candling guinea eggs!

[NancyP1]

Wow! they are so hard to see into. Today is day 18 for 31 eggs I found in a nest. Candled them all and still just can't really tell if anything is there! I think I found 8 for sure. I marked the ones I think I see something in, and put them all back in the 'bator. Chicken eggs are so much easier! Does anyone know if there is a thread with guinea egg candling photos? Seems at day 18 I should see a little more than just a blob. Thanks!

 

[PeepsCA]

I've been meaning to take candling pics, I just have not gotten around to it yet

At day 18 you should see a mostly dark egg, with some shape to the dark mass, and there will usually still be a little clear fluid that has not filled in with the growing keet yet, at the area below the air cell (at the big end of the egg).

 

[NancyP1]

Thanks Peeps! I do think some are viable, I can see a dark mass in the small end, maybe taking up about 1/3 to 1/2 of the egg. I also noticed that some of the eggs have a very (visable) air pocket..not sure if that explains it good. On some of the eggs, the air pocket just kinda blends into the rest of the egg..not real clearly defined. I have a pretty good little mag lite....works great for the chicken eggs.
My last guinea hatch produced one lone guinea...I do remember seeing him (her) in the eggshell very clearly...I just dont remember what day it was on!

I hope the hen has better luck than I do. She has been very dedicated to setting on her eggs. I do plan on taking the keets from her. When she started to set, there were 6 eggs (plus 7 marble ones) I took the marble ones away, and as of tuesday, there were 22 eggs in the nest..My other hen is laying one in the same nest every day! Boy, what a staggered hatch this is going to be! Can't wait!
I will candle the incubator eggs again before lockdown, hopefully I will see some keets!

 

[livenwpeeps]

I agree with PeepsCa. At that date, almost the entire egg or a good 3 quarters of it should be blacked out. It will surprise you the first time you see the egg almost blacked out. I know I was. I almost dropped the egg!! I always wait to about day 16 to candle my guinea eggs because they are hard to candle but once you get the hang of it, you wonder why you had so much trouble to start with.

 

[NancyP1]

I think alot of them will be no good. Some were about 15 days old when they went in. But, none stink (yet anyway!) so I will just leave them be until lockdown day.

 

[BAMACK2]

 

[NancyP1]

Well, candled all 31 eggs in the bator...nothing. All of them had just globs floating around. Still have the hen on her eggs, she is due to hatch around the 20th. Thinking of taking them away from her some nite soon and incubating them..problem is, she started out with 6 and there is now well over 20. Stupid me, I didn't mark the 6 she started with. Hate to have her hatch them out, then lose them. I have a bad neighbor dog..and a kitten that is just waiting for his chance. I guess for now, we will just keep an eye on her.

 

[cracking up]

I would take about half of her eggs away and sneak them into the incubator. Since they're still laying eggs in there she'll take the first ones that hatch out for a walk and you can take the rest. Sometimes if only one or two hatch early she doesn't take care of the early ones and they don't make it. That's always sad but it's hard either way when they are laying staggered like that. Maybe someone else will have a better idea

 

[NancyP1]

I did think of taking them all away from here....really want her back in the coop locked up at nite!...I do have some marble eggs I could replace the real ones with, but that just seems kinda mean....all that work she has done for marbles!! Plus the fact that winter will be on us soon here in upstate NY...really didnt want any more babies to worry about. Well, I still have some time yet..gotta talk to hubby about some electric in the chicken coop!

 

[cracking up]

The biggest problem with taking them all away is they'll start a new nest and you'll have to find it. If there's any way to protect her at night that would be the best option. A couple of things that worked for us was building a house around her and putting boards with weights on the end at night and taking them off first thing in the morning and for a couple we were able to use an electric fence.