guinea egg....

[RockyToggRanch]

I finally gave in to my sumatra broody hen tonight and left her on 7 eggs. Then I went to tuck in the 7 month old guineas and found a tiny egg in their coop. So..without a second thought, I brought it to the broody. Now I'm wondering if the incubation time is the same?? and hunidity requirements?? oh well..it wouldn't have done much on the floor of the guinea coop anyway...

 

[mrslb333]

It's 28 days for guineas I think the humidity is the same. She may sit for the entire time, I'm not sure though as I've never used a broody

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I thought guineas didn't start laying this young? Should I give them a nest box? They have a board slanted against the wall.. I heard that's what they nest behind...but the egg was out in the open:/

 

[Debbienmousey]

Typically they lay the spring after they were hatched, so they're normally about 7 months or older when they start laying most likely.

The incubation period for guineas can range anywhere from 25 days to 28 days. Most websites will tell you 28, but for almost every hatch I've done they started pipping on day 25 (both in an incubator and under a hen). The humidity when hatching in an incubator can be kept about the same for chickens during the growing, but at hatch it must be raised very high. Pretty much as high as you can get it since guinea eggs do have very hard shells. Since you're hatching under a hen, humidity won't be a problem.

Mine don't use nest boxes, they lay on the coop floor or in the run until they find a nest. They free-range, so they nest in tall grass, shrubs/bushes, berry bushes, under wood..Generally they don't like nesting in the woods, they prefer a field. And my guineas have laid behind a piece of wood in the coop before, just have never set there.

Since you just started the broody on eggs tonight (If I read that correctly), then you could take the chicken eggs away for anywheres from 4-7 days and then give them (or fresh ones) back to the hen. That way the chicken eggs and the guinea egg would all hopefully hatch at the same time. Although it's still fairly early for guineas to be laying, and it is your guinea's first egg, so it may not be fertile.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

That's a great idea to switch out the eggs..I may do that.

 

[Greendecember]

Quote:
How does this removing the eggs thing work?

 

[doxies1]

Quote:
You may have to take the keet away when( IF) it hatches depending on what type of chickens you have.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

I now have 2 broody sumatras. I also have 2 guinea eggs. I put the guinea eggs under the newest broody. Why would I remove the keet when it hatches?

 

[Pinky]

In spring 2010 I put 5 guinea eggs under 1 game hen, and 5 under two othe game hens. I had 10 eggs hatch and the hen cared for them just like they were chicks. All the guineas grew up but lost two to a dog, but I still have 8 and they just started laying again.

 

[millersdawn616]

Quote:
depending on the type of hen she may reject it or something also guineas only weigh around 2 or 3 lbs. the new baby chicks might not be able to deal with the weight