JUNE - JULY HATCH-ALONG!!!!!!!

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

It's day 35, due day for the remainder of the duck eggs, and they're doing really well. They're popping out like popcorn, every time I go to check on them there's another little duckling in there. 13 so far, including the 3 early ones. I'm so happy, it's the best and easiest duck incubation I've ever had. The safety holes made a big difference, no dead-in-shell after internal pipping so far.

The driest nine.
View attachment 1838612

What beautiful little duckies!!! Congratulations!!!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Well. I’m ready glad that I followed some excellent suggestions from this thread to go ahead and lock down guineas keet early! This keet hatched two hours ago, day 23 of incubation! Here’s a pic of the candle last night and of the keet just now - note to whomever: keets that look like this on candling are about to hatch!!! I had candled them all before lockdown last night, and I think another keet was similarly far along, so I hope that I awake to another hatched keet so this loud little one has a friend! It’s a lavender, like it’s dad, one of my favorite colors. I took these eggs from the communal nest when the hens had been sitting on it for about 5-6 days, so this was probably a keet that had been incubated before I took it. From the cam I can see that they turn and swap eggs all over the place. And that there are sections of eggs that are very erratically incubated, like this section on the camera that apparently won’t be sat on overnight...

I really expected to get SOME keets hatched from the guineas’ communal nest before any of these incubator keets hatched... Not a great hatch, but SOMETHING! So I just checked in again, for about the 20th time today on the guinea cam (see pic) and... nothing. Today was day 28 since guineas started sitting on their nest! I’m not brave enough to try slipping keets under broody guineas; they are not insensible at night, and if disturbed, they tend to go absolutely ballistically bonkers! Incubation is supposed to be 26-28 days for guineas but we are waving goodby to day 28... So, girls, what’s going on under there??? Anything?

Well, I missed a TON of posts here again. The air cell drawing down when they're getting ready to hatch happens to all hatching eggs but some are easier to tell than others so don't be surprised if it's not really obvious which ones are about to hatch every time. I'm so excited about you finally getting a little Guinea keet!

It's day 35, due day for the remainder of the duck eggs, and they're doing really well. They're popping out like popcorn, every time I go to check on them there's another little duckling in there. 13 so far, including the 3 early ones. I'm so happy, it's the best and easiest duck incubation I've ever had. The safety holes made a big difference, no dead-in-shell after internal pipping so far.

The driest nine.
View attachment 1838612

Oh my goodness!! What a fantastic hatch!!! They're precious!!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Well... I’m an idiot. I have heard (who knows if this is true!) that keets don’t have the energy reserves that chicks do, so need to eat soon after hatching. So, this AM, I looked carefully at each egg and saw no pips, so decided to put the new keet (a lavender pied!) in the brooder. He’s not super happy about being a singleton but did drink and eat a little. Keeps trying to hide in a corner -I have it in my lap now. Thought I’d quickly hold a light on the other far along egg and see if it was ready to hatch. When I opened the incubator lid I saw... a crack over about a 1/4 of the egg! Yep, it’s pipped and probably zipping. Guess I forgot how guineas hatch - that part that looks like a hair is a crack that should be turning into a zip! Wish I had seen that when I looked earlier! I would have left yesterday’s chick in the incubator and wouldn’t have opened it right then!!!

 

[jolenesdad]

I may barely squeak in!!!

Ordered hatching eggs that should be here Wednesday. If I set them Wednesday, they’ll hatch the 31st!

Thinking with the summer heat I’m going to set them right away in case any started development in transit. I won’t start turning for 3 days or so, and maybe that will be like resting them? My duck eggs did great that way, immediately set after arrival, so we will see!


I’ve got a huge mix coming:

Wheaten Marans
Silverudd’s Blue
Blue/splash/partridge Brahma
BBS Copper Marans
....and...
Allllllll the orpingtons

Lavender
Lavender cuckoo
Mauve
Gold/silver/chocolate laced
Mottled
Blue/black/partridge project

I’ll update when I set them how they looked upon arrival! (hopefully Wednesday but we will see)

I ordered about 40ish eggs in hopes to hatch 15-20 and get up to 10 pullets and keep 5 or 6. I’m hoping to keep a few pullets just to grow out and hopefully offset my shipped egg costs or these will end up being the MOST expensive pullets I’ve ever had.

 

[jolenesdad]

Well... I’m an idiot. I have heard (who knows if this is true!) that keets don’t have the energy reserves that chicks do, so need to eat soon after hatching. So, this AM, I looked carefully at each egg and saw no pips, so decided to put the new keet (a lavender pied!) in the brooder. He’s not super happy about being a singleton but did drink and eat a little. Keeps trying to hide in a corner -I have it in my lap now. Thought I’d quickly hold a light on the other far along egg and see if it was ready to hatch. When I opened the incubator lid I saw... a crack over about a 1/4 of the egg! Yep, it’s pipped and probably zipping. Guess I forgot how guineas hatch - that part that looks like a hair is a crack that should be turning into a zip! Wish I had seen that when I looked earlier! I would have left yesterday’s chick in the incubator and wouldn’t have opened it right then!!!

