2021 guinea hatches

[My2butterflies]

My own hatch has gone poorly… I set 42 eggs. Two were clear and one an early quitter, which seemed pretty typical. When I candles at day 22, I saw a whole lot of late quitters and a lot that I was uncertain about. Keets started hatching on Day 26, last hatched Day 28, so I think temperature was okay. Air cells and membranes seemed ok. But, I only ended up with 12 keets successfully hatching. Two more externally pipped but died in the shell. One more pipped the narrow end (on the down side where I couldn’t see the pip) and died. I assisted one that seemed too weak to complete hatch on its own but seems fine now in the brooder. The remaining eggs looked like they had died several days before. So, discounting the clears, I had 12/39=30% hatch rate, far below my usual of at least 75%.

So, what happened? It’s conjecture on my part, but I suspect that they were poisoned by paint fumes. We are renovating and had a new door put in that the painter used an oil based paint on. The door is far away from the eggs, but the odor did funnel up the stairs near the incubator room. The painting happened when the eggs were at about day15. I just can’t see what else would have caused this massive late die off. I’m happy to see these keets that hatched, but so sad for the many that didn’t make it.

I’m sorry to hear your hatch didn’t do so well late quitters I find so heartbreaking.

I checked the eggs and two were dead. Both had a little yoke that wasn’t absorbed and were head down in the pointy end. A third is alive, but again positioned wrong. I’m nearly positive it will pass
The keet in the incubator still hasn’t gotten up on its feet. Perhaps I intervened too late or it was never ment to be. I’ll give it more time and hope it gains strength.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I’m sorry to hear your hatch didn’t do so well late quitters I find so heartbreaking.

I checked the eggs and two were dead. Both had a little yoke that wasn’t absorbed and were head down in the pointy end. A third is alive, but again positioned wrong. I’m nearly positive it will pass
The keet in the incubator still hasn’t gotten up on its feet. Perhaps I intervened too late or it was never ment to be. I’ll give it more time and hope it gains strength.

Awww, I’m sorry! Two years ago I had a malposition in the beak between legs position. I tried to help it but couldn’t figure out how to find its beak to give it the ability to breathe, because the membrane was too vascular and kept bleeding. Later, I talked with an experienced assister, @CluckNDoodle , who advised me that I should have followed the neck down by peeling shell but keeping the membranes intact and moist. I took a pic of what I was seeing from above during my attempted assist, and then when I dissected away the shell and membrane after the keet passed. I’m sharing these pics in hopes viewing this malposition helps you, but warning! Graphic pics!!!!

 

[My2butterflies]

Awww, I’m sorry! Two years ago I had a malposition in the beak between legs position. I tried to help it but couldn’t figure out how to find its beak to give it the ability to breathe, because the membrane was too vascular and kept bleeding. Later, I talked with an experienced assister, @CluckNDoodle , who advised me that I should have followed the neck down by peeling shell but keeping the membranes intact and moist. I took a pic of what I was seeing from above during my attempted assist, and then when I dissected away the shell and membrane after the keet passed. I’m sharing these pics in hopes viewing this malposition helps you, but warning! Graphic pics!!!!

That looks really close to how mine were. Sadly the other one passed The keet in the incubator seems to have trouble standing. Too weak maybe? I’ll be going to the feed store tomorrow and will pick up some save a chick or the like. Since the hatch was so rough for it I’m sure it will need the full 24hrs in the incubator before I remove it.
All the keets except this one and a pied lav will be sold tomorrow.

I wasn’t going to keep any keets this year, but will make an exception.
This one and the pied lavender will replace the ones I lost last year.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

That looks really close to how mine were. Sadly the other one passed The keet in the incubator seems to have trouble standing. Too weak maybe? I’ll be going to the feed store tomorrow and will pick up some save a chick or the like. Since the hatch was so rough for it I’m sure it will need the full 24hrs in the incubator before I remove it.
All the keets except this one and a pied lav will be sold tomorrow.

I wasn’t going to keep any keets this year, but will make an exception.
This one and the pied lavender will replace the ones I lost last year.

Best of luck with the slow starting keet! Nutridrench is great for debilitated keets too. Since you’re keeping a lavender pied, I’m sharing a pic of my former lavender pied that we bred, Brandon.

 

[My2butterflies]

Best of luck with the slow starting keet! Nutridrench is great for debilitated keets too. Since you’re keeping a lavender pied, I’m sharing a pic of my former lavender pied that we bred, Brandon. View attachment 2686898

Awe He is beautiful!

