update on momma scared off nest....

[lizzard14]

Okay, as you guys remember my momma guinea got scared off her nest by a skunk, while she was off I took the opportunity to candle the eggs and only 2 eggs out of 21 were fertile. They were due to hatch yesterday. I checked all day yesterday and she wouldn't budge. She wouldn't get up at all and let me see if she hatched anything. Well, this morning I went out, and same thing except she was making a different "get the hell away from me" noise. It was weird. It was almost like a growl, so I backed up and just squatted down and sat quietly for a few minutes and I could hear peeping. I came inside and got the babies food and water to put out there and when I went back she was facing the wall with her wings spread and there was one little head poking out from under her wing, pecking at the ground. As of right now, I dont know if the second egg has hatched yet. I dont know what to do about the other eggs. She is still sitting on the remaining 19-20 eggs. I left them where they were because I didn't want to disturb her nest. So when will it be safe for me to remove them. She also went around the next day and gathered a couple of non-fertile turkey eggs and put in her nest. LOL.. I house my one turkey in with the guineas and Baby D (the turkey) had layed a couple of eggs in the other room, I was going to use those eggs to bait the trap with. Well the day after the skunk incident I went to get the turkey eggs to bait the trap and they were gone. Well I noticed yesterday she is sitting on them in her nest. I guess she went through and gathered them up. I knew the other night whenever I shined the flash light on her and she ran back to her nest it was almost like she was counting her eggs before she layed down. A couple of eggs got eated by the skunk but I guess the next day she went around and gathered every egg in the place. Have you guys ever heard of that? So, when do you think it would be safe for me to gather the other eggs? Should I just wait a couple of weeks and see if she moves her babies? I have never had a momma guinea hatch anything so I don't know what to do. She is not as tame as the chicken was when the chicken hatched guineas for us. Any advice will be greatly appreciated ;-)

 

[melroseladi]

Once my hen took her keets out of the nest that was it, she didn't go back in. Her nest was in a dogloo doghouse in a pen. She would roost with the keets on the ground but didn't take them back into the nest. Once she did that I was able to get the rest of the eggs out and hatched out 5 in the incubator. The remaining eggs were not developed.

 

[PeepsCA]

I would let her decide when she is done with the nest/rest of the eggs. The longer she stays put, the better chance the keet or keets have of staying warm... I'd give it at least a week unless she leaves the nest before that. Good job on providing feed and water for the babies. You've done just about all you can. Guinea Hens are fiercely defensive about their babies, and if she is in a safe place I'd just leave her be.

That's odd she went and rounded up other eggs, lol... I don't know if it is possible that the Turkey eggs could be fertile (by a male Guinea) but you never know, unless you candle them. I would just avoid disturbing your Momma Hen tho, keep her and the baby (babies?) locked up safe from predators, and see how it goes.

Congrats on at least one baby keet!

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