Guinea Fowl nesting/mating call?

[dianneS]

The girls are still alive and well and setting.

I also found another nest. No broodies on it, just 13 eggs. I put all 13 under some broody chickens in my coop so we should have some babies one way or another!

 

[rookhomestead]

Any idea how long they take to decide they're going to lay an egg where they're nesting. My guinea doesn't nest in the coop with my hens, in spite there's 14 boxes and only 8 hens that insist on using only 3

but found some shrubby growth on the small hillside in the yard and sits there for awhile everyday for the last month or so. I periodically peek in and there's never an egg, but it keeps going to the same spot and just sits there. Anything I can do to encourage laying there, add hay? I don't want my hens to take up the habbit, but they're pretty set in their ways, so I think itd be ok.

 

[R2elk]

Any idea how long they take to decide they're going to lay an egg where they're nesting. My guinea doesn't nest in the coop with my hens, in spite there's 14 boxes and only 8 hens that insist on using only 3

but found some shrubby growth on the small hillside in the yard and sits there for awhile everyday for the last month or so. I periodically peek in and there's never an egg, but it keeps going to the same spot and just sits there. Anything I can do to encourage laying there, add hay? I don't want my hens to take up the habbit, but they're pretty set in their ways, so I think itd be ok.

If you want her to lay in the spot that she picked, just leave it alone. You may want to leave a fake egg in the nest but that is the only thing. They prefer it if they think their nests are undetected and safe. Of course their idea of safe is unlikely to match your idea of safe.

 

[rookhomestead]

Lol. Yeah, the coop would be ideal. I usually troll the yard looking for junk, snakes, turtles, or rogue eggs. I'll just keep an eye. When I start mowing and stuff this year, I'll just let that patch grow up and see what happens. I never seen a guinea mate... So I dont know if they're all females, or males,if I have a male bedding down, I just don't have a clue with these things lol

 

[R2elk]

Lol. Yeah, the coop would be ideal. I usually troll the yard looking for junk, snakes, turtles, or rogue eggs. I'll just keep an eye. When I start mowing and stuff this year, I'll just let that patch grow up and see what happens. I never seen a guinea mate... So I dont know if they're all females, or males,if I have a male bedding down, I just don't have a clue with these things lol

Not seeing a guinea mate is normal. It happens very quickly and unless you now what you are looking for, you will miss it. I have 7 hens and 6 males. I know they are mating and it looks like they are pairing up right now but I have not seen the actual deed this year. I have seen it on rare occasions in the past but don't feel the need to try to catch them at it.

Good luck.