Guineas Laying Eggs at 8 months

[Rivers Edge Homestead]

My guineas started laying eggs, in the chicken coop till we put some boxes into their coop. I’d really like to incubate some. It would be the first time incubating anything, got an incubator that’s got automatic turning and air circulation and whatnot. Any tips for a newbie?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Incubation is so much fun but also very addictive!
There are some excellent links here in the first post ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-important-topic-index-please-review.1512879/

Good luck

 

[Rivers Edge Homestead]

Welcome second generation guineas!

 

[Rivers Edge Homestead]

Ok….. this little one hatched out of a Guinea egg, but……. That’s a comb
Isn’t it? Do I have a chicken/guinea cross here??

 

[R2elk]

Ok….. this little one hatched out of a Guinea egg, but……. That’s a comb
Isn’t it? Do I have a chicken/guinea cross here??

Looks like it.

 

[Bicoastal]

@Rivers Edge Homestead what protocols did you follow for incubating your guinea eggs? Congrats on a successful first hatch from your hens!

 

[Rivers Edge Homestead]

This one has something wrong with its crop. I had to assist with the hatch because it got stuck in its shell. Looked like some unabsorbed yolk maybe was drying to it and stuck so I had to loosen with warm water and carefully help it out. It’s been laying down for over an hour and breathing looks labored I don’t dare open the incubator again right now though because there are many other unhatched yet and 6 fresh wet keets that are trying to warm up and dry out still.

 

[Rivers Edge Homestead]

@Rivers Edge Homestead what protocols did you follow for incubating your guinea eggs? Congrats on a successful first hatch from your hens!

I washed the eggs with lukewarm water and wiped with peroxide. Then I placed them in an incubator with automatic turner and air circulation, temp set at 100 and humidity between 40-60%. The incubator was set to go on lockdown late in the evening on Wednesday (day 25) but after breakfast Wednesday morning, I heard the loud crack of the first guinea completely coming out of its shell! I scrambled to remove the turner and return the eggs to the incubator. (Another that had pipped at that time got dry and stuck unfortunately.)