Guinea on nest-ready to hatch!

[NancyP1]

So I marked my calender to start watching the guinea on the nest today. She has been sitting there faithfully for all of 26 days now. Last nite, DH took one of her eggs when she was off the nest. (She only seems to come off it, every other day for just a few mins.) Well, he brought me the egg to candle, and yup...its a good egg! Told him to put it back and it was too late, she was already back on the nest. Y'all can decide now what the D is for in DH. So..fired up the incubator (which was cleaned up and put away for the year) and put in the lone egg. Just want to

the DH.
Anyway, the guinea is outside the run, behind the new coop and and I need to do something to keep her and the babies (hopefully!) safe from the elements, and the other guineas, kitten etc. I have some extra chicken wire and was thinking of making a little cage type thing to put over her. I also have a thing to protect plants, fairly large, maybe 2'x3' made with wood and pvc pipe and covered with a green cloth mesh. I was thinking of waiting until dark tonite (from the look of the candled egg I may still have another day or so before they hatch) and trying to slip that over her and the nest. Any ideas as to if this will work? I also want to keep her from wandering off with just a few babies, it has been cold here in the mornings, in the 30s and the grass is always wet.
These guineas keep my mind occupied all the time! I would like for her to keep at least a couple of the little ones to raise, she worked soo hard, sat on those eggs thru a hurricane! But on the same note, I hate to take a chance and have them die due to wet grass or other guineas, the cat etc.
More questions..if any hatch, could I move her and a few babies to the coop? Maybe make her a nice little nest on the floor, or will the other 2 adults try to hurt the babies? Should I just take her off the nest tonite and take her eggs? Will waking up tomorrow am with a big green cover on her freek her out and make her leave the nest? Wish she would have went broody in the spring! Any advise, or other ideas? Sorry for the book, don't get much time to post...

 

[NancyP1]

Have to head out for chores then work, but at least I can come home and check on her when ever I want and will check in then! Thanks all! Looking forward to any other ideas!

 

[cracking up]

When mine hatch she takes them out in the morning and never goes back to the nest. Any eggs that haven't hatched are just left. I always throw them in the incubator and sometimes they hatch as much as a week or two later. When I only had a couple of moms they all hatched at once but now I think others sneak eggs in after she starts sitting. Once she has the little ones she'll want to go in with the others at night so if you can keep them safe and warm in the coop that might be easiest. Of course there are no 'rules' with guineas. If you can be home when they hatch I follow at a distance and pick up strays and try to protect them from predators. It can be pretty nerve wracking. Good luck with them. Let us know how it goes. And congratulations on your little ones.

 

[PeepsCA]

If the lone keet hatches first, I'd still keep that incubator going, and I'd also have a brooder set up and ready to go with rubberized shelf liner or old towels (with no loose strings) for bedding, starter feed and a waterer that they can't drown in... I'd take all but the 2 keets from her and then gather the rest for the brooder and any remaining eggs for the incubator.

She may freak out with the green plant cover thing over her, but maybe not, if she knows her eggs are about to hatch she may not even care and just stay flattened down over the pile of eggs no matter what... until she's ready to get up and wander off with a few keets (so make sure you are around when they start hatching so she does not trample them trying to get out). That cover sure will make collecting keets easier for you tho, lol. She's gonna hate you for it, so be ready for an episode with a Tasmanian Guinea Hen She Devil!

Good luck!

I'm anxious for updates

 

[perchie.girl]

How about a shade cloth fence around the hatch site...... Then when the hen gets up with her babies the babies cant get away but the hen will fly out. then shut down a lid catch the hen then grab up the keets. Just some thoughts I have been thinking about.... how to safely separate a hen from her keetsies....

 

[NancyP1]

Thanks Peeps! I was hoping to hear from you. When DH stole her egg yesterday, the male went after him!

Would have paid to see that, 250lb guy getting chased by 10lb guinea! When I checked the hen this am, early, both of my hens were on the nest, checked in on them around 10 today, still both there and now mid afternoon they are both still on the nest! Whats up with that? Even with 2 hens, there are eggs sticking out everywhere! I guess I will just leave them be, and go out at first light and start watching very closely! I also learned today that guineas will hiss! I got the message and backed off. I wonder if any have hatched already..yup, this is very stressful

 

[NancyP1]

perchie.girl :

How about a shade cloth fence around the hatch site...... Then when the hen gets up with her babies the babies cant get away but the hen will fly out. then shut down a lid catch the hen then grab up the keets. Just some thoughts I have been thinking about.... how to safely separate a hen from her keetsies....

Hi and thanks! I am not quite sure what you mean by shade cloth. I do have some 2' high chicken wire that I was thinking of making a small ring with and trying to put that around them. I will have to wait until dark though, they are getting just a little snippy! (we need a sarcasm smily) Both hens are on the nest now, I am not sure what one hissed at me! Even the male is getting involved, he ran my hubby off yesterday, although thats what he gets for taking the egg! ( should have made him keep it warm and hatch it) If I do decide to try and fence her in, what is your opinion about waiting for dark? I wonder if a flashlight will spook her away? I will get some photos of the area where she is. Its not an easy place to get to, especially in the dark..I have read your posts about your one leg guinea...amazing!​

 

[PeepsCA]

Doing anything with or around the nest in the dark is always a good idea, Guineas are blind in the dark, and stay a lot calmer unless you really spook them. I'd make sure to move slowly, and use minimal light if possible.

If you can build something off site/away from her (like in the garage or workshop) then sneak up and slowly put it down over her and the nest in complete darkness, that would be your best shot at not disrupting her. Keets can and will squeeze right thru amazingly small mesh wire and follow Momma tho... so you may want to use hardware cloth or something similar, anything small mesh like that.

If you have 2 Hens sitting on the nest then most likely not all of those eggs are going to hatch at the same time (maybe even up to a week or so difference

). If they were my Hens and eggs... I'd shove those cranky Hens off that nest, chase them back to the coop, lock them up and put all the eggs in the incubator, lol.

 

[NancyP1]

This is my new coop! The hens are setting behind it in the weeds, in between alot of farm junk and an old stone fence. I will try to get her covered with something tonite after dark, thought that would be best. We always did anything chicken after dark when I was a kid.

This is as close as I could get with out ticking them off!

 

[perchie.girl]

Wow I suspect you got at least thirty eggs in there... two hens cant cover them all.....

Love her expression.... I see you but you dont see me..... I am a rock, a stone, a dark unrecognizeable blob.... not a Guinea.... Whishes her hands an snaps her fingers.... Invisible now... (from a tv show called soap)