Questions about incubating Guinea Fowl Eggs!

[PeepsCA]

This is my first guinea incubation and hatch. My eggs are at day 21-23 what are folks referring to by "Lock Down"?? and pipping?
I have raised the humidity up to about 80 % the digital temp and humidity is not accurate and I have regulated the tempature with a regular glass themomtor that came with the incubator. I raised the humidity because it looks like some of the eggs might be starting to hatch. Several eggs I collected were sat on by the chicken hens and we had a huge heat wave in California during the same time that could have started the incubation process prior to my putting the eggs in the incubator.

I can see several eggs with tiny shell fractures and doing my best at candling with a flash light can see several with slanted air pockets at the top of the eggs. I also have 3 duck eggs hatching with these and all 3 of those eggs have slanted air pockets for sure.

There is one egg that has some liquid dots forming on the top of the egg that are coming out of the egg and I can see tiny fractures down the sides of the egg as I sat and watched the egg for a while the liquid had tiny bubbles that appeard like something inside was causing pressure that was forcing the dots of liquid out of the shell. Any ideas??

The bubbling liquid dots coming out of an egg is probably a rotten, seeping egg... and that egg may explode at any time. Remove it, and handle with EXTREME care!! If there's a bad smell to it, put it in a zip lock bag and gently dispose of it right away, or bury it. If it does not smell then you can carefully candle it to check for any sign of life, but my guess is that you have a rotten egg. I call those "MayPops"... as in may explode.You do NOT want that blowing up in your face or in your incubator, believe me, lol.

Lockdown is the last 3 days of incubation, when you raise the humidity for hatch... and the term "lockdown" actually means do not open the incubator until the hatch is over. You want that warm moist air to stay in there so the shells stay softer and the inner membranes stay moist.

Pipping is when the keets that are developed far enough along to be ready to start hatching start pecking the inside of the shell and cracking it. Sometime it's just a crack at first, other times there is an obvious peck mark sticking up on the surface of the shell.

At this point, with pipped eggs... if I were you I would leave the incubator closed, stop candling the eggs and just let them hatch. You do want some fresh air flow coming into the incubator from the vents in the incubator, but the more cool dry air you expose the eggs to by opening the incubator the less of a chance there is of the keets hatching successfully. Every time cool dry air gets to the eggs you run the risk of the inner membrane shrinking down over the keets, making it difficult or impossible for the keets to hatch, or even suffocating them.

 

[franj99]

You were absolutely correct, it was a rotten egg and I tossed it.
I wonder if the rest too are just eggs rotting in the incubator. hatch should occur in the next 3-6 days so time will tell.

 

[Sage874]

ah I am watching mine closely for that. Broody hen hatched all of hers, 3 of 9 in the incubator are hatched and with the hen now. The wait continue....

 

[Desert Springs]

Hi all

Just found this thread and had to join!!!

I only have a small flock of guineas, down to 14 this fall (PeepsCA - wow, you're swimming in guineas!!). I started with 19 keets last year which grew up nicely. One had a flying accident this summer and another tried to race a car across the road

. The other missing three 'disappeared' out on the high desert which adjoins us. Uncertain whether they went wild, or predators were the culprits. I've had several come wandering in, early in the mornings, the last few weeks, which I had thought missing previously. They must have gone in search of bugs and started laying/setting on eggs out there, and since the cold is setting in, they are now coming home. So glad to see them!! Still have my fingers crossed to see the other three

.

