My guineas are driving my crazy 🤪

[Fcarter]

We started with 5 guineas. I think 2 males 2 females. This is the first year that they are laying eggs. We let them free range and also have a house for them. At first they laid eggs in their house. All was great til about 3 wks after they started laying. No more eggs were found. We noticed that one hen was gone throughout the day. One day we found a well hidden nest with about 30 eggs. About a week later the hen was gone. Never to be seen again. All of the eggs were broken and/or eaten. Soon after that another hen began taking trips and staying longer and longer. We never found this nest even though we could hear her. About a week later I found 8 eggs in the garden under the potato plants. Is it possible for her to have 2 nests at the same time? Should I take some of the eggs are put them in an incubator? Do they stand a chance of hatching/surviving if left alone? They are really close to our house. Is this normal guinea behavior? What could we do to help them ? They are very friendly birds but I am worried about them.

 

[Sydney65]

1.when they first start laying it's a trial run. They'll drop them anywhere. When they get serious about it, they'll want away from everyone else, including the coop.
2. Keep your hens penned/cooped during season, atleast until you know they've laid an egg for the day.
3.she won't have 2 active nests. Either that's the one, or she's moved on. She won't stay with the nest all the time until she goes broody. If there's only 8 eggs in there, you've got awhile before that happens.
4. You can try incubating them. Worse result is you find out they're duds. You get a few weeks leaway from the time they're laid before they're unviable, and they don't start "cooking" until she goes broody and stays on the nest. I found some last year after a hen went missing. Some of them hatched,some weren't fertile.
Either way, it's a learning experience that is exciting. It's one way to build your flock up.

 

[Fcarter]

1.when they first start laying it's a trial run. They'll drop them anywhere. When they get serious about it, they'll want away from everyone else, including the coop.
2. Keep your hens penned/cooped during season, atleast until you know they've laid an egg for the day.
3.she won't have 2 active nests. Either that's the one, or she's moved on. She won't stay with the nest all the time until she goes broody. If there's only 8 eggs in there, you've got awhile before that happens.
4. You can try incubating them. Worse result is you find out they're duds. You get a few weeks leaway from the time they're laid before they're unviable, and they don't start "cooking" until she goes broody and stays on the nest. I found some last year after a hen went missing. Some of them hatched,some weren't fertile.
Either way, it's a learning experience that is exciting. It's one way to build your flock up.

Thanks for the info. Very helpful! I have another problem now. I heard a female hollering under the window this morning. When I went out I found her and a bunch of new babies. The other female is still on her eggs in the potato field. This is the one that went missing weeks ago. What do I do with the babies? No rain in the forcast so today they're ok. Do I just leaving them with the mother or try and catch them to raise? If we try to catch them will the others attack? They seem really protective . I've been able to count 8 so far. Thanks!

 

[Sydney65]

Thanks for the info. Very helpful! I have another problem now. I heard a female hollering under the window this morning. When I went out I found her and a bunch of new babies. The other female is still on her eggs in the potato field. This is the one that went missing weeks ago. What do I do with the babies? No rain in the forcast so today they're ok. Do I just leaving them with the mother or try and catch them to raise? If we try to catch them will the others attack? They seem really protective . I've been able to count 8 so far. Thanks!

Hmm...Well, I don't know your guineas, so - I can tell you yes, you want to get them in the coop where they will be safe. As to how, when Mama's hatched,a friend was here. I picked up Mama, the friend gathered the keets up in a basket, and we relocated everyone to the coop. BUT- Mama is a very docile hen who's accustomed to me picking her up.
Try scooping her up w/a fluffy towel. It shouldn't be hard bc she's not going to budge from that nest. Cover her head so you don't have to worry about being bit, but in MY experience, the bites don't hurt. I guess it's the football hold? Under your arm so the wings are confined, that hand holding the feet gently but firmly, and the other hand can slip under her neck. Meanwhile have someone scoop up the keets.
Again, I'm not sure what your male will do if he's guarding. Mine try to lead you away from the nest. It was a male who first bit me, it stunned me but didnt break the skin or hurt, & as soon as I turned around, he took off. So- the second person could be holding a pole or stick, not in a threatening way, but so it's visable, while you scoop up the hen, and then you guard while keets are gathered.
The hen still brooding, if you move th eggs she'll abandon the nest. So you have 4 choices- sacrifice the eggs, sacrifice the hen by leaving her, try to cover the nest with a dog crate or something that might provide protection, or gather the eggs & incubate.
You count 8 eggs or keets? If keets with more eggs to hatch, I'd wait until this evening to give others time to hatch.