That’s fascinating the way it zips! Also those Guineas eggs are gorgeous!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I may barely squeak in!!!

Ordered hatching eggs that should be here Wednesday. If I set them Wednesday, they’ll hatch the 31st!

Thinking with the summer heat I’m going to set them right away in case any started development in transit. I won’t start turning for 3 days or so, and maybe that will be like resting them? My duck eggs did great that way, immediately set after arrival, so we will see!


I’ve got a huge mix coming:

Wheaten Marans
Silverudd’s Blue
Blue/splash/partridge Brahma
BBS Copper Marans
....and...
Allllllll the orpingtons

Lavender
Lavender cuckoo
Mauve
Gold/silver/chocolate laced
Mottled
Blue/black/partridge project

I’ll update when I set them how they looked upon arrival! (hopefully Wednesday but we will see)

I ordered about 40ish eggs in hopes to hatch 15-20 and get up to 10 pullets and keep 5 or 6. I’m hoping to keep a few pullets just to grow out and hopefully offset my shipped egg costs or these will end up being the MOST expensive pullets I’ve ever had.

Wow! What a huge and exciting hatch you have planned!!!! I’ll be interested to hear how you handle your shipped eggs!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

The air cell drawing down when they're getting ready to hatch happens to all hatching eggs but some are easier to tell than others so don't be surprised if it's not really obvious which ones are about to hatch every time.

Yah, I mean I did know that they draw down before hatch... I think I was too hung up on the calendar and that I haven’t seen any keets hatch at the big nest. I kept thinking, “It can’t be ready to hatch at only 22 days!” Dumb, I know! At least I did indeed pull the turner and put them in lockdown early!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Well... I’m an idiot. I have heard (who knows if this is true!) that keets don’t have the energy reserves that chicks do, so need to eat soon after hatching. So, this AM, I looked carefully at each egg and saw no pips, so decided to put the new keet (a lavender pied!) in the brooder. He’s not super happy about being a singleton but did drink and eat a little. Keeps trying to hide in a corner -I have it in my lap now. Thought I’d quickly hold a light on the other far along egg and see if it was ready to hatch. When I opened the incubator lid I saw... a crack over about a 1/4 of the egg! Yep, it’s pipped and probably zipping. Guess I forgot how guineas hatch - that part that looks like a hair is a crack that should be turning into a zip! Wish I had seen that when I looked earlier! I would have left yesterday’s chick in the incubator and wouldn’t have opened it right then!!!

I'm sure it's fine! The pip still looks tight so if your incubator returns to humidity quickly it's doubtful that it will effect the hatch!
If your humidity appears low you can drip some warmed water in through a vent to increase humidity faster. You don't want to add a lot because it can actually increase the temp with enough of it and it doesn't take much to increase the humidity.
I can't wait to see what color your next keet is!!!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I may barely squeak in!!!

Ordered hatching eggs that should be here Wednesday. If I set them Wednesday, they’ll hatch the 31st!

Thinking with the summer heat I’m going to set them right away in case any started development in transit. I won’t start turning for 3 days or so, and maybe that will be like resting them? My duck eggs did great that way, immediately set after arrival, so we will see!


I’ve got a huge mix coming:

Wheaten Marans
Silverudd’s Blue
Blue/splash/partridge Brahma
BBS Copper Marans
....and...
Allllllll the orpingtons

Lavender
Lavender cuckoo
Mauve
Gold/silver/chocolate laced
Mottled
Blue/black/partridge project

I’ll update when I set them how they looked upon arrival! (hopefully Wednesday but we will see)

I ordered about 40ish eggs in hopes to hatch 15-20 and get up to 10 pullets and keep 5 or 6. I’m hoping to keep a few pullets just to grow out and hopefully offset my shipped egg costs or these will end up being the MOST expensive pullets I’ve ever had.

So exciting!!! I can't wait to see those babies!!

Yah, I mean I did know that they draw down before hatch... I think I was too hung up on the calendar and that I haven’t seen any keets hatch at the big nest. I kept thinking, “It can’t be ready to hatch at only 22 days!” Dumb, I know! At least I did indeed pull the turner and put them in lockdown early!

Well, I've heard Guineas are one of the harder poultry to hatch in an incubator though I've never tried myself, I guess they're finicky to having the proper settings so you're definitely doing something right to have a perfect little fluffy baby to show for it!!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Not sure what color it is, but the second keet hatched!!! I have video of it hatching but don’t have a YouTube account to upload there... anyone have a way to convert video to upload instead of linking to another site? This guy is spastic and cheeping up a storm!!! I think they really want mama guinea when they hatch!!!