Confused guinea hen (and owner)

[jridgway1972]

How did you build the fortress?

 

[malinois]

They say it takes a village, right? Well i have 6 hens, and they are taking turns setting on an "approved" nest in the coop. With 6 hens i am still getting 3 additional eggs daily. I have one male in with them..the first clutch i let them remain on of 3 eggs and various amount of golf balls, etc but nothing did hatched in 32 days. those eggs were removed and disposed of. I have let them continue to set on what was 7 eggs...(until last night there was only 6 eggs- i have no idea whatnhappen to number 7). Either way, the females are taking turn sitting, calling to each other to take over if one has to leave.
I find this all very fascinating! I am not trying to get more keets to sell, just to replentish the natural process of survival.

 

[twoquinns]

Well, she was kind enough to build her nest underneath the stairs leading down from our deck, so we used a piece of plywood to seal off under the steps. On the sides we stapled on some chicken wire, bent out at the bottom about a foot and held down to the ground with large rocks. Hopefully the pictures above will explain what we did, but let me know if you have any specific questions. Below are pictures of an A-frame shelter we've used when they've built in a place where we can put it over them. Same door was used under the stairs (thus the triangular opening) that was used on that A-frame.