Finally eggs!

[prairie]

My guineas -- which are about 9 months old -- finally started laying for the first time. I noticed a nest on the floor of the coop but didn't see anything in it. They had hollowed out some alfalfa hay laying in the corner and today I finally see the eggs. There were 2 in there but then a little later I came back and one hen was sitting on the nest and another hen was sitting right next to her. ?? Later I found one more egg in the nest -- total of 3.

She keeps coming back to the nest but doesn't sit on them all the time. She covers them with a little of the hay too.

Do you think she will start setting? There was also one chicken egg in there today. Has anyone ever had a chicken take over a guineas hens eggs and hatch them??

 

[PeepsCA]

Congrats, you've been rewarded for all your hard work on their new coop!

The Guinea Hen won't go broody until she lays anywhere from 20-30 eggs there, BUT if she's bothered too much she'll abandon that spot and all the eggs she's laid there...and then find a new, more private spot to lay and start over. So hopefully if she does abandon the nest, your chicken Hen will step in and take over, lol. I've seen cases where a Guinea and a Chicken will brood a pile of mixed eggs together, so who knows what will happen in your coop. Supposedly keets hatched and raised by chicken Hens are actually a lot calmer, but I can't speak from personal experience on that because I don't raise chickens.

Good luck, keep us posted on what happens!

 

[prairie]

Hey thanks for the tips! I haven't had guineas for about 17 -20 years and I can't remember how they handled their egg laying! We will see and I will let you know.
thanks