Guineas Hatching!!! NOW WHAT?!

[vintage00gypsy]

So, I went to town today and two guineas have hatched. One died in the process and there is one left... The two that have hatched are active and moving about, one rolling a bit more than the other but I have read that's pretty normal. My hubby left them in the incubator while I was gone, they've been in there a couple hours and are still wet yet.

soooooo....

Now what?!

I have tried fishing through the forum (guinea 101, etc) and there are so many pages of information it is nearly impossible to get direct information.

When do they go in the brooder? What wattage bulb should I have over them? I have a 125 and a 250. Guess I should set it up and get a temp maintained? Wish my husband would have done a bit of this!!! LOL. Chickens were his idea and now they're all my responsibility. Go figure. haha.

I have had chicks in the house but never so brandy new and never guineas... firs incubation and I am surprised to have any alive at all.

I know basically everything EXCEPT first three days of life care.... (basically bahahahaha)

anyone????

 

[emvickrey]

I just use a regular 60 watt bulb but I have it in my brooder. Mine are large plastic totes and 20 gal aquariums with shelves at 2 levels to clamp the light on. I cover them with an expandable screen and if necessary cover those with a towel. Anyway, I use a thermometer in the brooder for the first few days and keep the temp at 100 and start decreasing it from there. I'll uncover the screen, raise the light till eventually the light goes off at night then during the day too. With it being so hot these days I didn't put the light in the brooder this time. I just had it shining on the tote and closed the door to the room they're in so the airconditioning doesn't go in there. The room is very warm.

Just treat them as you would chickens. Thats how I do it and they do fine.

 

[vintage00gypsy]

Quote:
I have a bird cage and the bulb sits above the bottom about 22" - I covered the cage in tinfoil in keep the cats from playing with it... the towel encouraged them... lol. stupid felines. )

It's not up to a high enough temp in there yet to put them in it.

When do I start offering water and food? Do they need water before they need food?

When can I give them their toys and mirrors? LOL!!!

Thank you for the response - I bought this bulb today in fear that we wouldn't have sufficient heating. I was going to get totes but wanted something up off the ground so the baby and cats didn't have such a hayday in it.

 

[vintage00gypsy]

thinking the tinfoil will reflect the light and cook them. getting a smaller bulb and putting some non reflective surface on a few sides....

 

[Melinda35]

I picked up day old guineas at the feed store about six weeks ago and took them straight to the coop in a wire cage with no light. (I'm in Texas!) I gave them water and layer feed until I picked up a bag of 24% protein. I fed the guineas that bag which took about 5 - 6 weeks since there were only 4 of them and then let them out. Guineas can be on their own at 4 weeks old according to Ideal website. Mine hang out with the chickens during the day and sleep on top of the coop at night. Can't wait to hatch my own next year. These were the easiest babies.

Good luck with yours!

 

[vintage00gypsy]

I absolutely love birds - the bigger, louder, weirder and outright comically questionable - the better.

We haven't had any birds incubated before, we always had chickens and they did their own thing and we let it happen naturally. We are starting anew and this is horrifying.

So far, I am pretty much a murderess... and as I have read - it's apparently pretty 'normal' to feel that way when you screw up your first incubation. As much as I read - it just didn't happen for me. I got scared when the temp dropped when I put the eggs in and turned it up and NEVER got it right again.

Then the humidity hit MN and good gosh I lost nearly everything because the house temps were fluctuating so much (and humidity levels). I think these will be the only two out of about 30 eggs (guinea and chicken) but there's still four left in there... hope they pull through...

nervous wreck.

have to work a 10 hr shift over a 350 degree grill in a restaurant with no a/c (and it has been the hottest week of the year) in 5 hours and haven't slept and probably won't because I am too dang worked up over these babies.

)

kinda fun. LOL!