Guinea talk.

[GlennLee]

Oh dear... too bad for little LeAnn.... maybe you can try again when she's a bit bigger. You never know how it will go until you try.

 

[MartinsPoultry]

That or wait until after the Jumbo's hatch and put them with her. I am hoping for all 24 to hatch, all eggs candled look amazing and promising

 

[BlueShadow]

Chased one of my broody guinea hens off her nest tonight to candle eggs. And by "chase" I mean she absolutely refused to go anywhere no matter what I did, so I had to catch her (thank goodness for leather gloves) and toss her outside of the fence we put up to keep predators away. ANNNND of course I had not closed the gate, so by the time I had 4 eggs candled, she was back in attacking me. Then I threw a shoe at her and she decided she wanted to get away, but she couldn't figure out how to get out of the fence. So she spent the rest of the time trying to find a way to break through the fence. Who would have thought she would leave me alone if I left her IN the pen, but not when I tossed her out? Guineas!

 

[GlennLee]

You never know how they'll act since the unpredictable is the norm with them. How did the eggs candle?

 

[BlueShadow]

You never know how they'll act since the unpredictable is the norm with them. How did the eggs candle?

The eggs were all fertile, about 2/3 dark. So like days 13-14 of chicken eggs incubating. So I am guessing that would translate to days 17 or 18 for guinea eggs? I haven't been able to find a chart of what guinea eggs look like on various days of candling.

 

[MartinsPoultry]

Just candled the jumbos 6/24 do not look promising, rest are dark and babies moving inside. They are due the 11th but i think they will be sooner then that.
Incubating is so fun but the anticipation of hatch day is the killer.

 

[GlennLee]

@BlueShadow - good to hear that you have such a high fertility rate. I haven't been able to find an embryo development chart for guineas either. A duck chart is close...
Oh, meant to tell you that when I went in to get my broody off her next, the temps were in the 80's and I was decked out in my leather gloves, winter Carhart jacket, long jeans, muck boots and skull cap! I wasn't going to take any chances with a hormonal guinea hen having her nest taken away!

Good thing we live where our neighbors understand these things!

@MartinsPoultry - bummer about the 6 that aren't fertile. Wish you all the best with the rest and it's a bit like sitting on pins and needles until they hatch. Yes, the anticipation is the killer. I think because we want to help and we can't.

 

[lilybug51]

Hi! I'm new to guinea also. I just bought a 19 acre farm that is mostly woods. I raised 8 guinea from keets to 4months and moved them to a big run which already existed on the property. They were coming home every night after free ranging all day. Then disaster happened and 4 out of 8 got picked off over the course of 2 nights. I have now buttoned down the run with thousands of staples. I also set live traps. I've caught and relocated 4 baby possums. Two adult possums and 1 raccoon have been eliminated. I'm now raising the 14 keets seen in the pic (my first were pearl, these guys are lavender). I re-imagined a dog kennel into a brooder box and you can see they love all the perches. Poor babies their heads are soooo heavy when they get tired!

 

[GlennLee]

Oh, what a great photo and I'm sure they love living on that 19 acre farm. What's not to love about that?

I'm very sorry to hear about the predator problem. It's so sad when they are lost to predators - I think in part, because we feel responsible since we're supposed to keep them safe. But try as we might, it's bound to happen if they free range and many of us do that with our guineas.

We always have traps set up for chipmunks and mice and have caught a baby opossum in it as well. It was good that you were able to rehome the babies. They are so good - even eating more ticks than guineas - but can do a lot of damage to a flock of poultry.

Our predators - fox, coyote and possibly fisher - have come brazenly in the daylight hours. I've added an electric solar fence that allows the chickens and guineas (if they stay in it) to be out and about with some protection when not free ranging. We also got a new 222 rifle and have mowed down a swath of grass around the coops to keep watch. Meanwhile, the rabbit population has gone crazy because they prefer a poultry buffet!

I hope you have things under control for the time being and that your babies keep safe. I've realized I will need to keep about double the number I thought I would keep going forward just to maintain my flock. Just the way of the free ranging guinea farm....

 

[MartinsPoultry]

She is soooo needy. I leave the room she screams, I dont hold her she screams, I walk by her she screams. Paces back and forth in the cage constantly. Few more days and she will have 18+ babies with her