Hatching Guinea Eggs

[ala0399]

I am new to BYC. I have been reading threads for weeks, then I decided to go ahead and join! I need help. I started out with 17 guineas. Over a years time, we are down to 3.(one has a broken leg) anyhow, I found one of my hens on about 25 eggs. Free range. She went missing and I went searching and stumbled across her. Anyway, I am really wanting to incubate those eggs and hatch them myself. (Assuming they are fertile) I candled 2, however saw nothing, but I have no clue what I'm doing . My question is, should I collect the eggs and try to hatch them? Or should I let nature take its place? My thinking is those keets survival rate isn't going to be very good.

 

[Hillaire]

guineas are notoriously bad moms.... they leave the nest, break eggs and this time of year even when the keets do hatch if the grass is wet it can cause them to get cold and die... I personally incubate the eggs as I have a better success rate after hatching

 

[ala0399]

Did you get my reply?

 

[ala0399]

I just don't know how many days along they are. Or if they even are. I'm almost positive I have a male. Can I just set them at the standard temp/humidity?

 

[R2elk]

I just don't know how many days along they are. Or if they even are. I'm almost positive I have a male. Can I just set them at the standard temp/humidity?

Yes you can just set them at the proper settings for the type of incubator that you have. Candling them before you set them may or may not give you a clue about how far they are along.

I have incubated eggs that have been sat on before I collected them. When the first ones hatched, I shut off the egg turner and raised the humidity for the remaining eggs.

Good luck.

 

[Hillaire]

Did you get my reply?

sorry just saw the reply check out this thread

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/759166/questions-about-incubating-guinea-fowl-eggs

 

[R2elk]

guineas are notoriously bad moms.... they leave the nest, break eggs and this time of year even when the keets do hatch if the grass is wet it can cause them to get cold and die... I personally incubate the eggs as I have a better success rate after hatching

Your information does not agree with what I personally know to be facts.

If the eggs are getting broken, it is very likely due to a predator. Predators are the number reason to not allow a guinea hen sit on a hidden nest that is not inside a secure place.

I have never had any of my guinea hens break their own eggs or abandon a nest unless there was good cause such as a person or predator messing with the nest.

Hens will unwittingly drag keets through wet grass which is why it is a good idea to confine the hen and her keets and usually the male also until they are mature enough to handle getting wet. There are people on this forum that have had great success allowing the hens to hatch and raise their own keets by preventing the keets from access to wet conditions.

 

[ala0399]

Well ideally, I would love to let her hatch and raise them. In the future I will. I just so badly want these to make it. we have dogs. Hawks. Owls. Coyotes. You name it. I feel like keets wouldn't stand a chance out on their own.

 

[Hillaire]

Your information does not agree with what I personally know to be facts.

If the eggs are getting broken, it is very likely due to a predator. Predators are the number reason to not allow a guinea hen sit on a hidden nest that is not inside a secure place.

I have never had any of my guinea hens break their own eggs or abandon a nest unless there was good cause such as a person or predator messing with the nest.

Hens will unwittingly drag keets through wet grass which is why it is a good idea to confine the hen and her keets and usually the male also until they are mature enough to handle getting wet. There are people on this forum that have had great success allowing the hens to hatch and raise their own keets by preventing the keets from access to wet conditions.

you do realize that people can have different experiences right? I am in no way saying what I say is in stone and that you have to follow what I say.... If someone asks my opinion I will certainly give it, however I am not an expert. I have had experiences years ago where the guinea hen was in the chicken coop sitting on eggs and just up and abandons the nest and I also had a guinea that would go off and on the nest and ended up breaking half of the eggs she was on (which I thought was quite a feet since they are so hard to break)... I'm just giving my experiences here and from what I've heard I'm not the only one that has had similar issues

 

[Percheron chick]

I've successfully moved a guinea hen and her eggs. She would hike to the barn to eat so I just had to move the eggs while she was gone and catch her. A snake was stealing her eggs. I think she was relieved to be locked up. I have also given eggs to a great Cochin hen. Those babies were the least wild