my female helmeted guinea is acting sick? what could be wrong?

[suzilovesbirds]

10/9/2013
Hi Everybody!
I am new to this and half a year ago I started with chicks, ducks, and guineas. I only have 2 guineas one male and one female.
Anyway my birds free range but have a coop they return to at dark. This morning when I let them out my female guinea acted like she did not really want to go out. But she did and she stayed close to it. She has basically been in the same spot this morning and afternoon with little movement. I am worried about her. Normally she and her mate are all over the yard and area. The male has been watching her and comes fast in the near when any other birds or myself go near the female. Is she perhaps getting ready to lay? So far she has not laid any eggs. She seems alert just not willing to move much. She has gotten very close to a sleeping position and sometimes lays her head down. Please I love my birds if this is a sign or a problem that someone else with experience knows about please tell me what you think... She is about 7 months old.

Thank you for any help
Suzanne

 

[Granny Hatchet]

i just wonder if she could be egg bound? when they go to roost tonight catch her and give her a once over. check vent, is she straining? look for signs of illness, eyes,nose sore foot. that sort of thing.

 

[suzilovesbirds]

hi!
Thank u soo much for responding. Unfortunately my little girl died. we gave her a once over and everything appeared norm. there were no injuries or anything noticable. i even checked inside her mouth yo see if there was a blockage. Wings were ok no sign of broken limbs or toes ? I just do not understand how such a normal beautif bird cod just been sick one day and then die?? it hurts!
anyways thank u again for your kind response.
Sadly
Suzanne

 

[Granny Hatchet]

im so sorry for your loss suzi, i live in madison IN. if you are close let me know. did u check her vent?

 

[suzilovesbirds]

Hi Granny Hatchet
its so nice from you! i am sad. Like I said we moved here from Europe and have no experience except reading all we can and forums like these. i dont mean to spund stupid but ease tell me what a vent is and I can say if I have checked it
i really gave her a once over bit please explain.
thank you again for your kindness. most peoe think guineas r loud and all. but mine really r sweet. they make a lovely whistling noise and an alarm if something strange comes in our yard.
thanks again
suzi

 

[Granny Hatchet]

i have guineas, they are lovely creatures. the vent is where the egg would have come out. it would have been hard to the touch or she would have been straining . the reason i ask if you were close is because some guineas i gave some one just had 12 babies and i dont think she wants them all annd i know they were good stock

 

[suzilovesbirds]

Oh Poo! what a nice thought! i have 25 acres and would love to as many as the coop could hold. i think I am a long ways away. i live in Seguin Texas its between Austin and San Antonio. if I understood right u live in Indiana?
Would be so lucky to have a neighbor like you. thank you again for your kindness. i guess I will wait till Spring. i have 14 birds now and I want to expand the coop and my husband promised to add a continuous/ refill water addition for my girls and boys. Is it usual for guineas to get egg bound? i saw she had relieved herself at the end but i did feel around
her abdomen area and felt nothing unusual..
but up till the end she had not laid any eggs that we saw. we thought maybe guineas were later in having eggs. as i said she was 6-7 months old. she was lovely.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

well thank you! no its not common for them to be egg bound and i just had a thought, (not me) haha, guineas love to hide their nests out in tall grass, 25 ac. is alot but it would be worth a shot to go looking in some tall grass where she might have hung out and search for a nest. you might get lucky and then you could incubate. they are secretive with mating and laying eggs. wouldnt that be cool? they are pointed at one end and tan to white with oh, its my avatar. hah

 

[suzilovesbirds]

Well we do have areas with high grasses. i will look around and see. it is interesting to think anout it. do u know what i should look for ( the nest)
i never once saw them mate and find it interesting that maybe they really do have a nest. but its in the 50's at night. would the eggs still b hatchable? that would b sooo amzing.
thank u again for the idea. funny is they all sleep together in the coop at night. roosters, chikens, ducks and my male guinea. i had not thought that they would have a nest.
i can hardly wait till its light in the morning.
have a nice evening. and thanks again! hope you will stay in touch.
i will let u know if i fond something. keep uour fingers crossed for me

 

[Granny Hatchet]

50s is perfect, you would look for just a dent in the ground surrounded by tall grass , they are hard to find maybe under some briers like wild blackberry and guinneas have a pattern through the day so they kinda visit the same spots. the male may still do so. it will be hard to find with that much space but not impossible . good luck and let me know how it turns out