Guinea nesting in pasture

[bobwhite]

Have 4 females and 1 male on the farm. They apparently worked together and layed 57 eggs in the first nest. We filled a hovabator. At 10 days all were clears. Varmints got the rest but not the female. We then found another nest with 46 eggs. We put 30 in the hovabator and left the rest. Killed a rattlesnake at the nest and 2 days later a raccoon or possum got the rest at night. 21 hatched out in the hovabator.
The question; Is there a method to get the Guineas to lay inside the chicken pen? The chickens readily lay in the nest boxes and hatch their eggs. The Guineas and chickens are let out each morning and return at dusk.

 

[cracking up]

There are things you can try like making a triangular nest box or leaning a pallet against a wall making about a foot wide triangle. But usually they are hard to get to do anything.

 

[MuranoFarms]

I just try to find the nest and leave a few marked eggs in it. Every day I check every nest and pull out all the new eggs.

 

[bisonbaby1995]

I keep my guineas locked up in there pen. They lay every day. If a hen is laying every day she will have to lay somewhere and they will usually find a spot that they like and lay there every day. I cut a hole in a 55 gallon blue barrel and they all lay in there every day.

 

[bockbock2008]

My guineas are housed with my chickens and get to free range most days. Before they started laying this April, I kept them locked up. Once they started laying, which was in the nest boxes, and laid in there for a week or so, I let them back out to freerange during the day. Now they lay in the next boxes everyday, penned up or not. Sometimes 1 won't lay and the next day she will lay 2.

 

[Finn's Mom]

Bockbock Do you mean locked up as in inside the coop or locked up in the coop with access to an enclosed outdoor pen? I am getting ready to move mine out of their brooder and would appreciate any advice. Thank you.

 

[bockbock2008]

Finn's Mom :

Bockbock Do you mean locked up as in inside the coop or locked up in the coop with access to an enclosed outdoor pen? I am getting ready to move mine out of their brooder and would appreciate any advice. Thank you.

Locked in the coop at night with access to a run during the day.​

 

[Finn's Mom]

Ok! Thank you. That makes perfect sense to me. We want the guineas for tick management but I was struggling with the "just let them go" philosophy that prevails in this area (and didn't sit well with me!) I am actually relieved. Thanks again.

 

[robin416]

Quote:
My Guineas are in their own coop but that is exactly how you train the girls to lay in the coop. Keep them up for three or four days or until you're sure everyone has laid for the day and then let them out. One of my girls is on a nest that is nothing more than welded wire leaning against the wall with a piece of plastic shielding her nest from view.