Guinea nest?

[Edw@rd]

i recently acquired a hen that the previous owner said was laying eggs. I placed her in her new coop with 2 other birds from her original flock. Does she need a nesting box in case she has any more eggs to lay? She seems healthy as it’s been 6 days with no eggs. Please advise. Thanks,
Ed

 

[SueT]

It's very possible that the stress of moving to a new home has caused her to stop laying. Give her time to get used to the changes.....I think it would be a good idea to provide a nesting area, I don't know if guineas use boxes. The ones I had laid eggs on the ground in secluded areas, and once in a big plastic tub. I didn't keep them confined. Maybe someone who has done so will chime in.....

 

[Edw@rd]

Thanks Sue,
I let my Guineas free range, but since they are new I’m keeping them in the coop for a few weeks.

 

[50-45-1]

My guineas never use the nesting boxes . They prefer the ground in the corner of the coop. Just keep some straw for them there if they get the notion.

 

[Biddybot]

Guineas like to lay on the ground. A piece of plywood leaned against the wall in a secluded area, with some nice bedding to form a hollow in underneath, makes them happy. Site the board so they can exit on either side, too...they like having two escape routes to quit their nest in a hurry...just in case.

In temperate climates, Guineas tend to be seasonal layers, so don't be too disappointed if she doesn't lay for you in the near future. Depending on where you live, her laying may even be finished for this year...you might have to wait until next spring for more eggs!

You will always have the best luck with Guineas if you think of them as quasi-tame ring-necked pheasants rather than chicken wanna-bes and care for them accordingly.

 

[Dmontgomery]

My guineas free range all day but sleep in a “secure” coop at night with all the other chickens. My main hen starts nests wherever she wants to. She has been laying since late February, because our weather is so warm most of the time.
Her only successful hatch this year was in a nesting box about 12” off the ground. That was in early April. She starting laying again in the same box during the summer but abandoned the nest after it had about 15 eggs.
She immediately moved to an area directly on the ground and started another nest. It got up to about a dozen but I took them because I felt it was just too hot in the coop for her to sit there for a whole month.
A few weeks ago she started another one on the ground in the back corner of the coop and is up to nearly 20 eggs in it. Last year she layed in this exact same spot and I stacked hay bales around her for privacy. She seemed to love it but none of the eggs hatched due to what I assume was extreme heat and humidity we had for a long stretch.
So you can provide her with a nesting box, but she is going to choose a spot that is the most comfortable for her.