When guieneas start to lay

[ludwing]

Glennlee- that's a lovely nest you got out there but it seem to public, which you need to put some cover over, and place it near the wall. as i' have had notice about their nesting habits, they prefer to nest usually in thick grass close to fallen brachens or close to wall or log.
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Most of our guinea hens like to go far away to lay their eggs. Harry is on her 15th day today. her nest is very far away, i' don't go everyday to check up on her. it is far away close to the riding horse where they sometimes go for free-ranging. I' don't incubate eggs myself as that, most of the time our guineas go broody, their keets usually survive about 55%-79%,
for the keets i' don't worry about lost, most of the time, we allow the hens to do their thing raising their babies helped by the flock. recently we have 6 Adult females harry as an older hen ( 6 years of) and the rest are her babies 2 males and 3 hens. it is very warm here with very cool mornings, having a mediterranean climate, from the south cost of South Africa.....
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They forange very far away during the day, they were never cooped so we let them see the world as much as they please. And sometimes i' hear them coming running from the riding horse that might be located 1,9 - 2 miles away but that make us happy about them,because they do come back, and roost near the coop on a short tree.

*long time ago, when herry was 2 years old, she once nested at the riding horse, so they called us to collect her and her 16 keets. i' sometimes believe that they can be stupid sometimes, because she was like " ohw No i' don't know where home is, its too far for my babies to take the distance" she was wandering at their riding horse up and down *
i' love them very much,especially hens when they chase me when im not giving their yammy meal.
Thank you

 

[GlennLee]

You are right, LUDWING... it is a public nest and I was very surprised that there was any interest in them laying eggs in it, but I was happy they did so. I'm not encouraging nesting this late in the season, but thought it would be an interesting thing to try in the coop. The temperatures are getting colder and any keets probably wouldn't survive if born now.

I wanted to "play" with a few ideas in the coop, just to expose the guineas to some new potential nesting spots and observe the outcome. I have seen an A-frame construction that was used to encourage nesting in a video in Australia and may add that type of roof over the tub. I have a bin with a entry hole cut out and straw inside hidden in between hay bails too. My hope is that they will get used to nesting containers being there and consider them safe, so when spring comes around, they might just decide to nest inside rather than going broody outside. Time will tell and the one thing we know about guineas is that they are very unpredictable. What may work for one, may not work for another. A third idea I have is setting up a temporary covered run around them, if they do nest in the tall grasses. Many things to try once spring arrives and they become interested in nesting.

How is Harry doing? She was at day 15 the last time you posted. At almost day 22, it won't be long and you'll be seeing little keets around her. You will have to make sure to post more pictures. It's good that you don't have many predators and they are free to range without much worry and in a warm climate. They must do very well. And it sounds as though they range far away from the house. Mine don't usually go off our property, but they sometimes like to cross the road and visit our neighbor's woods. It's much cooler in there, so if it's hot and humid, they will seek shelter over there. They're usually happy in the tall grass and cattails.

I think the guineas like to play "stupid". I'll bet when Harry had that nest so far away from home, she just didn't want to make the trip home with them. They are such opportunists and will play it however is needed to their advantage.

I love my guineas too... they are so entertaining and very unique. It's been a wonderful experience that we will continue year round. When I first got them, I was only going to keep them until the end of garden season and then butcher. Sounds heartless, but I didn't know if I would even like having them and we purchased the flock with the sole purpose of having them to eat ticks and insects. After spending so much time with them, we've become quite attached and to start over every year, just doesn't make sense, so we bought a barn and here they will stay and hopefully raise keets of their own.

Best wishes to you and your guineas. I enjoy hearing your stories and reading your posts when you have time to respond. I'll leave with two pictures I took yesterday. The guineas were exploring our upper garden (I wish they had gone there sooner when the insects were ravaging my plants) and I took a photo of two of the males. The other photo is of our harvested pumpkins. They are easier to photograph as they don't move!

