Incubation question... had a guinea egg malfunction?!

[hmlongino]

I have guinea eggs in the bator for the first time. One of them hatched yesterday, on day 26. One other pipped last night, but no more action since then. The rest, I haven't seen move at all. The chicks that were incubating with them have mostly hatched, so I know my temp and humidity was right for them. I was just wondering if there could be something wrong, or if it's common for guineas to hatch right at 28 days or later.

Thanks!

 

[bigdawg]

i have had guineas hatch from day 26 to day 29 hang in there

 

[hmlongino]

Guess I just had one "early bird"!

Should I be concerned about the one that pipped 30+ hours ago?

 

[PeepsCA]

I'd quickly candle the pipped egg, see if you see any movement. And candle the other eggs too while you are at it. Some people have used a stethoscope to listen for noise in the egg (I need to try that one of these days, lol), I prefer to candle and look for movement and an internal pip (when the beak is thru the membrane and into the air cell). If you see or hear life in the eggs, put them back in the 'bator, make sure your humidity is up around 70% and give it a while longer. 28-29 days is common, and so is an early bird! You are still within the normal range... after 32 days I'd give up on any left over eggs tho (JMO).

Good luck!

 

[hmlongino]

Thank you! I may just do that!

 

[hmlongino]

Okay, what went wrong??

The one that pipped had died. One other egg was unfertilized, and three others had large air sacs, looked like late development, but I didn't see movement. One hatched just fine and is with the chicks, and one other one hatched, but was underdeveloped/deformed and had to be culled.

Now, I had these shipped with chicken eggs that hatched out just fine. They were incubated with eggs that hatched out fine. They were in lockdown with a set of eggs that hatched out just fine. What one earth went wrong here that just affected the guineas?!?!?

What will I do with this one little guinea?? Will he/she just live with the chickens?

 

[PeepsCA]

Some hatches are just unsuccessful, for unknown reasons, and not all keets that pip make it out sometimes. It could have been a number of things, like possibly how the Guinea eggs were handled and stored prior to shipping, or the eggs could have possibly came from a not so genetically healthy Hen, who knows. If the chicks hatched a week ago... the hatching mess may have permeated thru the pores of the Guinea eggs' shell pores and possibly contaminated the developing keets too... it's just so hard to say. Sorry it did not go well for you.

Your keet will most likely be fine being raised with the chicks. It won't know it's not a chick!

Better luck next time

 

[hmlongino]

Thank you! I have a "hatching only" incubator, so I move the ones to lockdown in another box... so contamination wasn't it. Who knows...

The only thing I can think of is that a few weeks ago (maybe around day 12 or so) our electricity went out for 4 1/2 hours. The temp in the bator went down to 80. The chicks seemed to be okay, though?

Who knows!

 

[PeepsCA]

The power outage may possibly have played a part in it, and the chick embryos were already far enough along that it did not effect them.. maybe, just guessing.

If your power ever goes out again, wrap blankets around your incubator to hold the heat in better. It may still drop in temp, but at a slower rate.

 

[david's grammy]

I'd quickly candle the pipped egg, see if you see any movement. And candle the other eggs too while you are at it. Some people have used a stethoscope to listen for noise in the egg (I need to try that one of these days, lol), I prefer to candle and look for movement and an internal pip (when the beak is thru the membrane and into the air cell). If you see or hear life in the eggs, put them back in the 'bator, make sure your humidity is up around 70% and give it a while longer. 28-29 days is common, and so is an early bird! You are still within the normal range... after 32 days I'd give up on any left over eggs tho (JMO).

Good luck!
----------------------------------------------------
I have been hatching guineas for several years now and have never had this problem. I put 41 eggs in lock down on wed 5pm it is Friday noon. lock down was on the 25th day. One hatched with in 12 hours...no other ...no pips nothing.. I do hear one chipping in the shell. I candled at locked down and the all looked great, air pocket good, rest of egg black. I had humidity at 65% , when I took my ONE LONELY keet out , I noticed their was no mist on the viewer windows , so I added more sponges making 8 all total. I hatch in paper egg cartons and have always had great luck. These eggs were from my hens, which will be a year old in June . My humidity and temp has been good, I had quite a few quitters and infertile, but I figured that was from a young hen. I am afraid these are dead in the shell...BOO HOO
WHAT CAUSES THAT
Should I candle again
I am afraid of messing around in the incubator too much and losing temp and humidity
What kind of movement are you speaking of...is it easy to see?
these seem to be just sol
id black and I am unsure what an internal pip looks like
PLEASE HELP..
Thanks...
Nervous wreck in Kansas