to them. The brooder is 5x4, so plenty of room for mama hen and 22 keets for now