I let the mom incubate - never again!

[KZ]

I decided to let my guinea mom go broody on a clutch of eggs, maybe 30 eggs. She sat on them dutifully, and only about 3 hatched (I am pretty sure they ate one baby before I was able to take it out - it disappeared) so I ended up with only 2 keets. I checked the rest of the eggs and they were almost all fertile - just dead in shell. When I incubate artifically, I get about a 99% hatch with fertile guinea eggs. I won't allow the mom to set anymore like that, and will take the eggs to hatch myself from now on. I don't know why the rate was so bad, she seemed to do a good job brooding them and I figured it was more natural and would work out about the same for hatch rates as the incubator. Anyway, live and learn.

 

[chickengrl]

how long did you let her sit on them? Keets take a few more days than chickens (you probably know this already if you incubated them) and they would probably have a staggered hatch with them being laid on different days. Otherwise, it sure sounds like she did everything right. Sorry I am not more helpful. Hope you get some answers.

 

[jcatblum]

I won't let the girls sit since predators are so bad here. I find several snakes a week eating eggs. No matter what I do I have not been able to keep the snakes away! Hate that you lost all those keets...... So sad to think it would have been a better hatch using the incubator.

 

[racuda]

I had the same problem. Mine left the nest too early after only a few hatched, unlike chickens.

 

[Okie Amazon]

We just caught up thirteen babies from under one of our guineas. We let her sit (most) of them, but I had gathered about half to put in the bator. They hatched the same time as the ones I left under her. Not sure about why you didn't get a better hatch rate. Is it super dry where you are? Whatever the reason, it a big bummer.

 

[cgmccary]

Similar experience as yours. I had a Guinea hen whose nest was in a safe place-- right up next to the house so no predator problems. Like you, I let her sit. And like yours, she sat faithfully, glued to her nest. I thought that she would have a high hatch rate as I do pretty good in the incubator with the Guinea eggs. Mine failed to even hatch ONE! I candled the eggs mid-way and most looked good at that point (I removed the clear ones and the obviously dead ones. In the end, the keets were dead in the shells like you said. I would like to know the reason none hatched.

I have had 100% Guinea eggs to hatch with chicken hens. One Game hen I had hatched and is raising 20 keets!

 

[KZ]

Quote:
Yeah, it is super dry, and I am thinking that is the reason for the bad hatch rate. I have another hen sitting now, and part of me wants to grab the eggs, lol, but another part doesn't really want to mess with it. Thing is, I can sell keets for a pretty good price, here, and very easy to sell. Ah, I think laziness is going to win, I am hatching peafowl and after that, I am done hatching for the year, I believe. However, if she manages to hatch any I am going to grab them right away before something eats them, lol.