Ohhhhh-Broody Guinea?

[Standard Hen]

Two nights ago I noticed one of my female Guinesa was not around when everyone was going in for the night and then all of a sudden she showed up. Ok, fine. Last night she was nowhere to be found, I have a feeling she might be sitting on a nest somewhere. Sure enough this morning she shows up to eat and drink. Then gone for the day. Just locked everyone up, nowhere to be found. She must be sitting on a nest in the woods, if this is the case does this mean I am going to have baby Guineas???? Are they 18-21 days to hatch also?

 

[dakinsmimi]

She very well may have a nest somewhere. I always hatch my eggs in the incubator, but I've been told that guineas don't make very good mothers. Their eggs take 28 days to hatch. Good luck, hope you get a bunch!

 

[JackieK318]

Check out where she is going. If you can put a kennel around her for a little bit, rig something up. She will get eaten if she sits on her nest. Also, dakinsmimi is right. Guineas are not so great with mothering. Quote from Frits Farm site, "The nest is extremely hard to find, so, when this happens, there is a really good chance you might just lose your hen to a predator. Try to find her by searching along the fence rows and in high grasses. Her mate might be seen guarding her during the day, but will usually go home to roost at night when she needs his protection the most.

You might want to consider setting up a dog kennel in your barn or henhouse, and moving her nest and all, into that kennel. If she is determined, she will safely hatch those eggs, and take care of her keets. If you allow her to stay in the open, and she does hatch her eggs, most likely they wont last long. Guineas are not the best mothers when outdoors, sometimes taking their keets out into wet grass or leaving them in the rain, which is the keets worst enemy. In all the years I have raised guineas, I have yet to have a guinea hatch a clutch and bring any keets home alive on her own. Either a predator or the wet grass gets to them first. If you want to let her stay outdoors on the nest, at least try to enclose an area around her with some temporary fencing so she will get some protection from predators."

 

[Standard Hen]

I know and of course that is exactly what I am thinking will happen. I can not find her and have no idea where she might be. It is very thickly wooded. I am hoping they will call to each other but nothing. I am going to try and look more today but it is like trying to find a needle in a hay stack.

 

[robin416]

Timing is everything when it comes to looking for a guinea on a nest. Of course the flock thing, watch to see if they are hanging in one spot. Rarely works at the beginning of a broody cycle.

If you're lucky you'll be outside when you hear her call. You have to be fast to zero in on her location. Then after dark take a flash light out, make sure you're protected against bugs and methodically shine every square inch of where you suspect she is. Its a bugger finding them when they don't want to be found.

 

[ozark hen]

Of course we all have different experiences but....the first time I found my guinea's nest was because the male sat in a tree above her and kept calling. She didn't stay on the nest so I took the eggs and put them under my broody hen. The hen hatched them. I then discovered(a few weeks later)that my guinea hen was gone again. Male did not locate her for me nor did she come back to the roost that night. She was there the next morning but left before I could follow her...never saw her again!! Please lock her up as the odds of her bringing home keets is very small. We too, live in a clearing surrounded by heavy woods.