Keet pipped for appx 24h - how long do they take to hatch??

happytxchick

Egg Song Acre
10 Years
Jul 8, 2009
751
8
131
Sulphur Springs, TX
I'm hatching guineas for the first time. Tomorrow is day 28, and two of the eggs just pipped, but one has been pipped (quite a big pip, like she's starting to zip) for about 24 hours now. She has made NO PROGRESS over the whole day. She is still alive.

Has anyone experienced this? Is it common to guineas to take their time hatching, or should I help her out a little?
 
Need help, please! I know you feisty guinea ppl are out there!
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Never tried in an incubator. But I have under a Broody Hen. They hatch relatively quickly for me. I go out and one's pipping then about hour later I go back out 3 have hatched. But that's under a hen. It could be different using an incubator.
 
i dont know about guineas but chickens do that and i will have to learn this with you because i will have guinea keets hatching in two days:weee
 
I put a sponge in the incubator to raise the humidity -- I don't hatch with a hygrometer, so I just go by "feel" and a little common sense.

I got up at 4:00 this morning; still no progress, but could see the keet breathing. At 7:30am, I went back to the incubator and the little booger was hatched and fluffed! Weird...she/he zipped, hatched and fluffed in 3.5 hours! (This one looks like a pearl.)

The one that had zipped all the way was still in there at 8:30pm, and had made no progress. The membrane was looking a little dry to me, so I wet the shell with a few drops of water, and waited about another 15 min. Still nothing, and it looked like the keet was struggling, so I helped it. It appears to be okay now. (This one looks like a pied.)

Two others have been pipped over 24 hours. I don't know about them...we will wait and see.
 
Sometimes they go over 24 hours. Normally a guinea keet hatches soon after external pip. I do check to ensure not shrink wrapped. If I help I know I have to be prepared to help all. So I try not to help. I'll save them if I can though. Been doing this many years.
 
Sometimes they go over 24 hours. Normally a guinea keet hatches soon after external pip. I do check to ensure not shrink wrapped. If I help I know I have to be prepared to help all. So I try not to help. I'll save them if I can though. Been doing this many years.
This was all over and done with back in 2010. The OP has not been an BYC since Apr 29, 2017.
 

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