Move a nest??

[prairie]

This is a similar question to another thread but will start it separately.

I just returned from a long trip and one of our guinea hens went missing about a week ago -- hubby couldn't find her at night. Well we found she had a nest in the tall grass by the barn-- prime area for coyotes. One of our dogs got too close and she set to screeching and running away. Question is can I move the nest to the coop. We have a large dog carrier (abt 30 X 20") and I thought of putting her in there with the nest along with food and water for a few days to see if she will stay on the nest. Anyone got any ideas?? Suggestions or comments?

Also..........................
I have one hen setting on a nest in the coop and has been setting since 4/19. This morn I found her up on the roost not on the nest but then went to setting again. Maybe she was up there for just a few minutes-- Don't know but will check again tonight and in the morn. But at noon a chicken was in her nest and the hen just went in too and proceeded to sit down along with the chicken. What is going on here???

Love my little peepers and just want to see if they will hatch any.

 

[PeepsCA]

Guinea Hens don't like to be disturbed or bothered when they are laying/nesting, they are very particular about privacy and feeling their nesting area is safe, and they are not at all like chickens who rarely care what you do with their eggs or nests as long as they have some eggs to sit on. Moving your Guinea's nest will probably not work out, the Hens usually abandon the eggs one they have been messed with. You're better off collecting the eggs, destroying the nesting spot, chasing her back into the coop and trying to incubate the eggs, if there's a chance they are still alive... but if she's been sitting on them consistently for a while and was spooked off the nest resulting in the eggs already going cold, there's a likely chance they've already died.

 

[prairie]

We have chickens and ducks and the 5 guineas all in one chicken house so I guess I can't even try because unless I put her in the dog carrier for a few days I will never even be able to keep her from picking a new nesting spot because all the birds free range all day.

Guess I best get a banty cochin or another chicken that might go broody and use them to hatch the eggs. I don't have an incubator.

thanks for the help. We will figure out something tomorrow.

 

[prairie]

Well my one guinea that has a nest in the chicken house does go up to the roost at night! I found her again off the nest and on the roost with the other guineas this morning. What would make her go to the roost instead of staying on the eggs. They are probably not alive anymore are they??

 

[PeepsCA]

You've seen her on the eggs for hours and hours during the days? Some times the Hens will spend a little time on the nest while laying, but will return to the roost every night until they have laid enough to g broody on (usually somewhere between 20-30 eggs). If she's been pestered too much, and is no longer laying eggs in that nest then she may feel it's not a safe spot and has actually abandoned it. Young Hens' instincts don't always kick in like they should either, and that can sometimes be why they abandon a nest as well. Hard to say in this situation, without being there to observe it all...

 

[prairie]

Yes, she stays there all day just coming off for a few minutes for a drink and to eat. She is still on the nest in the evening when I close up the chicken house but in the morning she is on the roost.

She has about 17 eggs in the nest. She is young -- only about 10 months and these are the first eggs.

I am looking for a cochin chicken hen to maybe help with brooding some of the guinea eggs. I don't want more chickens so I don't have a rooster but do want more guineas. If the eggs don't hatch about about 35 days I will destroy them but do you think she will start laying again?? Hope to find a cochin or other broody type in the next week or two.

 

[PeepsCA]

Yep, she will lay again, Guineas are prolific layers, especially pullets... she will alllllll the way thru Fall when the days get shorter, (unless she goes broody on a pile and hatches out keets). It may take her a week or 2 to get back into laying mode once you remove the eggs tho, and she may not lay in that spot, ever again.

I suggest candling the eggs in a week or so, see if you see any development and movement (when she's off of it, don't stress her by shooing her off of it)... you may get lucky with this clutch, you never know how long she's off the nest (unless they are stone cold every morning, then it's obvious).


Good luck!

 

[prairie]

Thanks for the suggestions! I am going to go look at some cochins today and maybe they can do the work of brooding.