 

[ludwing]

well its a very sad story i must say.
i know that im not that friendly to guineas but i love them very very well. i went to check harry on her nest the other day.

i knew the was simething wrong from the very first sight to her nest.
i dont wheter a fox,coyot,cat or a dog. but the nest was all clean. i didnt know what to do

i felt so angry. but what kinf of a predator whould it be,eating eggs and kill the hen and live it behing.
this is a nest where it was and the location it was, very hidden under a very long grass. next to the riding horse,ol barn.

this is where she was nesting among this tall grall. this is our oldest hen, we most love.
she was a love,caring,mother, like a father who raised the whole flock of guineas we have right now. i will miss her alway.

and forever.
she has done soo many for us. a very tame women.

her dead still lead me astray, because i still dont know what killed,because shes not bloodied,wounded,feather missing or something.
my grand suspected a snake, we have lots of snakes around,big ones and very dangerous ones.
but im still happy that bell and lee still have something to share, this our harries frist eggs that i stole from her nest and place them under this to lovely beautiful ladies. they are growing so fast. the are about 19 of them now, one died past weeks but im hopely sure that my beatiful hens will take care of them and show the the world like their mother would.

my wishes

 

[SunHwaKwon]

A fox did the same to my turkey, only because I happened upon it right after it had killed her. The eggs were eaten and body nearby. The damage to her body was very little, just a bite to the neck and not a lot of blood. Was she still warm and limp when you found her? If not then I suspect a dog. A dog will chase and play with it until it killed but had no interest in eating it unless it is a stay/wild. It will eat the eggs, though. So really, I think most likely a dog. Foxes and coyotes are almost guaranteed to take and eat the body. In my experience, a grown guinea will fight a cat and a grown one is to big for a cat to want to eat and the eggs are too big and hard for a cat. I don't recall where you are but raccoons are another threat.

 

[ludwing]

A fox did the same to my turkey, only because I happened upon it right after it had killed her. The eggs were eaten and body nearby. The damage to her body was very little, just a bite to the neck and not a lot of blood. Was she still warm and limp when you found her? If not then I suspect a dog. A dog will chase and play with it until it killed but had no interest in eating it unless it is a stay/wild. It will eat the eggs, though. So really, I think most likely a dog. Foxes and coyotes are almost guaranteed to take and eat the body. In my experience, a grown guinea will fight a cat and a grown one is to big for a cat to want to eat and the eggs are too big and hard for a cat. I don't recall where you are but raccoons are another threat.

well it seems like it happened over night or something,Because she was cold and frosty. this is the first time we had a guineahen killed on the nest. we have had guineas for a while, nesting outdoors wherever they want, and come back home with lots of keets. it seems like an surprise of losing a hen to a predator. we have no raccons around an never see any. even foxe's are rare in sight. The are lynx around,but never know they can kill a guinea, for a short period after a long time we had them around...

 

[SunHwaKwon]

well it seems like it happened over night or something,Because she was cold and frosty. this is the first time we had a guineahen killed on the nest. we have had guineas for a while, nesting outdoors wherever they want, and come back home with lots of keets. it seems like an surprise of losing a hen to a predator. we have no raccons around an never see any. even foxe's are rare in sight. The are lynx around,but never know they can kill a guinea, for a short period after a long time we had them around...

I don't know a lot about lynx but I think they could definitely kill a guinea. It really does sound like a domestic dog but I don't know if you have many of those there. If I recall correctly you're in Africa and I've heard dogs are a bit more wild in most parts. Is that correct?

 

[GlennLee]

Oh LUDWING - I am very sorry to hear about Harry. What a beautiful bird she was and I know how special she was to you and your family! That is very sad news. I do hope you can figure out what the predator was and perhaps will be able to prevent it from happening to another one of your birds in the future. It would make me nervous to have a bird sitting on a nest so far away from home. I was amazed that it was typical for her to do that and then bring the keets home with her for you to inspect. Your breed must be a keener version of what I have and your predators are different as well. Thankfully, you have some of her offspring and maybe as they have keets of their own, you will be able to see Harry in them. Thinking of you...

 

[ludwing]

I don't know a lot about lynx but I think they could definitely kill a guinea. It really does sound like a domestic dog but I don't know if you have many of those there. If I recall correctly you're in Africa and I've heard dogs are a bit more wild in most parts. Is that correct?

 

[ludwing]

yes that is correct

 

[ludwing]

Oh LUDWING - I am very sorry to hear about Harry.  What a beautiful bird she was and I know how special she was to you and your family!  That is very sad news.  I do hope you can figure out what the predator was and perhaps will be able to prevent it from happening to another one of your birds in the future.  It would make me nervous to have a bird sitting on a nest so far away from home.  I was amazed that it was typical for her to do that and then bring the keets home with her for you to inspect.  Your breed must be a keener version of what I have and your predators are different as well.  Thankfully, you have some of her offspring and maybe as they have keets of their own, you will be able to see Harry in them.  Thinking of you...