Guinea Advice

[txcarl1258]

I would put the peeping eggs under the broody hen. There are several threads on here that involve candling eggs, guinea eggs are relatively easy to candle if you know what you are looking for. If several are near the hatching point then I would give them to your broody as well. Once the keets hatch you can remove them and give them back to her at night once all the eggs have hatched as long as they are within a few days of each other.

I am so sorry for your loss. Sometimes these things happen and we have no control. Hopefully there is a silver lining and you get a few babies out of it.

 

[txcarl1258]

I wanted to add something else. The easiest way to candle is to take the eggs to a completely dark room and get a very bright light. A flashlight works well. You are looking for a bubble at the top of the fat end and you should see the baby under the bubble. If the egg is completely dark then they are probably close to hatching. I would put these under your broody. The others may have to be tossed unless you have a incubator. Since she has been faithfully broody they all should be around the same time unless the other hen added eggs to the nest.

 

[KAZROB]

Thanks so much, im listening through a stethoscope. The broody hen has about 8 peeping eggs under her and im going through 14 with a stethoscope. 2 have already been born but they are quite cold and the broody hen is not on them, do I need to keep them warm what do I do? They are on some hay and wood shavings... how soon is it until they are up and moving?

 

[txcarl1258]

Yes if they have hatched and she is not keeping them warm then you need to provide a heat source. Do you have a brooder lamp? A 100 watt bulb will work in a pinch but the red 250 watt bulbs are recomended. A simple card board box will work. Also make sure they have secure bedding so they don't slip. Cheap shelf liner works great for the first few days until they get to moving well. Guineas are usually up and running in a few days. Once they are dried off dip their beaks in the water and place some food in a shallow dish so they can begin to peck at it. Keep us updated.

 

[KAZROB]

Thanks, I am glad to report that when I went out to put plan B into action my broody hen who has lovingly taken over the care of the Guinea eggs, has the two newborns under her, I felt them and they are lovely and warm and she is a true mum, most annoyed and vocal about the fact that I was looking at her now babies......it has been a very hard day from a sad point a view but also a happy point a view...I also have a mother duck who has been sitting and she has two ducklings trying to get out of her eggs as I type this, she is on 9 eggs.../I also have another guinea tapping away as well. I will check them all through the night at least once and hopefully I will have more guinea's in the morning.....I will be so pleased if they are well, healthy and survive, as I will at least feel as though the mum didn't sit all that time to only be killed on the days her babies were hatching I will keep you informed and I will try the pictures tomorrow...

 

[txcarl1258]

Sounds great. Glad to hear there is some triumph in all this tragedy.

 

[KAZROB]

Well I had 4 baby keets when I woke up this morning and one not long born, when I went and checked a couple of hours later the latest born had dies, I wonder if she was actually squashed? I still have three and they appear to be going good.....I am constantly checking...finger crossed all goes well and as foster mum -(Chicken) is being mum, when would it be a good time to take the baby keets of her and introduce them to my two other guinea? and all the friends in the paddock

 

[txcarl1258]

I would leave them with the broody hen. She will raise them as her own. Broody hens normally make excellent mothers. If you can keep her cooped until the keets have most of their feathers then she will take them out on little adventures. So glad to hear you got some babies and hopeully a few more to come.

 

[Hotcookie]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about your Mama Guinea.....but it seems like your foster moms might be doing a good job hatching some out for you. txcarl is giving you excellent advice.....listen to what he's telling you, and things should go ok. I had good luck last summer with both a hen and pekin duck hatching out baby keets for me. Both decided to go broody, so I thought I'd give them something fertile to try to hatch out. Once they did their job - and a good job it was!!!! of sitting and hatching, I brought the keets into the house under a heat lamp. I was afraid the keets might follow my ducks down to the pond and drown - that's why I didn't let them continue on with the process. Not sure what would have happened with my broody chicken.......she probably would have been a good mama, but since I had the newly hateched keets from the duck inside, thought I would bring them in, too. Good luck!! Please keep us updated!!

 

[KAZROB]

Thanks for all the great advice txcarl1258 and Hotcookie, well as you know I lost one keet today but then surprise surprise I have another so far a total of 4...the three older ones are getting around great and have started to listen to foster mums eating que etc and they are just adorable little things...Do I need to give them any thing other than water and chick starter feed which is 20% protein? I just don't want to make any mistakes with them and mum is doing really well, she is sorting them out and most importantly keeping them warm...she is such a gorgeous hen and has taken them in with no trouble at all. I also have baby ducklings hatching under my mother duck as well, so all is busy with babies this end of the world....I have some photos so I will post some ASAP....Thanks for all the help and keep the advice coming.....