Do they always hatch their eggs?

[Remo]

My Guineas Hens are both laying in the same spot, do Guineas always sit on their eggs when they have enough? They have seven eggs as of today, when should I expect them to sit, and will they share the nest? They are free range but are returning to their coop to lay each day. Thanks for any answers.

 

[Davaroo]

Anybody?

 

[hennypenny99]

This is the first year mine are laying (they are about a year old now). I know they hid their first nest from me pretty well. I found it when there were over 40 eggs in it and no one was trying to be broody. Well it's been a couple of weeks since then and they have moved their nests. Probably because I robbed them and set 30 of the eggs I found a few weeks ago. They have 2 nests now and one guinea has decided to set the eggs in one of the nests. The others are laying in a different spot and she is trying to hatch the other nest. So I don't know if the others will eventually go broody or not?

 

[PeepsCA]

If the eggs are only warmed by a Hen on and off then the eggs will probably die when they go cold (or already have) and not develop any further. Most likely the only nest that will hatch is the one that a Hen (or Hens) stays put on. And if other Hens are still sneaking additional eggs into that nest then those newer eggs probably won't hatch... unless another Hen gets on the rest of the pile before they go cold (because once a Hen has hatched out some keets she'll typically get up off the pile with the first few keets that hatch and then leave the rest of the pile to go cold). Guineas aren't always real bright when it comes to brooding and hatching keets in an uncontrolled environment.

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

I understand your pain! I have guineas that will lay up piles of eggs, 40 at a time, and this past summer on 2 rare occasions, they would attempt to set for a few days; even managing to hatch out 3 or 4 of the little buggers, and I declare that when I went out to check on them the very next morning, the guinea hen still in the area, but the poor little babies were dead because I suppose they did not stay under the mama guinea and evidently my guinea hens have abnormally small brains and a very large stupid gene .Long story short--my guinea hens have NEVER successfully hatched out any of their own offspring. But guess what? If you have you some nice sweet silkie hens, they will hatch out guineas, pea chicks, pheasants, you name it!

Last year, one silkie hen hatched out 8 yellow golden pheasants; also last year, I had several hens hatch out pea chick eggs, 2 at a time. As of right now, I have Gracie (my black silkie hen) setting on 16 guinea eggs; she has been setting now for a week. Late in the season last year, she set and hatched out 5 guineas. Earlier in the season last year, Gracie hatched out 2 of the most perfect solid white pea chicks and it was so cute watching her brood and raise them as the pea chicks grew even larger than Gracie! . Penny is currently also perfectly willing to set on guinea eggs; she is on one right now and the guinea hens crowd around her to lay more eggs, and Penny fluffs up and claims them as her own. Pepper is currently setting on one pea chick egg; there were 2 but the guineas kept trying to lay at the same spot, I figure one of the guineas pecked a large hole in one pea chick egg and ruined it.I moved Pepper and the one pea chick egg to a private area where she will not be bothered tonight and I am certain she will hatch out that pea chick egg she is setting. Anyhow, there are good ways to get those guinea eggs hatched out without having to use an incubator and brood them yourself. I just let my silkie hens do that work for me!

 

[LIBERTYNY]

I have had guineas for about 6 years now. Mine have had inconstant laying/nesting habits. Most of the time I cant even find the nests , I find single eggs buryed hear and their.
One time they hatched out one chick/kleat , They disappeared for about 20 days ( I thought they got eaten) then showed up with a little one mayabe 45 days old

 

[GuineaLady93]

My Guineas Hens are both laying in the same spot, do Guineas always sit on their eggs when they have enough? They have seven eggs as of today, when should I expect them to sit, and will they share the nest? They are free range but are returning to their coop to lay each day. Thanks for any answers.

My guinea hens have always gone broody on a nest when each hen has 12-15 eggs in the nest. So if there is only one hen on the nest she will go broody on 12-15 eggs. If there are 4 hens on one nest they will get 45-60 eggs before they all go broody. Once I had 4 hens on one nest and they got up to 58 eggs before they went broody one of the hens did not go broody (i thing it was because there was no room on the nest for her) she went and made a new nest of her own.
I do NOT let my hens go broody on nest anymore. When it is dark guineas can not see anything, so that makes it way too easy for a coon, coyote, fox, dog, bobcat, or whatever wants to eat some guinea with a side of eggs really easy to get them. The only way I would ever let my guineas go broody is if they were in a tight pen where I knew nothing could get to them. Another reason I don't let them go broody is because I collect there eggs, hatch them and sell keets, if they are broody they aren't laying any eggs for me.
To answer your questions: yes, in my experience they have always sat on their eggs when they have enough; and I would expect them to start sitting when they have 12-15 eggs. Yes, they will share a nest.

Hope that helped,
Ashley

 

[toby1959]

In my experience, you can rob a few eggs at a time over 7 to 10 days and put these in the incubator. They won't abandon the nest that way. Helps to put a mark on the eggs you are leaving so that you are getting the freshest ones for the bator. The birds have hatched as many as 15 at a time but they are lousy mothers and seem to lose some of the keets every day. I guess they can't count either as they don't even bother looking for the missing ones. If they hatch keets, I just rob them too.

 

[PeepsCA]

LOL... I've raided large piles and only left 4-6 eggs many times... silly Hens still kept laying fresh eggs there for me

This Hen had 22 eggs, 18 hatched and I took all the keets a few at a time as soon as they were dry... I had to hold her back with a manure fork in one hand (a clean one) and grab keets with the other hand. Left her with 4 duds that didn't hatch. She was completely ticked off at me, lol. I replenished my flock with the keets later on tho!

 

[Remo]

Thanks, My Guineas were locked in their own pen/run for about 4 months, the second night after I started letting them free range in the evenings they decided to move into the chicken coop which is about 50 yards away. But, they go to their old pen and lay everyday. I hope after they start sitting to just lock the pen and keep them locked up until they hatch off. I hope this will work.