Questions about large communal nest

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

One way to encourage them to lay eggs in other nests is to seed the nests with either their eggs or with fake eggs. If using their own eggs, I recommend writing the month and day on the eggs in order to differentiate the eggs that are laid in the nest. I use a pencil but others use a Sharpie. The writing from the Sharpie will hold up better and last longer.

Thanks for the pro tip. I made “fake” eggs by blowing out their eggs and filling with glue. At first, I used them in their outdoor nests that I’d discovered, and that seemed to work, but when we got inundated with predators the glue eggs started getting eaten!!! They disappeared pretty quickly. After I locked the guineas up, no more (excessive) predators but I think that they now have a taste for guinea eggs! Then I seeded their planned coop nests with eggs, but they ignored my spots and picked their own... I’ve noticed that their preferred wild/coop nests are bowl or tunnel like with a way in and a way out. I’m thinking for the new coop of short lengths of large diameter pipe surrounded by planter boxes as nest boxes? Anyone tried that?

 

[R2elk]

Thanks for the pro tip. I made “fake” eggs by blowing out their eggs and filling with glue. At first, I used them in their outdoor nests that I’d discovered, and that seemed to work, but when we got inundated with predators the glue eggs started getting eaten!!! They disappeared pretty quickly. After I locked the guineas up, no more (excessive) predators but I think that they now have a taste for guinea eggs! Then I seeded their planned coop nests with eggs, but they ignored my spots and picked their own... I’ve noticed that their preferred wild/coop nests are bowl or tunnel like with a way in and a way out. I’m thinking for the new coop of short lengths of large diameter pipe surrounded by planter boxes as nest boxes? Anyone tried that?

Many people have success by stacking hay or straw bales in such a fashion that they make little cave like openings.