Question about egglaying

[OccamsTazer]

I have done something dumb.
Lately I have been collecting some strange eggs from my chickens. Too small, weird color, and very hard to crack.

It just hit me that I've been eating the guinea eggs I waited a year to see.

Will she keep on laying until she gets a clutch even though I've been stealing them?
Also, she's been laying them in the nest box. If I create a likely-looking broody box somewhere nearby and put her eggs in it, will that encourage her to go there and sit?
They free-range, how can I keep her from making a nest somewhere undesirable?
We have about an acre of bamboo, if she goes broody in there, well that's where she will have to brood.

 

[Alaska animal lover]

Quote:
I don't know, but here's a bump for ya!

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

Yes, she will continue to lay even with you stealing them. The only thing is, she might decide to lay somewhere else so you can't find them.
I don't think you can stop her from making her nest where she wants to make it, especially if she free ranges. To keep her safe from predators and to protect the keets when they hatch, I would put her and the male in a dry pen by themselves until she decides to go broody. Then I would remove the male. They like to nest on the ground in a hidden place. I am thinking from your post that you only have one pair. If you have more, I would still suggest penning them up for their protection while it is their laying season.

My Guineas are super protective of their nests when broody, and will defend it with their lives if predators attack. They don't make the best Moms, though. Guinea keets don't handle wet ground well at all. Even the dew on the grass will cause them to die until they are about a week old. So, when they are out following Mom, she will take them through the wet grass and that is not good.

I lost several Guinea hens before I decided to pen them up during their laying season. I usually incubate their eggs now, so they continue to lay and I get more keets that way. Once they are done laying for the year, I turn them back out again.

I hope this helps you, and good luck with your hatches!

Jean

 

[wolftracks]

Get ready for a hidden nest hunt.
Give them a pen with some plants or something placed in there where they can hide. They don't lay usually in the open. I don't have them any longer, but I put babies straight into a brooder as soon as I can get to them. Guinea moms are dense! I also like being able to hold them and have some contact with them. It makes it easier to be able to take care of them if they are sick or hurt and to pen them if theres any reason. When a hen raises them that doesn't always happen. Still they aren't always people birds, so sometimes that works and most times it doesn't, but they're so darn cute it's fun to be able to pick them up when you want to.

 

[OccamsTazer]

Thanks for the info!
Building another pen is pretty unlikely. We're moving this summer, we're both about to graduate, about to get married...you get the idea

I might try to bully the idea through though.

I will build her a broody coop. My broody coops consist of a large dog crate with a hiding box for nesting. I can cover the whole business with bamboo leaves and pieces. Hopefully she will either like that, or take to it once she gets moved there.

 

[Cacklin" Hens]

As long as you don't take all the eggs out of the nest at once, most likely she will come back to that one. Always leave three int here for her. That is my rule of thumb and mine never switch nests. If you take all of the eggs out however, she probably will make a new nest elsewhere!

 

[rooster0209]

You will probably NOT be able to force her to go broody. Some guinea hens never go broody. They share a nest and maybe one will decide to set...maybe. I found a nest in a hole, under a roll of old barbed wire in the trees and there were over 60 eggs in that nest. They were still using the nest too.

Personally, I would hunt for the nest (just watch around noon time and notice where they seem to be gathering) and collect a few eggs, always leaving 3 or 4. You can put those eggs in the nesting box and hen (chicken) will hatch them for you. I have one guinea using the nesting boxes with the chickens but I don't see that habit staying. I leave those eggs in there and one of my girls will decide to do the job.