We have a guinea hen that is laying on a rather large mound of eggs that she intends to keep. Only problem is we don't have a male guinea. Our crested polish rooster has been caught a large number of times on our guinea hen. I have heard mixed opinions on whether or not the two can be mixed...any ideas? Anyone have this happen? Do I let her keep the eggs or go ahead and get them, making her very sad.She covers them with her wings even trying to keep us from gathering the eggs. She had moved out of the pen into the briar patch to lay her eggs.

-- Cindy in Ok (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), May 03, 2001

Answers

Maybe you could replace them with some fertile hen eggs? If they are broody, they don't much care what kind of eggs they sit on. I had a duck hatch out 3 ducklings 1 chick and 5 guineas. I took her non-web-footed babies into the house before she headed for the pond.

-- Mona in OK (jascamp@ipa.net), May 03, 2001.

I'd say it depends on what you want the eggs for...

If you want to eat them, but still want her to hatch some, then replace with fertile eggs. If you don't want her hatching chicks, then just leave her one or two and she will come to realize that they aren't doing anything. However... with this option, you will have a very smelly mess to clean up, as she will eventually kick them out of the nest or otherwise break them...

If you want to eat the eggs, but don't have any fertile ones, there's only one thing to do......

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), May 03, 2001.

If you could find out the numbers of chromozomes for guinea's and for chickens that would answer your questions as far as cross kids go. The eggs maybe fertilized by the rooster, but will they continue to develop? Not a clue. Like with sheep and goats, you can have a ram breed a goat and get her pregnant, it is just that the resulting fetus can not grow into anything viable (she will absorb or abort), because of the chormozome factor. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), May 03, 2001.

There is a book called "raising guineas, turkeys, ducks, geese, and pigeons" (or something of that effect) that does indeed have a picture of a guniea/chicken cross with a rooster and guniea hen. They said it wouldn't be fertile, but apparently it can be done!

-- Elizabeth (Lividia66@aol.com), May 03, 2001.

We went to the library and found that book yesterday. That thing looks weird!!! Ok, we are going to replace the eggs with duck eggs since I want more ducks. I don't want to leave them there to get stinky!! I love the taste of the little things, though I am allergic to them. I can eat the duck eggs with no problem. The kids just love the rich taste of the guinea eggs! :-)

-- Cindy in Ok (cynthiacluck@yahoo.com), May 03, 2001.

For Guinea questions try going to www.quineafowl.com/mb/gfmb.html I've learned a lot there.

-- Allyson Douglas (akdouglas@email.com), May 07, 2001.

Hi Allyson,I can't get the address to work,is it the correct one? Daryll

-- Daryll (twincrk@hotmail.com), May 07, 2001.

From what I've read, the resulting hybrid of the breeding of a rooster and guinea, results in a mule ~ sterile progeny.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), May 08, 2001.