Guess who is running around in the incubator this morning

I’m so happy to see it gained strength overnight! I’ll still get some stuff while I’m at the store. Since I have more rounds of hatches ahead I’d like to be prepared. I’m just so overjoyed that it looks like it will be just fine

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Awe He is beautiful!

Guess who is running around in the incubator this morning
View attachment 2687400
I’m so happy to see it gained strength overnight! I’ll still get some stuff while I’m at the store. Since I have more rounds of hatches ahead I’d like to be prepared. I’m just so overjoyed that it looks like it will be just fine

Oh yeah!!!!

 

[Sydney65]

My own hatch has gone poorly… I set 42 eggs. Two were clear and one an early quitter, which seemed pretty typical. When I candles at day 22, I saw a whole lot of late quitters and a lot that I was uncertain about. Keets started hatching on Day 26, last hatched Day 28, so I think temperature was okay. Air cells and membranes seemed ok. But, I only ended up with 12 keets successfully hatching. Two more externally pipped but died in the shell. One more pipped the narrow end (on the down side where I couldn’t see the pip) and died. I assisted one that seemed too weak to complete hatch on its own but seems fine now in the brooder. The remaining eggs looked like they had died several days before. So, discounting the clears, I had 12/39=30% hatch rate, far below my usual of at least 75%.

So, what happened? It’s conjecture on my part, but I suspect that they were poisoned by paint fumes. We are renovating and had a new door put in that the painter used an oil based paint on. The door is far away from the eggs, but the odor did funnel up the stairs near the incubator room. The painting happened when the eggs were at about day15. I just can’t see what else would have caused this massive late die off. I’m happy to see these keets that hatched, but so sad for the many that didn’t make it.

Somehow I missed this whole thread. I'm getting ready for lockdown w/2 of the 7 eggs I retrieved of Blue and Bella's that I found under a bush. I have no idea how long they'd been there, but some were clear, one developed a bloodring earlier & here we are.I decided to take the only chance I had for his offspring. Yes, I still miss my boy.
I also have a small clunch in another incubator that has a cpl of weeks to go that'll either be from Bella & Nugget or the Jumbos.
I have to admit, Nugget & Bella are cute together. When I see them strolling along, I feel like he should be in a top hat & bowtie and she w/a parasol.

 

[Sydney65]

Somehow I missed this whole thread. I'm getting ready for lockdown w/2 of the 7 eggs I retrieved of Blue and Bella's that I found under a bush. I have no idea how long they'd been there, but some were clear, one developed a bloodring earlier & here we are.I decided to take the only chance I had for his offspring. Yes, I still miss my boy.
I also have a small clunch in another incubator that has a cpl of weeks to go that'll either be from Bella & Nugget or the Jumbos.
I have to admit, Nugget & Bella are cute together. When I see them strolling along, I feel like he should be in a top hat & bowtie and she w/a parasol.

I swear I marked my calendar identical to you guys coaching me last year, but had lockdown at day 25, which is tomorrow-but I have a peeper NOW. Forgot the hassle I had w/getting that humidifier up to 65% humidity last yr. Thank goodness I kept that diary in here. Shot glass of water set inside & humidity rising.

 

[R2elk]

I swear I marked my calendar identical to you guys coaching me last year, but had lockdown at day 25, which is tomorrow-but I have a peeper NOW. Forgot the hassle I had w/getting that humidifier up to 65% humidity last yr. Thank goodness I kept that diary in here. Shot glass of water set inside & humidity rising.

Today is day 25 for me. I will lockdown tonight.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Well, I just had my second poor hatch of the year. I feel like I’ve lost my touch! Only 16/41 fertile eggs hatched, for a lousy rate of 38%! Both hatches have had some possible issues, like old eggs that I didn’t sell, taking eggs from an already incubated nest that I found, oil based painting going on, moving eggs on day 19, a few days of hotter than ideal temps, etc. However, both hatches lost so many eggs to being late quitters, which I just don’t understand… Some had large air cells so I may try to increase the humidity instead of dry hatch next time. Average humidity before lockdown was 34%, which doesn’t seem particularly low… Average temp was 99.2 F. Maybe I should try weighing eggs for water loss… So frustrating! And so sad to see so many dead eggs. I could open the eggs but I’m not sure what I’m looking for as they clearly developed to nearly full term…