Do they often hatch early??

[duckyfromoz]

I set some eggs nearly four weeks ago- but was surprised to see some already hatched a little more than two days early. Another has cracked the shell- gee they sure hatch different from anything else I have tried before. I am used to seeing a tiny pip in a duck egg- but these guys have huge cracks spanning half the egg in the first pip. They sure are cute though.

 

[PeepsCA]

My keets usually pip on day 23 and hatch between day 24-26. Rarely do my Guinea hatches last thru to day 28. Occasionally I'll have one that hatches on day 23.

 

[okdfarms]

mine pip on day 25, out by day 26. rarely do i have one go to day 28 and if it does hatch they seem to be weak.

 

[MuranoFarms]

Do they often hatch early?? Only when you don't expect them to!

I swear they like the rocking of the turner! It encourages them to hatch or something. If I put them in lockdown early they will go 27-28 days. If I leave them in the turner till day 25, I have pips and peeps and sometimes a keet sitting there riding back and forth.

Silly birds.

 

[jnkir7]

do they hatch wild or are they tame like chicks,i hatched one once and it came out bouncing off the walls.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Well..I have 5 out- and checked the other eggs when I put them into a brooder. Tossed two eggs- but the other three are at least still alive. I dont think they will hatch though. I was going to try to make a hole in one egg to check things out- but they are so tough I cant do it like I do with duck eggs. So its up to them now- if they make it out or not. The little ones sure were noisy though. I put my trusty toy ostrich in with them and havent heard another peep out of them. I think I have 4 pearl pieds and a lavender by the looks of them. So cute- still a bit wobbly on the feet- and VERY hungry.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Guineas don't pip n zip, they pip and pop! The shell is so hard. I pick up my eggs everyday so they don't get a head start on incubation and my temp is very stable at 99.5. I have hatched about 150 this year so far and not one has been early. Day 27 maybe but they are usually on time.

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote:
Exactly, pip and pop... altho I've sat with my nose to the hatcher window watching keets zip 3/4 of the way around then pop many times, lol.

Just curious... What brand and model of incubator do you use Colby? I've hatched over 450 healthy keets (300+ last year, 149 this year so far) using my Hovabator Genesis 1588s (very stable, preset temp) and the hatches were all early. Pipping starts on day 23, hatching is usually on days 24-26, but occasionally I even get a keet that insists on hatching earlier (on day 23). Rarely do the hatches last to day 27-28. I have 38 eggs that are hatching now, day 26

 

[david's grammy]

I have been hatching guineas for 3 years now and this has never happened ...HELP..I put 41 eggs in my little graint, my own eggs from my own not quite a year old hens. I candled before lock down all looked great. I went into lock down on wed. at 5pm. this this friday at 12 noon. The first day I had 1 keet hatch....then nothing ..I had bumped up the humidity at lock down to around 65% , but when I removed the ONE LONEL keet last night, no mist on the windows, so O added more sponges, there is now mist on the wondows, but no pips. I heard one chipping in the shell, but no pip...I have always hatched in paper eggcartons with much success. I cut them down some so keets will me able to pip out at the side if necessary. WHAT IS GOING WRONG.... should I candle again.. what about the one I hear chipping , but no pipping? This is nerve racking, usually they just pop out wtih a few late ones.. 41 one egg wasted BOO HOO