New to guineas

[Homestead Mama]

We currently have 4 adult guineas - not sure of sexes. One hen has recently laid & is brooding a clutch of 13 eggs. Did she lay because the eggs are fertilized, or do they just lay anyway like chicken hens without a rooster? Would enjoy increasing our flock. Guineas (black/brown speckled) are so unique & ugly that they all have their own beauty! Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

[BantamLover21]

As far as I know, guinea fowl will lay eggs without a rooster, and will go broody on infertile eggs. However, it is certainly possible that your hen is sitting on fertile eggs--guinea fowl are hard to sex. I guess you'll just have to see if they hatch!

The incubation period for Guinea Fowl is 27-28 days.

Oh, and

 

[Wyandottes7]

Welcome to BYC!

We're glad to have you.

I haven't kept Guinea Fowl myself, but I'm pretty sure that they'll lay eggs, even without the eggs being fertilzed or there being a male.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

X2..Guineas will lay with our without a rooster present. Definitely stop by our Guinea section for more help with your birds...https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/45/guinea-fowl

Good luck with your birds and welcome to our flock!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X3 on stop by the Guinea forum, if you can post pictures of your birds they could probably help you figure out what sexes you actually have.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

 

[liz9910]

x2 on checking out the Guinea forum.

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. I'm a chicken person and don't know much about Guineas (never had any), but definitely check out the guinea link that TwoCrows has left you with and take advantage of our guinea experts there. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck with your guineas.

 

[drumstick diva]

Hope you have a male in there somewhere so that her eggs are fertile. Welcome to the Backyard chickens flock, nice that you would join us.

 

[MeepBeep]

If you get both unique calls from your guineas and/or if the waddles and helmets are drastically different sizes you likely have mixed sexes and thus will have fertile eggs, ... Sometimes they can be awful moms so you might want to keep on eye on the broody hen and have an incubator and brooder on standby if you really want to hatch and raise them...