How do you hatch Guinea eggs?

[MuranoFarms]

Broody, 'bator or let mama do it?

My Guineas should produce eggs next year. Should I let a broody Silkie hatch the guinea eggs? Or since I have the incubator, I'm wondering if I should just do it myself? My Guineas don't free range yet but I will let them when the weather breaks. I've read that they're not very good hatching on their own, they don't nest in the safest areas and often get attacked by predators while on the nest. I guess I could always keep them penned till they start laying in the coop. Very confused! lol

Any advice?

 

[Marlinchaser]

I have yet to have a Guinea Hen hatch a clutch of eggs, but have had excellent results with hens and bator. I let a hen do it if one is available, but in not they go in bator.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Our problem with guinea hens sitting on eggs is they become sitting ducks for predators. We had one last year that made a nest in a hollow under a tree stump, she was inside a fenced area so we figured it was safe....not. I went out one morning and there was feathers everywhere, she had flown out of the fence early in the morning and something got her. The eggs were still semi warm so I put them in the incubator and they hatched the next day. She was soooooo close.


Steve in NC

 

[bigdawg]

incubator works well for me. but if your going to steal eggs from a sitting hen, glove up and be ready for all out war. the are very protective. and watch for the rooster sneaking up behind you. or you can move her and the eggs at night to a safe place.

 

[MuranoFarms]

Thanks for all the answers! I think if I have a broody Silkie at the time, I'll let her give them a try. If not, then in the incubator they go!

 

[floridamama]

I have had great luck with the bator. And a wierd little duck who actually hatched out 1 guinea. That was something funny to see. My duck liked finding every ones eggs and making a "nest" for them so We must of missed an egg that wasn't a duck bec. next thing we know here is a guinea keet running with mama and ducklings. We still have that guinea We think it still doesn't know it is "adopted" we keep telling the keet its not a duck it needs to go over in the other house but it won't it just yells about being away from mama. oh well another confused bird in the world.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

The book I have on guineas says to coop them for the first egg season so they know where to lay and I had experiences with lost guinea nests in the past. Did any of you allow free-range and still found all the eggs? Or did ya'll all just coop them to avoid the trouble?

 

[Waldo]

We let a RI red hen set on the last guinea eggs we set. She has ten keets which are about 2 months old now. She has been a very good mother and hasn't lost any of them so far. They were running free in the pen with the chickens, but now we have them in a seperate pen that we plan to shut the guineas in this spring so they will lay in there.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a friend who has a guinea hen and no mate for her, but a banty rooster likes her real good. The question will they mate and will she produce keets or chickens? also how long do guineas sit, is it the same as chickens?
Thanks

 

[hankus]

Guineas and chickens can produce a cross. There is a thread somewheres around here about Miracle a cross between a guinea hen and a EE rooster I believe.