When will the guineas start brooding?

[chickenology]

I have three guineas - 2 females and 1 male, and the girls just started laying last weekend. I was shocked and thrilled when they actually made a nest behind the plywood leaning inside the coop, using the pine needles I had tossed in there. So far there are 6 eggs in the nest. Because the earliest eggs are over a week old now, I am worried that they won't be viable by the time they get around to sitting on them if they don't hurry up. Should I take some of the eggs for the incubator? The guineas free range all morning and afternoon and I don't want to risk them abandoning the nest and choosing an unsafe location for another nest. Do they typically lay for a period of time before becoming broody or only until the nest reaches a certain size? I think they are both using the nest, as some days there have been two additional eggs in it, and I have found no eggs anywhere else. If I take eggs for the incubator, how many should I leave in the nest to keep them using it? Is there a possibility that they won't ever get the urge to sit on the eggs? This is our first spring with guineas and I really want to raise some keets! Thanks for any help with this.

 

[PeepsCA]

This is what I'd do....
Mark the eggs that are in the nest, (when the Hens can't see you), and after 2 weeks of laying (or sooner, if you have enough eggs), take out all but 4 of the fresher eggs (4 eggs works fine or my Hens), and incubate what you take out, if you really want keets (eggs 10 days old or less are best for incubating, but I've had Guinea eggs stay viable up to 16 days before). The Hens *should* keep laying in the nest, especially if you keep them locked up until they lay their eggs every day, then let them out to free range. Sometimes I have 2 Hens share a nest and there will be 60+ eggs in it before they finally go broody on it. So I'm not sure if it's the pile size, or if their bodies know they have laid enough that makes them go broody. Try not to let them see you messing with the nest or eggs, and try not to startle them if they are in the nest. If they abandon the nest... take the eggs and incubate them, you have nothing to lose at that point. They will start laying elsewhere of course, if they lose interest in that nest or feel it's not safe or private enough.

Good luck! Hope you get keets

 

[chickenology]

Thanks for the advice, we are up to 7 eggs in the nest today. The oldest will be 2 weeks old this weekend, so I will make my move then. Hopefully I can take at least 6 for the incubator and leave them the rest. I will mark the eggs tomorrow to make sure that I take the oldest ones, that is a great idea! I don't even know if they are fertile, but will soon find out.

 

[PeepsCA]

...or you could mark and leave the oldest eggs in the nest in hopes of keeping the Hens laying there and then incubate 6 (or more) fresher eggs that are probably fertile!

 

[chickenology]

Well today was the day. I waited until the guineas were out of sight, locked myself in the coop, and rumaged through their nest. I took 6 eggs, leaving 5. I took a mix of old and new eggs (left the newest eggs and a couple really dirty older eggs). When I add the first guinea egg found by the kids that has been kept in the house, I will have 7 to put in the incubator tonight. Shortly after I finished, I opened the door and the guineas came in. One of the females was looking around the nest making a strange sound - I thought she was going to lay an egg in it, so I left her alone. When I checked back later, I found that she hadn't laid an egg, but had been rearranging the eggs I left. She actually piled them together again! In my efforts to hide my nest robbing, I had left them a little too spread out I guess. I think it is a good sign that she will continue to use the nest, but she sure didn't miss a thing. I have never even seen her so much as look at the nest before, and now as soon as I am in it, she knows. Those guineas don't miss a thing!!

 

[Taylor]

fertile eggs will last for a while! trust me! I had turkey eggs sitting in my garage for a month before i set them under my broodie chicken, all hatched but 1 and it wasn't even fertile! i'd say guinea eggs are the same way, and you can even put them in the refrigerator while you collect them but just set them out and let them get room temp for 24 hours!!!

 

[PeepsCA]

I disagree Taylor....
While Guinea eggs may stay viable for longer than 10-14 days... it's not a good idea to refrigerated the eggs before incubating them (or setting them under a broody). The temps in the average refrigerator are too cold and will kill the suspended developing cells, plus they lose too much moisture. Keeping the eggs in a cool dark place (under 70 degrees) is better (like the garage for example). But yes, do bring them to room temp before setting them.

 

[Taylor]

i've been hatching refridgerated eggs for years! all i do is set them out a day before i put them under my hen, they all hatch. I'll be honest i believe refrigertaed eggs hatch better than eggs that have been room temperature for a while, just in my opinion, its a old trick to keep the eggs refrigertaed before incubation, thats waht the old-timers say and they've had chickens for over 50-60 years. they know their chicken and guinea raising. the male turkey as my avatar hatched from a refrigerated turkey egg!

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote:
If you say it's an old trick, then I guess it's an old trick

Older than me obviously, lol.

So all of them hatch for ya huh? Just curious, what's the temp in your fridge? And how cold did all those old-timers' fridges get?

LOL. All I've ever heard or read about refrigerating hatching eggs is that the refrigerator dehydrates the eggs too quickly, that temps below 50 degrees are too cold and that you risk killing the developing cells.

You may have had great success with hatching your refrigerated eggs, but I won't be testing that old trick on any of my Guinea eggs lol, and no offense but I won't be telling anyone that I sell fertile Guinea eggs to that it's ok to pop them in the fridge for a month before they incubate them or put them under a broody Hen either

. I've incubated over 600 Guinea eggs stored in a cool room (between 60 and 70 degrees, as suggested) with excellent viability rates, so I think I'll just keep doin' what I'm doin'

 

[Taylor]

well some of them kept them in the springhouse in the coldwater and that gets pretty cold, probably colder than most fridgerators now. my refrigerator is around 38-45ish so not too cold for fertile eggs. i dunno but i like it done that way and i'll continue it.

I have seen the eggs before i set them and the air spot is smaller than ones that have been setting out.

and when you keep them at room temperature they decay, (rot) faster than ones that have been refrigerated. because the coldness keeps them preserved. I've seem schools do experiments with refrigerated eggs and room temp eggs and they had a better hatch rate at refrigerated eggs. I'd say hatcheries keep the eggs cool to before incubation. i don't know for sure but its a possibility! every breeder of chickens that i have met keep their, turkeys geese, ducks, guineas, quails, pheasents, they all keep their eggs refrigerated before incubating them, maybe its a southern thing!