Should they be laying by now?

[The Chickeneer]

I hatched a couple guineas last summer, so they should be 5 or 6 months. I have a few females in the flock, and wonder if they are laying. They are free ranging, so if they did lay, I wouldn't know about it. So know they are locked up in the coop for a while to see if they are. Do they lay in winter? The chickens and ducks are laying so i know there is enough light. These are the first batch i raised from keets, the rest I had already as adults, so I don't know a lot about these adolescents. Thanks.

 

[Cowgirl71]

Guineas are seasonal layers. Ours start laying in March or April and then stop around October.

 

[JLeigh]

Chickeneer, my guinea hens are 5 months old, too - hatched August 10th and I have only two males. both males are at least a month younger than my hens so I'm not even thinking about eggs until spring, Correction, I'm thinking about eggs a lot, just not expecting any.

 

[johnnybee]

If they do lay at 5 months in a cooler climate it will be a fluke and most likely not fertile eggs. They may lay a little but I wouldn't expect much. Mine don't lay much after November until March or April.

 

[PeepsCA]

I hatched a couple guineas last summer, so they should be 5 or 6 months. I have a few females in the flock, and wonder if they are laying. They are free ranging, so if they did lay, I wouldn't know about it. So know they are locked up in the coop for a while to see if they are. Do they lay in winter? The chickens and ducks are laying so i know there is enough light. These are the first batch i raised from keets, the rest I had already as adults, so I don't know a lot about these adolescents. Thanks.

I have always had quite a few Guinea Pullets start laying early in Jan each year (except this year, so far), but since you are in CA and we've had pretty mild weather lately and a decent amount of sun it is very possible yours have been laying outside somewhere. (They can be sexually mature and can start laying as young as 14-15 wks old). When exactly the pullets/Hens decide to start laying varies, and random eggs aren't all that uncommon depending on the amount of light they get and what your climate/weather is like, but as mentioned they are typically just seasonal layers.

Pullets usually have no clue about laying eggs tho and will usually drop them where ever... for quite a while until instinct kicks in and they start choosing nesting places. I'd be sure to check your bedding well while you have them locked in, sometimes eggs get buried/covered up with all the extra activity and scratching going on in the coop. If you do get some eggs while they are cooped you will want to stalk your pullets once you let them out, they may lead you to a couple piles of eggs, or one big community pile, you never know.

Right now none of my pullets are laying (figures, my birds always manage to make a liar out of me, lol), but I am getting about 8 eggs a day from my 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 yr old Hens (Hens older than a yr old in my flocks typically wait until late Feb/early March to start laying)... so I think it's safe to say that laying season is definitely starting up here in CA.

 

[The Chickeneer]

I'l be watching them pretty closely know. When their mother was laying eggs last summer, I would just find them on the lawn or dirt, anywhere really. Then she started a nest and a broody hen found it and took over it (im glad the hen raised the keets because guineas are terrible mothers). So this means when they start laying I can expect eggs just on the ground everywhere? How long till they decide to pick a spot and nest?

 

[PeepsCA]

I'l be watching them pretty closely know. When their mother was laying eggs last summer, I would just find them on the lawn or dirt, anywhere really. Then she started a nest and a broody hen found it and took over it (im glad the hen raised the keets because guineas are terrible mothers). So this means when they start laying I can expect eggs just on the ground everywhere? How long till they decide to pick a spot and nest?

That's typically the case with my Guinea pullets, eggs dropped wherever at first. As to how long that will go on before they finally pick a nest... it varies, there's no set in stone time frame on that with my flocks. Sometimes it's just the first few eggs, sometimes it's 20

Having a private nesting area with some fake or marked eggs in it in the coop for them may clue your pullets in that that is where they should lay... it's worked for me quite a few times, but it does not always work. During the laying season I just keep my birds in their coops/pens until the Hens have laid their eggs for the day, then everybody gets let out. The birds aren't exactly thrilled about it, but at least all the eggs get laid in the coop/pen and nobody is laying out in the bushes/thistles/poison oak!

 

[The Chickeneer]

That's typically the case with my Guinea pullets, eggs dropped wherever at first. As to how long that will go on before they finally pick a nest... it varies, there's no set in stone time frame on that with my flocks. Sometimes it's just the first few eggs, sometimes it's 20

Having a private nesting area with some fake or marked eggs in it in the coop for them may clue your pullets in that that is where they should lay... it's worked for me quite a few times, but it does not always work. During the laying season I just keep my birds in their coops/pens until the Hens have laid their eggs for the day, then everybody gets let out. The birds aren't exactly thrilled about it, but at least all the eggs get laid in the coop/pen and nobody is laying out in the bushes/thistles/poison oak!

Thats actually a good Idea. Thanks. I'll just let them out, when eggs start turning up on the floor then i know they will be laying and will lock them up then.

 

[Trefoil]

In my experience they lay when they get d good and ready. I'm in MI and my birds aren't laying yet, but I've had years when my birds were laying when owners in the South were asking if anyones' birds were laying yet, mine were and people 20 miles from me weren't.-It could be my imagination, but it seems like once one starts the rest follow.

 

[JLeigh]

In my experience they lay when they get d good and ready. I'm in MI and my birds aren't laying yet, but I've had years when my birds were laying when owners in the South were asking if anyones' birds were laying yet, mine were and people 20 miles from me weren't.-It could be my imagination, but it seems like once one starts the rest follow.

LOL. Brag brag brag

Trefoil. (I'm in the south).