When should my Guineas start laying?

[ahenchey]

I got my Guinea keets last June. I live in PA. At what point should the females start laying? I was planning on hatching them for people, but I'm not sure what to tell them for a time frame.

 

[R2elk]

I got my Guinea keets last June. I live in PA. At what point should the females start laying? I was planning on hatching them for people, but I'm not sure what to tell them for a time frame.

Anytime now.

 

[SmiYa0126]

I got my Guinea keets last June. I live in PA. At what point should the females start laying? I was planning on hatching them for people, but I'm not sure what to tell them for a time frame.

Are they laying? If you want them to lay in the coop keep them in the run until noon. Otherwise they'll lay in random places.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Are they laying? If you want them to lay in the coop keep them in the run until noon. Otherwise they'll lay in random places.

I keep mine locked in the coop until 4:30 PM, and half of the girls still manage to hold their eggs and lay in wild outdoor nests!!

 

[SmiYa0126]

I keep mine locked in the coop until 4:30 PM, and half of the girls still manage to hold their eggs and lay in wild outdoor nests!!

It might be because they've just turned a year old. Mine were older when they started laying. Can you find their nests?

 

[R2elk]

It might be because they've just turned a year old. Mine were older when they started laying. Can you find their nests?

It is unlikely that their age at the time they started laying has anything to do with it. It is an individual trait for each guinea hen. I had one hen that laid her daily egg right at 4:30 PM. My current group has some that lay first thing in the morning, some that lay in the middle of the day and some that lay in the afternoon.

 

[SmiYa0126]

It is unlikely that their age at the time they started laying has anything to do with it. It is an individual trait for each guinea hen. I had one hen that laid her daily egg right at 4:30 PM. My current group has some that lay first thing in the morning, some that lay in the middle of the day and some that lay in the afternoon.

Interesting! I guess it isn't dissimilar to chickens.

 

[R2elk]

Interesting! I guess it isn't dissimilar to chickens.

The chickens tend to lay a little later each day until they skip a day and start over.

My guinea hens each tend to lay at the same time every day during laying season without skipping any days. The hens that lay in the morning, lay in the morning every day. The same applies to the ones that lay at other times of the day.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

It might be because they've just turned a year old. Mine were older when they started laying. Can you find their nests?

I’ve found two outdoor nests. Interestingly, the outdoor nests were from the younger birds who are in their first year of laying. They are also from a whole different farm so different genetics. I need to lock them out 24/7 for awhile and let them resume their coop nests, but it’s too hot to lock them up the entire day right now.