So sad :(

[shelleyd2008]

When I go to walk my son to the bus stop, I always check on my broody guinea hen. She has her nest right beside the driveway, so she is pretty easy to spot.
This morning she wasn't there. I was hoping that she was just off her nest, but she never leaves it until later in the day, around 11 or 12. We continued walking, and there was the telltale sign.....a pile of feathers. I thought maybe it was a duck, cause there were only 6 pekins on the pond I could see. But sadly, it wasn't.

I still haven't located the duck, but she is probably laying somewhere. The feathers are spotted, so I know they are from the guinea. I brought her eggs inside, hopefully they weren't left for too long.

Whatever got her completely ate her, all that's left are feathers.

I knew I should have broke her up, I lost one hen already this year. But I figured since she was so close to the house she would be okay.

There is a silkie chicken also brooding in the same general area, and she is still there. I'm going to get her and lock her up somewhere, so nothing happens to her.

 

[karl lutz]

Coyotes are bad around my house so I keep all my chickens in a pen. I Think your guinea courageously gave the ultimate sacrafice for her eggs.I hope you have saved them so it was not in vain . God bless!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I'm so sorry!

 

[froggie71]

So sorry! I hope you can save her eggs.

 

[shelleyd2008]

We usually don't have predator problems here, we have 2 dogs that run loose all the time, and they do pretty good about keeping things away. We did have something get some chicken hens a few months ago that we think was coyotes, but nothing since then. This guinea hen is such a protective mama, I so wish I would have done something to protect her. I was afraid of moving her or putting a cage over her, for fear that she would leave the nest

 

[SimplyForties]

What a bad way to start the day.

Best get your silkie put up I guess.

 

[ziggywiggy]

I feel for you. I had a pair and the hen decided to set and got ate. So now my male mopes around looking very sad and dejected.
The problem with guineas is they telegraph where there nest is.
I could hear her in the evening and I knew that if I was listening, so were the coyotes and fox's.
I just bought four more chicks. I'm going to keep one pair caged.
Also, it seems to me that the Pearls are more "street wise" than some of the other breeds.

 

[featheredfriendlover]

wow. you are going through the same exact thing as me. my guinea has had 4 nest this year.i let her stay because she was so close to the house. i went on vacation and she was setting on her eggs. well when i came back all of her eggs where there but there was a trail of her feathers going up into the woods. its soo sad. we dont usually have a bad predator problem here but something got her. im soo sad and so is her 3 male buddies. especially her mate.

 

[damselfish]

Oh, I'm so sorry, we have lost some setting guinea hens this season too. It's just awful isn't it?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yes it is, especially when I only had 2 to start with. The first one was taken 6-8 weeks ago, and now this one. At least I have some young girls already for next year, and one of my brooder babies also looks like a girl.