Found their new nest 😆

[sunnie7]

I feel like I’m hitting the jackpot lately! I have 15/22 (one infertile and one early quitter) hatch and I have one that’s zipping so hopefully at least 16! Then I just found their second nest!!! I was sitting on the porch watching 4/5 guineas eat (I throw them a cup of food out in the evening) and I keep only having 4 and 1 missing but the missing one is sometimes a pearl and sometimes a lavender so I figured they are taking turns on the nest for a couple weeks now. I had a place I’ve suspected my guineas moved their nest to but wasn’t sure and I’ve searched and couldn’t find it but it’s in a hard place to search good safely. Then as the others were eating and making noises I heard her! I guess she wanted relief to have her turn to eat! I found it!
Now what?!?! I can’t easily get to it but I can....do I leave it be and let her hatch them....but then I have no clue how I’d get the babies out of there? Or do I go in and get them and put them in the incubator?!
I think my porch cats (that’s right across from
The nest) have been helping keep critters away. They chased off a bobcat the other night!

 

[R2elk]

I feel like I’m hitting the jackpot lately! I have 15/22 (one infertile and one early quitter) hatch and I have one that’s zipping so hopefully at least 16! Then I just found their second nest!!! I was sitting on the porch watching 4/5 guineas eat (I throw them a cup of food out in the evening) and I keep only having 4 and 1 missing but the missing one is sometimes a pearl and sometimes a lavender so I figured they are taking turns on the nest for a couple weeks now. I had a place I’ve suspected my guineas moved their nest to but wasn’t sure and I’ve searched and couldn’t find it but it’s in a hard place to search good safely. Then as the others were eating and making noises I heard her! I guess she wanted relief to have her turn to eat! I found it!
Now what?!?! I can’t easily get to it but I can....do I leave it be and let her hatch them....but then I have no clue how I’d get the babies out of there? Or do I go in and get them and put them in the incubator?!
I think my porch cats (that’s right across from
The nest) have been helping keep critters away. They chased off a bobcat the other night!View attachment 2136798View attachment 2136799
View attachment 2136809

If you want them to hatch, you better put most of them in the incubator. There are way too many eggs there for one hen to cover properly.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Cha-ching!

 

[sunnie7]

So how the heck do I figure out when to put them on lockdown if the hens already been sitting on them?? Any way to tell which ones are old and probably won’t be good?

 

[R2elk]

So how the heck do I figure out when to put them on lockdown if the hens already been sitting on them?? Any way to tell which ones are old and probably won’t be good?

Hope you have a good light for candling and are ready to start candling regularly.

 

[sunnie7]

I can’t believe I didn’t think of this but I have 2 bantam Cochin hens that have been broody for around 2 weeks now sitting in an empty nest box together!!! I’ve never had a rooster so I’ve never hatched before like this but if I put the guinea eggs under them they will most likely continue sitting on them right?! I’m think I could do half in my incubator and half under them. Do I take them straight from the nest and put them in the incubator and/or under the hens?

 

[R2elk]

I can’t believe I didn’t think of this but I have 2 bantam Cochin hens that have been broody for around 2 weeks now sitting in an empty nest box together!!! I’ve never had a rooster so I’ve never hatched before like this but if I put the guinea eggs under them they will most likely continue sitting on them right?! I’m think I could do half in my incubator and half under them. Do I take them straight from the nest and put them in the incubator and/or under the hens?

Either way will work. If there are early hatchers, the hens may abandon some unhatched eggs while you can just keep the incubator running as if on a staggered hatch.

 

[sunnie7]

So I went and checked the nest and the hen wasn’t on it so I got all the eggs. I don’t have an exact count but there’s over 40. Do they need to sit overnight or just put them straight in the incubator? I took my 3 old eggs out of the incubator (don’t think they are going to hatch) and stuck them under my bantams Cochins so I could clean my incubator. When I go to put the new guinea eggs under them I figured I will mark the 3 old ones and if nothing hatches by tomorrow I’ll throw them out. Would this work or should I just go ahead and throw them out?
Is it okay to pick the hens up off the nest every now and then to candle the eggs? I usually boot them out of the box once a day to eat anyways and they come back.
I candled The eggs on the nest and I believe I saw a little development in only 2 eggs. I’m sure several are pretty old, I’m guessing they moved their nest around 30 days ago. So how many should I put in the incubator and how many under then broody chickens?!

 

[R2elk]

So I went and checked the nest and the hen wasn’t on it so I got all the eggs. I don’t have an exact count but there’s over 40. Do they need to sit overnight or just put them straight in the incubator? I took my 3 old eggs out of the incubator (don’t think they are going to hatch) and stuck them under my bantams Cochins so I could clean my incubator. When I go to put the new guinea eggs under them I figured I will mark the 3 old ones and if nothing hatches by tomorrow I’ll throw them out. Would this work or should I just go ahead and throw them out?
Is it okay to pick the hens up off the nest every now and then to candle the eggs? I usually boot them out of the box once a day to eat anyways and they come back.
I candled The eggs on the nest and I believe I saw a little development in only 2 eggs. I’m sure several are pretty old, I’m guessing they moved their nest around 30 days ago. So how many should I put in the incubator and how many under then broody chickens?!

No need to wait. You can start incubating the eggs right away.

I would just toss the eggs that didn't hatch. You don't want to risk contaminating the new eggs with them.

I don't candle eggs that broodies are sitting on. I also don't kick them off the nest at anytime unless I am trying to break a broody. They will get off the nest on their own. Some people will candle eggs that are under a broody. You do what you have to do.

It all depends on the size of your bantams. I gave full sized hens 10 guinea eggs each.

 

[sunnie7]

No need to wait. You can start incubating the eggs right away.

I would just toss the eggs that didn't hatch. You don't want to risk contaminating the new eggs with them.

I don't candle eggs that broodies are sitting on. I also don't kick them off the nest at anytime unless I am trying to break a broody. They will get off the nest on their own. Some people will candle eggs that are under a broody. You do what you have to do.

It all depends on the size of your bantams. I gave full sized hens 10 guinea eggs each.

Thank you soooo much for all your advice the past few days. I appreciate it so much.

I only kick them off now because they are my only 2 of laying age and they seem to go broody on nothing all the time! I’ve never had a rooster (until now I have some young ones) so they’ve never hatched anything, they sure like to practice though!

My incubator is an old little Giant but my first hatch I got 20/30 (4 not fertile) chicks and this one was 16/22 (2 not fertile) keets. I think it’s supposed to hold 41 eggs and I just tried to count and I’m pretty sure there are 51 eggs. I know guineas eggs are much smaller but I think I’m just going to fit as many as I can with a little room to hand turn them and if any extras I’ll put under the hens (hopefully no more than 10) they share a nest box so they should cover 5 each pretty easily.

I know a lot of these are old and will probably not develop but I’m so excited to try!!!