Guinea Hen Laying

[Guinea21]

Lock down day 23 some say with guineas at day 20 because they can start hat hatching at day 25. Some will tell you to dry incubate and others will agree with the 60 percent humidity.. incubate at 99.5...what type of incubator do you have? I have only incubated eggs once so I am no way near an authority on it. I know the eggs I incubated had a range of problems I have promised myself a better incubator than the little giant Styrofoam one next year.. Out of 14 eggs 10 successfully hatched 9 assisted 1 on it's own. Study incubation and study more there are several articles here that are very informative. My baby girl sat her eggs through our flood last night .. guineas are amazing birds.

 

[R2elk]

@R2elk

So, the first 26 eggs were donated to local wildlife, now I have 6 eggs I’ve found that I’d like to incubate. I have an incubator that I’m currently warming to get ready for them.

I’ve read 60-65% humidity until day 28 then crank it up to 80%, is this correct?

What is the correct heat?

The incubation period is 26-28 days?
Lockdown on day 28?

Still air incubators will do fine at 101°F measured at the top of the eggs. Forced air incubators will do fine at 99.5°F.

I incubate my guinea eggs at 30% to 35% humidity during incubation and 65% to 70% humidity during lockdown. Guinea eggs being incubated at the correct temperature can hatch between days 26 through day 28. I put my eggs in lockdown on day 25.

If the temperature in the incubator is running a little high, it is possible for keets to hatch on day 25. Most of my keets hatch on days 26 and 27.

 

[R2elk]

Out of 14 eggs 10 successfully hatched 9 assisted 1 on it's own.

If you are assisting that high a percentage of hatches, you are doing something wrong. It is possible that you are just too impatient or you may have humidity issues.

Read Hatching Eggs 101 by @Sally Sunshine

 

[Guinea21]

If you are assisting that high a percentage of hatches, you are doing something wrong. It is possible that you are just too impatient or you may have humidity issues.

Read Hatching Eggs 101 by @Sally Sunshine

I don't know.. it was hard though... I do know I was not impatient each chick that I helped there was not bleeding and absolutely no yolk left.. 8 we're on the verge of death and I gave them electrolytes via drops from a q-tip which brought them back from the brink. 2 needed orthopedic shoes to fix their feet.. I had 3 different thermometers in it two tacked humidity plus the little giant has it's own thermometer and humidity tracker. Two of the thermometers recorded history on temps. 1 said incubator kept going up to 103 at night even though it was set to 99.6. I am real tech savvy so a basic setting on incubator is simple. I think unit may have been defective as I kept it away from drafts and in a dark area in my room. To peak on the eggs through the windows I had to use a flashlight. It was crazy but I got through it.. maybe I have a ghost lol..

 

[R2elk]

I don't know.. it was hard though... I do know I was not impatient each chick that I helped there was not bleeding and absolutely no yolk left.. 8 we're on the verge of death and I gave them electrolytes via drops from a q-tip which brought them back from the brink. 2 needed orthopedic shoes to fix their feet.. I had 3 different thermometers in it two tacked humidity plus the little giant has it's own thermometer and humidity tracker. Two of the thermometers recorded history on temps. 1 said incubator kept going up to 103 at night even though it was set to 99.6. I am real tech savvy so a basic setting on incubator is simple. I think unit may have been defective as I kept it away from drafts and in a dark area in my room. To peak on the eggs through the windows I had to use a flashlight. It was crazy but I got through it.. maybe I have a ghost lol..

It sounds like you may not have had sufficient humidity during lockdown. You can improve the operation of these type of incubators by getting a relatively inexpensive digital thermostat from eBay. Just make sure that it is a PID controller. Use it to replace the original thermostat.

The kind of cheap thermostats those kind of incubators come with are quite susceptible to ambient temperature changes. My old GQF 1202 would drift with room temperature changes. I replace the electronic thermostat with a digital pid thermostat and now the room temperature can drift all it wants and the incubator stays a constant temperature at +/- 0.1°F.

 

[Unicornlife3316]

Still air incubators will do fine at 101°F measured at the top of the eggs. Forced air incubators will do fine at 99.5°F.

I incubate my guinea eggs at 30% to 35% humidity during incubation and 65% to 70% humidity during lockdown. Guinea eggs being incubated at the correct temperature can hatch between days 26 through day 28. I put my eggs in lockdown on day 25.

If the temperature in the incubator is running a little high, it is possible for keets to hatch on day 25. Most of my keets hatch on days 26 and 27.

Thank you so much for the information.

I am currently heating it, and once I get the humidity correct, I’ll place my eggs in and hope for the best! This will be my first attempt at incubation!

 

[Unicornlife3316]

Ok I got it to 33% humidity and 101 degrees. It’s held overnight, guess it’s ready for eggs *fingers crossed*

 

[Unicornlife3316]

Welllllll I’m glad I didn’t put anybody in.. I just realized the hatch dates will be right around the time on vacation. Booooo

 

[Guinea21]

Welllllll I’m glad I didn’t put anybody in.. I just realized the hatch dates will be right around the time on vacation. Booooo

Yeah for the vacation its too bad though for hatching... Just wanted to share with you..mine have hatched...

 

[Marmack]

I have a hen sitting on clutch under the nesting boxes, this is day 23. I have noticed the hens sticking around the house and some going in and out. When I checked her last night the eggs I could see all had the pointy end up, neatly arranged. I could only see half of the clutch, this was the last 2 rows. Today she is flat, no eggs showing at all.

I had a broody chicken sitting on 13 eggs, all but one has hatched an only 6 have survived. We are having a horrible time with snakes this year. I have already killed 5 in the last week. 2 with eggs in them. I had 2 empty shells and only one keet. It is in the bathtub with it’s brothers and sisters. I don’t know if it is right or wrong but I brought the last one up and put it incubator, I am so afraid of losing another one.