Anyway, I've read the thread and saw some who had incubation questions in the high elevations. I'm at 5500 and have a Sportsman which I consider perfectly calibrated for hatching guineas. Chicken and peacock eggs not so much, which I then have to adjust. My guineas have been laying well and the fertility rate of my small flock is running about 95%, which thrills me. My hatches usually produce 21 keets per 24 eggs, with the other 3 just not pipping. I run the heat at 99.5% and the humidity at around 60%, throughout the entire time. They have been hatching at 24 days, healthy and active. I first started planning on lockdown at day 25, however most were 'riding the rails' by then. I've hatched out over 100 this season and had to stop collecting eggs...lol, even though they are still selling like hotcakes (the feed stores here have had a bad time of them the last couple years and haven't been carrying them). Time to start winterizing the coops and getting the poultry flocks merged, to better utilize the heat/water and feed sources. Plus I have to really do a deep cleaning and disinfecting for the next spring hatch season.

Do not know if this is normal, or just the environmental dynamics here in this little basin, but it works great here.

Oh, and franj99... I found out the hard way about the bubbles on the egg...ewwwww!!

. I was closely inspecting it when it blew. I was deaf for about 2 days in one ear, the smell was putrefying and the contents made me want to scrub my face for a week.....yuck!!! It's something you would never forget, and would fear forever...lol.

PeepsCA - what colors are you running in your flocks??

 

[The Menagerie]

I need some help PLEASE!!! I have keets hatching in an incubator now (this is my first time hatching) one we tried to help along and rushed it and it died The second one has started and it's been going since about 9:00 last night - when do I start to worry that it's been too long? I don't want to rush it again, but I also don't want it to die while it's trying to get out.

 

[Mmmaddie13]

They can take a full day to start zipping or longer. Don't touch the incubator. The more you open it, the more you run the risk of losing the essential humidity that your babies need to hatch. Sit on your hands and put a note on the bator to yourself that says "DON'T TOUCH!" They will be fine on their own.

Good luck and happy hatching.

 

[Desert Springs]

I need some help PLEASE!!! I have keets hatching in an incubator now (this is my first time hatching) one we tried to help along and rushed it and it died The second one has started and it's been going since about 9:00 last night - when do I start to worry that it's been too long? I don't want to rush it again, but I also don't want it to die while it's trying to get out.

I suggest you DO NOT help them out, unless you want to run the risk of it and the rest dying!!! The vital blood supply in the cord hooked to the shell will rupture and they will bleed to death immediately. If you try to break the shell away prematurely, they will either bleed, or the membrane will dry too fast from the loss of humidity, and they will be 'shrink wrapped' in it and die. If they aren't strong enough to make it out on their own, they probably won't make it the first couple days. It takes an experienced guinea hatcher to sense when they need help and to do it. If you interfere, your survivors will be fewer, however that's the way to learn.

If you do help them, it will be slow going. You must, must, must have an expensive, quick recovering incubator!!!!! If there is absolutely no progression after that long (since 9 last night) I personally would break away a very small amount of shell, but only if the membrane is fully dried. If not, stop immediately!!! Make sure the inc is NOT left open while this process and be in a warm room to not chill the egg. DO NOT rush the hatch/keet if it is not in distress!! The chances are great the helped keet will pass, but I have had to help my entire last hatch (our weather was weird and I think affected it!!) and only lost 1 out of 25. That one was internally pipped and near dead in the shell. I use candling to see the keet and see if it's moving and if the beak is out of the membrane.

I allow my incubator to do the work and try to forget when my keets are hatching...lol. The more help you give, the greater the potential loss. I just love looking into my hatching tray and having the little critters running around from a hatch that happened through the night, without my interference!!! But occasionally, one will need help.

Good luck!!

 

[shawnna]

My house is very humid (like 45% outside of the incubator). Any suggestions?

 

[Desert Springs]

My house is very humid (like 45% outside of the incubator). Any suggestions?

If you want your house less humid you can purchase a dehumidifier at the store.

 

[keeting]

I don't know the temps for incubating the eggs, sorry. I was told Guinea Fowl were unrealiable Mothers so did it the easy way and had my 6 done by my best Chook who was luckily broody at the time. So I have 6, 12 day old keets. Starting to look gwarky already. Long necks and so inquisitive but Chookie keeps them in line. If you have some broody hens maybe you can do the same.