Guinea fowl hatch date?!

[libarena]

One of my guinea hens has been missing for quite awhile, I haven’t really kept track because I figured she must have been picked off. She is BRIGHT white and I figured she would be a predator magnet... so naturally, I didn’t think that she had gone off to nest until this morning she randomly came to the hen house for a quick bite before running off so I went on a hunt to find her. When I did find her, she had nested in a place where she could easily be picked off by anyone and it’s far away from the house and out of my Great Pyrenees zone that I knew I needed to take the eggs. There’s also a big storm coming tonight and she wouldn’t have been able to get out of the elements. I guess I am saying that so you know that I felt that it was best for everyone involved to take the eggs. Even if I don’t hatch any babies, at least I know that my hen is safe.

I was lucky enough to have had my incubator running and so it was easy to get that ready for them. It’s currently at 99.0 heat and 43% humidity. I am trying to get it down to 40% but the humidity has been insane so even with a dehumidifier, I was still getting pretty high humidity readings. I have had to slightly crack open the incubator and the humidity has stabilised at 43%. I am hoping that’s good enough. This is my first time incubating guinea eggs so any advice is appreciated.

On to my question... since I have no idea to when she started sitting, I don’t really have an idea of how old the eggs would be. I am curious to know what you think. I gently candled them when I brought them inside and these are what they look like. When should I expect to start lockdown?

 

[Pyxis]

I would roughly estimate from those pictures that they are maybe about two weeks along. Does that kind of sound right to you based on how long the hen was missing?

 

[R2elk]

One of my guinea hens has been missing for quite awhile, I haven’t really kept track because I figured she must have been picked off. She is BRIGHT white and I figured she would be a predator magnet... so naturally, I didn’t think that she had gone off to nest until this morning she randomly came to the hen house for a quick bite before running off so I went on a hunt to find her. When I did find her, she had nested in a place where she could easily be picked off by anyone and it’s far away from the house and out of my Great Pyrenees zone that I knew I needed to take the eggs. There’s also a big storm coming tonight and she wouldn’t have been able to get out of the elements. I guess I am saying that so you know that I felt that it was best for everyone involved to take the eggs. Even if I don’t hatch any babies, at least I know that my hen is safe.

I was lucky enough to have had my incubator running and so it was easy to get that ready for them. It’s currently at 99.0 heat and 43% humidity. I am trying to get it down to 40% but the humidity has been insane so even with a dehumidifier, I was still getting pretty high humidity readings. I have had to slightly crack open the incubator and the humidity has stabilised at 43%. I am hoping that’s good enough. This is my first time incubating guinea eggs so any advice is appreciated.

On to my question... since I have no idea to when she started sitting, I don’t really have an idea of how old the eggs would be. I am curious to know what you think. I gently candled them when I brought them inside and these are what they look like. When should I expect to start lockdown?

@PeepsCA would only put her guinea eggs into lockdown once they were internally pipped. She had great hatches.

 

[libarena]

I would roughly estimate from those pictures that they are maybe about two weeks along. Does that kind of sound right to you based on how long the hen was missing?

Might be! I feel so bad that I didn’t look for her sooner!

 

[libarena]

@PeepsCA would only put her guinea eggs into lockdown once they were internally pipped. She had great hatches.

Okay, thank you! Do you think the humidity I have is good? I have high humidity in TN.

 

[R2elk]

Okay, thank you! Do you think the humidity I have is good? I have high humidity in TN.

It should be okay until lockdown.

 

[libarena]

It should be okay until lockdown.

What should I try and keep my humidity at for lockdown?

 

[R2elk]

What should I try and keep my humidity at for lockdown?

I try for 70% here but I have much lower ambient humidity than you have.

 

[libarena]

I try for 70% here but I have much lower ambient humidity than you have.

Our humidity in Nashville right now is 88%

Annnnd last question when should I candle them again if they are roughly 2 weeks old?

 

[R2elk]

Our humidity in Nashville right now is 88%

Annnnd last question when should I candle them again if they are roughly 2 weeks old?

You can candle them whenever you want. I personally don't candle mine until they are on day 25 but @Texas Kiki usually candles her hatching eggs on a daily basis. She does not get any surprises. I have had surprise hatches in the incubator before I candled and moved the eggs to the hatcher. It worked out okay for me.

If you don't make it to lockdown before some hatch, they will probably be fine.