So I've been finding nests of 40-95 eggs around the place. I've been wanting to gather them to throw in the incubator, but was never sure how old the eggs really were. Went outside to milk the cow, and came across a guinea hen who wouldn't budge, I moved here with a rope I had, and keets scattered everywhere. Now since I've heard Guinea hens aren't the greatest mothers, and the weather was supposed to get very damp, I dropped the rope and started grabbing keets. I got 7 of them in my shirt, when, KABLAAM, I was smacked in the face by one very upset momma. This ornery mamma went for my face every time.
It took me 4 attempts to grab all the little buggers, One really needs a fencing mask to do this safely. I had 13 keets when all was said and done. We lost 5 for some reason, I'm guessing from stress, but not sure, might of also been the heat lamp, and not enough room to self regulate (live and learn). Had 7 guinea eggs in the incubator and today they all hatched. Without being specific on color, I have 6 white ones, and one pied, I was a little surprised because I don't have that many white hens, but I do however have some white roosters. These 7 eggs were from one days collection by the way.
I used a dry incubation method with 25% humidity, bumped up to 65-70% the last 3 days. All but 1 egg hatched on day 25, which is one day early from what I understand. My last batch of chicken eggs hatched a day early as well, using the same humidity percentages. I have read all the stories about never opening the incubator during "lock down" but since my incubator isn't quite finished, I have to in order to turn my other eggs. I have yet to have a problem, I just try not to open the door when I have chicks that are still wet. 31 more Guinea eggs are in the incubator, with 50 chicken eggs. Crossing my fingers on the next batch.
It took me 4 attempts to grab all the little buggers, One really needs a fencing mask to do this safely. I had 13 keets when all was said and done. We lost 5 for some reason, I'm guessing from stress, but not sure, might of also been the heat lamp, and not enough room to self regulate (live and learn). Had 7 guinea eggs in the incubator and today they all hatched. Without being specific on color, I have 6 white ones, and one pied, I was a little surprised because I don't have that many white hens, but I do however have some white roosters. These 7 eggs were from one days collection by the way.
I used a dry incubation method with 25% humidity, bumped up to 65-70% the last 3 days. All but 1 egg hatched on day 25, which is one day early from what I understand. My last batch of chicken eggs hatched a day early as well, using the same humidity percentages. I have read all the stories about never opening the incubator during "lock down" but since my incubator isn't quite finished, I have to in order to turn my other eggs. I have yet to have a problem, I just try not to open the door when I have chicks that are still wet. 31 more Guinea eggs are in the incubator, with 50 chicken eggs. Crossing my fingers on the next batch.
. My hair looked like it had been sucked into some sci-fi vortex of electric energy swirl....you had to be there. That what your ordeal sounds like. Sorry about the ones you lost, though. That's not funny at all.
