Incubate through or transfer to broody hen before or after?

[dpnation]

I have a bit of a scheduling conundrum and wanted to get peoples' opinions

I have 5 guinea eggs in an incubator. Hatch date is next Wednesday 8/13.

I have a couple silkies who have gone broody. Chickens are great guinea moms! We have let a broody hen hatch guineas with success in the past, however not these two that are currently broody.

When I put the eggs in the incubator, I failed to realize that we will be on vacation - we will be home the day before hatch date (Tuesday). Our house sitter is actually a vet and very competent (though not a poultry vet), I am confident that she can put the incubator into lockdown with instruction.

I go back and forth on my options
1. Put the incubated eggs under the silkies Saturday morning before we leave - hope that they incubate properly for the remaining 5 days (but I will not be home to oversee this)
2. Have the house sitter put the eggs into lockdown on Sunday
3. Put day old keets in with broody hens at night for them to raise
4. Traditional incubator hatch and make a brooder in the garage without using the broody hens

I assume that when we get back Tuesday afternoon it would be too late to transfer the eggs to a hen (possible shrinkwrapping) - so it would have to be a day old keet if we went that route. I did like letting the chicken raise the keets - they ended up being much calmer than traditional guineas, so I guess that would be my ideal state - I just don't know what the best course of action is because of the travel snafu. Appreciate your thoughts!

 

[FarmerGirl101]

I would continue with the incubator while you are on vacation since you will be certain that they are under heat the entire time. Then once they hatch put them under the broody hens. I prefer this as sometimes hens will break being broody and since you can't be there to watch them and put the eggs back in the incubator in case this happens, this is the better option.