 

[Fcarter]

Hmm...Well, I don't know your guineas, so - I can tell you yes, you want to get them in the coop where they will be safe. As to how, when Mama's hatched,a friend was here. I picked up Mama, the friend gathered the keets up in a basket, and we relocated everyone to the coop. BUT- Mama is a very docile hen who's accustomed to me picking her up.
Try scooping her up w/a fluffy towel. It shouldn't be hard bc she's not going to budge from that nest. Cover her head so you don't have to worry about being bit, but in MY experience, the bites don't hurt. I guess it's the football hold? Under your arm so the wings are confined, that hand holding the feet gently but firmly, and the other hand can slip under her neck. Meanwhile have someone scoop up the keets.
Again, I'm not sure what your male will do if he's guarding. Mine try to lead you away from the nest. It was a male who first bit me, it stunned me but didnt break the skin or hurt, & as soon as I turned around, he took off. So- the second person could be holding a pole or stick, not in a threatening way, but so it's visable, while you scoop up the hen, and then you guard while keets are gathered.
The hen still brooding, if you move th eggs she'll abandon the nest. So you have 4 choices- sacrifice the eggs, sacrifice the hen by leaving her, try to cover the nest with a dog crate or something that might provide protection, or gather the eggs & incubate.
You count 8 eggs or keets? If keets with more eggs to hatch, I'd wait until this evening to give others time to hatch.

Well, it gets crazier by the minute. I looked out and saw the male and female strolling through the backyard with 2 keets following. I went out and checking to make sure everyone was there. Just those 2. I went back and found that the others were still in the nest crying. Not knowing what to do I gathered the others and put them near the group and they fell right in all but one. This baby looked very weak and wouldn't walk. I brought him into the garage and fixed a box for him. I don't expect a miracle. After the group was walking for a while I noticed that the other male, that gas been guarding the other nesting female, came over and started flipping the chicks around. I am more confused than ever. I hope I'm doing right by them. Thanks

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Well, it gets crazier by the minute. I looked out and saw the male and female strolling through the backyard with 2 keets following. I went out and checking to make sure everyone was there. Just those 2. I went back and found that the others were still in the nest crying. Not knowing what to do I gathered the others and put them near the group and they fell right in all but one. This baby looked very weak and wouldn't walk. I brought him into the garage and fixed a box for him. I don't expect a miracle. After the group was walking for a while I noticed that the other male, that gas been guarding the other nesting female, came over and started flipping the chicks around. I am more confused than ever. I hope I'm doing right by them. Thanks

Need to get mom (maybe dad) and babies into a secure place for at least a few weeks. A stall or sectioned off portion of the coop could work. I lost several keets last year to an aggressive Guinea cock who happened to be the dad. Picking up the keets is how he started but it quickly escalated to killing the keets. The success rate of hens trying to raise keets outside of a coop is low. You’re better off separating and brooding keets yourself it you can’t get them somewhere safe. Best of luck!!!

 

[Fcarter]

Need to get mom (maybe dad) and babies into a secure place for at least a few weeks. A stall or sectioned off portion of the coop could work. I lost several keets last year to an aggressive Guinea cock who happened to be the dad. Picking up the keets is how he started but it quickly escalated to killing the keets. The success rate of hens trying to raise keets outside of a coop is low. You’re better off separating and brooding keets yourself it you can’t get them somewhere safe. Best of luck!!!

Thanks. We had a sudden down pour and the parents rushed them to their little shelter. They are all in there now and with a few repairs it will work great. Should we run the male out or see what happens. They are both very good parents so far.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Thanks. We had a sudden down pour and the parents rushed them to their little shelter. They are all in there now and with a few repairs it will work great. Should we run the male out or see what happens. They are both very good parents so far.

My dad was problematic very soon and other people have managed to raise keets with both parents, so hopefully yours is a good dad! I got concerned when I saw my dad pick a baby up by the wing and drop it. I kicked him out of the coop that mom and keets were living in, but then messed up a few days later and accidentally let him back in. Congratulations on the babies!

 

[Sydney65]

Thanks. We had a sudden down pour and the parents rushed them to their little shelter. They are all in there now and with a few repairs it will work great. Should we run the male out or see what happens. They are both very good parents so far.

Echoing Mixed- kind of. Mama's brood last year had an attentive daddy and two equally attentive "uncles". Mixed was worried she had too many keets to keep warm, but the hen and 3 males divided them up amongst them, and kept it that way when they came out of the coop.

 

[Fcarter]

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Echoing Mixed- kind of. Mama's brood last year had an attentive daddy and two equally attentive "uncles". Mixed was worried she had too many keets to keep warm, but the hen and 3 males divided them up amongst them, and kept it that way when they came out of the coop.

Thanks! What provisions do I need to put in the pen besides food and water for the adults. I plan on leaving the group together for a few weeks and then let the adults out.