Guinea talk.

[pattyhen]

Rhonda I forgot to tell you my toe is fine now thank you. It was bruised for about a week but it's back to normal. I will never forget that little voice behind me when I was sitting on the sidewalk. No one was concerned except my Spiderman.

 

[GlennLee]

Gotta love that little Spiderman! Give him a hug for me. What is he going to be for Halloween? Spiderman?

So happy to hear that your toe is better - at least you didn't have to wear an enclosed shoe while it was healing with the warmer weather.

I meant to tell you too, that I also observed a male and female chest bumping! It was very interesting and there was an entire ritual that was a part of it. There were 3 males following a female and chortling - a very different sound than I've heard before - it was similar to what they do when they are in the grasses together, but the volume was higher and they added more syllables to the call. She finally started pecking at one male and he pecked her back ( I think that's the guinea version of smashing wedding cake in the face), then they both dipped their heads down and almost entwined necks. They were up in the air almost sparring for a bit and there was the chest bumping and a whole lot of pecking going on. When it came to a close, I thought he would mount her, but I didn't see that happen. I have seen it happen many times before though.... I think Dr. Ruth could have done her PhD research here with my flock. I see it all!

 

[pattyhen]

Dr.Ruth may have gotten a few tips from your guineas if she was around them.

Spiderman must be very discrete with the hanky panky I have yet to see them do anything except for the chest bumping. They have been pecking each other too. In the mornings when they first come out of the coop Spiderman is just bursting with energy. He'll run at a duck and stop suddenly and then come back and stop in front of Mary Jane. She'll peck him and he'll peck back and off he goes again. It takes me about five minutes to get him to go in the gate to the back yard to eat his breakfast. He has to tease a couple of ducks and run circles then he finally goes in the gate and Mary Jane trails along behind him. I think he likes to tease everyone. One morning Fanny may a buff orphington hen jumped on his back and he just walked away like that didn't bother me a bit. He just ignored her.

I would love to get Spiderman a bow tie to wear around his neck for Halloween. I think he would look cute in that.

I hope everyone has a nice day it's beautiful here in the 70s.

 

[Dmontgomery]

So, well now I jinxed myself. A couple days ago, I posted a 1 month update in my other thread about how well the 3 Guineas had adapted. No more fussing or fighting, everyone behaving, roosting in the coop every night, and not wandering off. Then as soon as I bragged on them, Gertrude didn't coop up that night. She came prancing up at about dawn Thursday morning, chattering away, looking for her friends. I let all the chickens out a little earlier than usual so she could have some food and company. Then about 7:30 I went hunting in the woods for a guinea nest. After about an hour, I gave up and decided to try a different method. I sat on the back porch and waited until Gerdy and Gertrude walked off for their morning stroll together. I figured I could decreitly follow them to the hideout. I was wrong.
After about 100 yards down a trail we have out there, Gerdy stopped and turned around to stare at me. I was a good 75' or more behind them, trying to be nonchalant about it all, but she wasn't buying it. So she slowly started walking back towards me as Gertrude continued down the path to an old logging road we have out in the woods. I turned and walked slowly back to the house and she followed me all the way to make sure I didn't double back. Then I got to work doing other things, figuring Gertrude had gone to lay and would come back later. She didn't, and didn't come home again last night.
I got worried this morning because there has been some big trucks on the back road the last couple days and I was worried someone may have run over her. So again this morning I went searching. This time Gerdy was distracted with morning treats and I took the golf cart because I'm old and walking sucks when you weigh this much. Down the path, then up onto the road. Turned left and went about 50'. Back off the road 8-10', I got a glimpse of a little white head sticking up out of some tall grass. Success! I found the nest. Oh crap, she ain't moving. She isn't dead, she doesn't look hurt, she's BROODY! Darn you @GlennLee. This is your fault. You said this might happen. If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't be in this situation now.
So what do I do about a broody Guinea hen sitting on a clutch of unfertilized eggs 150 yards away from the coop in the middle of a 40 acre forest?!? Do I pick her and the eggs up and force her in to one of the nesting boxes? Do I leave her out there until she gives up? Or worse yet, what if the eggs are fertile and I get a batch of those chicken/Guinea hybrid things? By the time they hatch it will be way to cold for baby keets to survive in the woods. Somebody help....

