Colorado

[Mtn Margie]

I would just leave her be. She will want to go into lockdown and will not leave the nest at all for a couple/ three days - I have no idea how they do that either, but she will let you know. Just have the food and water there for her and let her be until at least day 24 of the setting. Sometimes you can hear the peeps of the chicks before they hatch. You just don't want to stress her.... FYI Sometimes hens are good at brooding but totally freak out when the chicks hatch and will kill them. That is because the hatcheries are breeding out the broody trait and it seems that the willingness to set eggs is the last thing to go.
Sorry for that heads up, but it is a possibility. I had one out of three broody hens that was a good mama. Good Luck with your hatch!

 

[mes]

Do you have any pics of what the young one might grow into?

 

[Percheron chick]

i need help. My guinea keets are starting to hatch. How do i move them without stressing the hens? They are not tame. It's a hike to the growout pen and they are vulnerable where they are. One lav so far but more pepping under them.

 

[corancher]

i need help. My guinea keets are starting to hatch. How do i move them without stressing the hens? They are not tame. It's a hike to the growout pen and they are vulnerable where they are. One lav so far but more pepping under them.

In the past I have just collected what keets that have hatched and put in brooder. Then I have collected and candled remaining eggs to put in the incubator to see if they hatch. If you don't have the option of brooder and incubator, then I would try to protect them as well as I could and wait until most keets have hatched because I don't know if the guineas will stay with eggs once you move them.

 

[Pozees]

Agree with Ashdoes, Mtn Margie, et al, on the broody hen on eggs, leave her be with food and water within reach from where she is sitting, put them on a block of wood or in a shallow pan so they don't soak the bedding if the water spills, and don't make her get up and move. I ruined a hatch making a hen get off the nest after an egg had pipped. Also don't use any power tools, it will be disastrous in all likelihood.

Percheron chick - are you saying the guinea keets are vulnerable once they hatch because of their behavior, or the enclosure? Do they stay under the hen or run off? I have neve rhatched them. corancher said the same thing I would if they are staying under the hens, just reach under and take them and put them into a brooder. If you are intending to keep the keets with the hens and you need to move the whole group, that sounds a little more challenging, but would best be done at night, meaning flashlights and probably another pair of hands/arms? Meanwhile, do you have some hardware claoth you can put around them for now so they can't escape and something else can't get to them? Maybe even an old table that's high enough off the ground you could use it as framework for hardware cloth or screening?

 

[Pozees]

I should have also said, if you are just taking the keets from the hens, it's probably also best done at dusk or later to minimize stress to the hens.

 

[samsr]

The wife says that it is time to find a new home for the white silkie roo.  If anyone is interested, send me a PM.  Yup we will be free.  He is a good guy.  we are just getting to many roos with this new batch of chicks that have just hatched.

I found a new home for the white silkie roo. I traded him to one of mu friends down the road for her phoenix roo. He is quite striking. I will get a picture of him soon and post it up. He is right around 4 months and has just started to crow. I was a little busy tonight finishing up the 450 feet of fence along the road to get a picture.

 

[Pozees]

I found a new home for the white silkie roo. I traded him to one of mu friends down the road for her phoenix roo. He is quite striking. I will get a picture of him soon and post it up. He is right around 4 months and has just started to crow. I was a little busy tonight finishing up the 450 feet of fence along the road to get a picture.

Neato! Can't wait to see him!

@Percheron chick, how did you make out with you keets?

 

[Percheron chick]

They've just starting to hatch (30) so I've got some time. I want the hens to raise them but have kept 2 chicken hens broody as plan B. The nest is just in the tall grass behind the house.

 

[COChix]

Hey gang, just wanted to post this link for an article of common commercial practices of starvation for profit. I was utterly disgusted!

http://www.nwedible.com/2014/02/forced-molt.html