we have moved the eggs into the 'incubator' and so far only one has hatched completely...on has had a peep hole open all day and chirps but is not making headway...2 seem to not be moving now at all...no other movement from any that have starter cracks....does this mean that they have died? should i help the one out that has been chirping all day? i'm afraid the rain or something finally got the best of her-we could hear lots of chirping and eggs moving early in the nest when we noticed at 5 she was not going back to them...and moved them inside.... any input?
you can help the 1 if you want. sometimes a hen will leave the nest if a predator has spooked her on the nest. also birds can sense when the egg have expired and leave the nest. if i find a nest i usually collect the eggs & hatch them in my incubator.
What was setting......a guinea hen or a chicken hen? From everything I have read, it is not recommended to use a guinea as a mom, but to use a surrogate chicken mom. I haven't had guineas for a few years, but I plan on changing that next spring. I have had luck with incubation provided a chicken started the setting for me. I even used my hens as incubators one year, taking the eggs away for 3 go rounds, but my mom said I was wrong......I sold a lot of chicks and ducks that year. Do you think it was a long time they went without mom? I would keep the incubator going, until I have no hope at all of survivors. I can't wait to get my keets. I would have thought they were finished by now. The hatcheries don't have any available.
i had a guinea hen bring 12 keets in the yard yesterday. her & the cock had them under their wings keeping them warm. 2 days ago it rained really hard i was surprised to see any keets knowing how guinea moms can be.