 

[guineapeeps]

So, well now I jinxed myself. A couple days ago, I posted a 1 month update in my other thread about how well the 3 Guineas had adapted. No more fussing or fighting, everyone behaving, roosting in the coop every night, and not wandering off. Then as soon as I bragged on them, Gertrude didn't coop up that night. She came prancing up at about dawn Thursday morning, chattering away, looking for her friends. I let all the chickens out a little earlier than usual so she could have some food and company. Then about 7:30 I went hunting in the woods for a guinea nest. After about an hour, I gave up and decided to try a different method. I sat on the back porch and waited until Gerdy and Gertrude walked off for their morning stroll together. I figured I could decreitly follow them to the hideout. I was wrong.
After about 100 yards down a trail we have out there, Gerdy stopped and turned around to stare at me. I was a good 75' or more behind them, trying to be nonchalant about it all, but she wasn't buying it. So she slowly started walking back towards me as Gertrude continued down the path to an old logging road we have out in the woods. I turned and walked slowly back to the house and she followed me all the way to make sure I didn't double back. Then I got to work doing other things, figuring Gertrude had gone to lay and would come back later. She didn't, and didn't come home again last night.
I got worried this morning because there has been some big trucks on the back road the last couple days and I was worried someone may have run over her. So again this morning I went searching. This time Gerdy was distracted with morning treats and I took the golf cart because I'm old and walking sucks when you weigh this much. Down the path, then up onto the road. Turned left and went about 50'. Back off the road 8-10', I got a glimpse of a little white head sticking up out of some tall grass. Success! I found the nest. Oh crap, she ain't moving. She isn't dead, she doesn't look hurt, she's BROODY! Darn you @GlennLee. This is your fault. You said this might happen. If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't be in this situation now.
So what do I do about a broody Guinea hen sitting on a clutch of unfertilized eggs 150 yards away from the coop in the middle of a 40 acre forest?!? Do I pick her and the eggs up and force her in to one of the nesting boxes? Do I leave her out there until she gives up? Or worse yet, what if the eggs are fertile and I get a batch of those chicken/Guinea hybrid things? By the time they hatch it will be way to cold for baby keets to survive in the woods. Somebody help....

It sounds like you don't have any male guineas, since you are saying the eggs are infertile or hybrid. I would definitely not let her continue laying on them where she is at, especially if you are concerned about predators. You could try to move her and her nest (I have had some success with this), but considering they are more than likely infertile and it is so late in the year, I would probably shoo her off and collect the eggs. (You could try to incubate them if you want to see if they are infertile for sure). The times when I have been unsuccessful in moving the nest to the coop, the hen doesn't seem to be all that bothered about being pushed off her nest after about 5 minutes have passed and she won't usually go back to the old nesting spot again, so any anxiety you cause her will be very short lived! If you really want to try and move the nest inside, I can let you know what has worked for me (I think I have also posted it on this site as well). Good luck.

 

[pattyhen]

I agree with Guineapeeps I would make her get off the eggs and possibly move them to the coop if you think they maybe fertile. It's to risky for her to nest in the woods. Good luck and I hope you can move her to safety.

 

[Dmontgomery]

I'm not really concerned about the eggs being fertile. I don't have any male Guineas. I was more concerned about her going nuts over losing her eggs. I have never been successful breaking a broody chicken. We always give in after a few days of fighting it. I didn't know if this would be as bad. If she will easily give up the nest, I will gladly gather the eggs.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I'm not really concerned about the eggs being fertile. I don't have any male Guineas. I was more concerned about her going nuts over losing her eggs. I have never been successful breaking a broody chicken. We always give in after a few days of fighting it. I didn't know if this would be as bad. If she will easily give up the nest, I will gladly gather the eggs.

The last time I kicked a broody of the nest she started laying again pretty much right away, in a new spot. She went broody again after a few weeks passed and a new clutch accumulated. It wasn't like with chickens. Hopefully it is late enough in the season that if you kick her off the nest you'll be good until next year.

 

[guineapeeps]

The last time I kicked a broody of the nest she started laying again pretty much right away, in a new spot. She went broody again after a few weeks passed and a new clutch accumulated. It wasn't like with chickens. Hopefully it is late enough in the season that if you kick her off the nest you'll be good until next year.

I tied to move one of my guinea hen's nest about 2 weeks ago. She had been laying on it about 3 days when I found her. When I got close to her, she jumped off and immediately ran off. She didn't seem overly upset and I have not seen her away from the flock, so I don't think she has laid any eggs since. The days are getting colder and shorter so I'm hoping she is done until next spring. I do have a guinea hen that is still laying eggs every day in the coop. She does this every year at this time but always abandons them before they hatch when it gets cold.

 

[Dmontgomery]

Well that was pretty easy.

It's definitely a lot harder getting eggs from a broody chicken. Gertrude didn't fight at all. She got up and ran a few feet under deeper grass. When I tried to pick her up, she flew through the woods. That was pretty. 17 eggs. Apparently this has been going on for a while. She came to the coop for afternoon snacks, got Gerdy, and they went off in the woods screaming. I guess she told her what happened and they went back to check the nest. They're back now.
I don't know about late in the season. It's still mid 80's here during the day. Hope she doesn't try again. I may not find the next nest.