Asked to incubate eggs for a friend - any tips?

[duckyfromoz]

I have just been asked to try hatching some Guinea fowl eggs for a friend. She was given them about 5 days ago- so I hope they arent too old- but I will candle to see when I get them. I currently have some duck eggs in my incubator - wish I knew before I agreed that Guineas took about 28 days.... Having the incubator on after this lot of ducklings is just going to make it to tempting to do another round of eggs- since it will still be turned on.

I have hatched Ducks, chickens and quail ...... and used to own some guineas- but have never tried to hatch them. My friend will be taking back any keets to raise of they hatch - so I only have to incubate them.

Anyways...enough ramble... I was just hoping to hear from a few people who hatch them as to any issues that they find with hatching. Are they fast to hatch like chickens- or slower like ducks? Temp humidity and turning is covered- but since this will be my first time - I just want to know if they have any particular issues. Any tips ? In the mean time- I will do some reading...


Thanks in advance

 

[casuarius]

One of the easiest birds to hatch, you shouldnt have any trouble. The eggs should still be good if they're only 5 days old. They come out of their shells fairly easy on their own. I usually run around 55% humidity.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Well they all looked good- no cracks - and small air cells still so they were fresh when my friend got them. They might have to deal with higher humidity for a few days while the ducklings hatch- but I do have another incubator I can use as a hatcher. I will make up my mind which to use closer to the date- but will monitor the air cell size too. Thanks for your input casuarius.

 

[duckyfromoz]

I just candled and was surprised to see development in ever single egg. Since putting them in the bator I found out they were all at least ten days old already- So I wasnt expecting such good results.

Fingers crossed that I get a good hatch too.

 

[casuarius]

nice! Guinea eggs are very easy to hatch. I literally hatched over 80 keets myself last yr, and the free ranging hens hatched around another 30 that I had to get off the ground and put up in brooders. By the time they could all make adult noises, my wife was ready to kill me lol. I ended up selling all but 30 free ranging Guineas, and eventually I had to get rid of all of them too. Of 7 acres for them to run on, all they wanted to do was stand right around our house and the feed shed and crap on everything lol. I'll get some more later when she's not looking ;-) She don't mind the ones I keep up in aviaries cuz they cant get to our porch haha.

 

[bockbock2008]

When I only had one guinea hen (and 3 males) I found a nest that had 14 eggs she was sitting on and 2 more that were cracked so that would make the oldest egg 16 days old and all of them hatched.

 

[PeepsCA]

Ducky,
Food for thought...

I've heard ducklings make quite the mess in the hatcher while hatching

and that they need really high humidity during the hatch/lockdown period. I've never hatched any (yet) so I don't know if this is true or false tho

. If it is true... you may want to put some sort of divider in the hatcher to keep the duckling mess away from the still incubating Guinea eggs, and hopefully the high humidity won't harm the developing keets.

Let us know how it turns out, hopefully all goes well!

 

[duckyfromoz]

Thanks PeepsCA I have thought of that.. I have an incubator with a lower hatching tray- but I also have a hovabator I can use as a hatcher if needed. Because the ducklings will hacth mid incubation for the guineas- I thought I might be able to even things out if I need to - but will most likely hatch in the hova. I used to have it beside my bed- and kind of miss not having eggs peeping in the middle of the night.

Bockbock2008 - good to know- they must be very hardy.



casuarius - OMG so many!!! I can imagine the noise. I only have to hatch these ones...not raise them. But I will have to keep them at least for a few days when they are tiny and so cute.