We have keets! Fourth update on Farming Friends’ and Cottage Smallholder’s interblog guinea fowl breeding event
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Guinea Fowl | 14 comments
We are now on day 28 of Farming Friends’ and Cottage Smallholder’s interblog guinea fowl breeding event .
The gestation period for guinea fowl eggs is 26-28 days. This morning I jumped out of bed, pulled on my wellies and shot down to the chicken run. Perhaps the eggs that Sara from Farming Friends had sent us in the post had hatched.
I removed the side of Mrs Boss’s castle. She gave me a cursory glance before she hopped off the nest and hoovered up the corn that I had scattered in her handkerchief garden.
I examined the eggs carefully. All were intact.
At lunch time I took another peek inside the castle. Still just the solitary queen and not a sniff of princes or princesses.
This evening I ventured down to the run. Mrs Boss seemed different. She refused to move off the nest. I lifted up her wing and a tiny pair of eyes peeped up at me. I ran back to the kitchen on air.
Returning with camera, I lifted her wing and spotted three rather wobbly keets. Grey, fluffy and gorgeous. At this stage Mrs Boss became rather animated and protective so I thought it best to leave them in peace.
So our interblog guinea fowl breeding event has leapt over its third hurdle. The eggs arrived intact having travelled hundred of miles from Yorkshire. Mrs Boss accepted them and has sat patiently for weeks and now the keets are hatching.
We are thrilled.
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Hi , we have a guinea fowl sitting now for 31 days , still no sign of keets , does anyone know if the hen will abandon dud eggs.
Barry
Hi Todd
Guinea fowl can live 6-10 years. So you have a few more summers to enjoy the eggs and that ‘come home’ call if the coyote or the hawkd don’t dive in.
Question – what is the life expectancy for Guinea Fowl – Here, in Elmhurst, Illinois USA,a suburb of Chicago, we have had a Guinea Hen living on our property for the almost two years. This July will be her anniversary for finding and deciding to make our home her home. A rather interesting bond has been created. Just wondered if your had clue as to how old they might become before nature takes it’s course, (let alone the coyote or hawks.)
Hi Sara,
The one remaining egg was a non starter. But that is fine. We would have been delighted with one chick. Five are a bonus. It is so heartening to see them playing together. Thank you so much.