Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

[Jessie22]

I was hoping someone can help me. I have a guinea hen who has a nest with 17 eggs in it but she only stays on the nest to lay another egg. She lays one a day then she leaves and doesn't come back until the next day just to lay another one. She stays about 2 hours to lay an egg then leaves. The 2 males stay with her until she lays the next egg, then off they go. The eggs stay warm because she is laying another egg then they are cold. The eggs have stayed cold other wise. How long does an egg stay good for incubation? She has not been broody at all!! I want to incubate them but don't know how long they can stay in the nest before I can gather them up and incubate them.

 

[lazy gardener]

She may be building a clutch to incubate. I've heard of Guineas hatching out an incredible number of keets. So.... I'm guessing she knows what she's doing. Your other option might be to take the eggs and incubate them. Your call here. With colder weather coming, how much time do you want to invest in a brood of babies right now??? They take 28 days to hatch. That puts hatch date close to end of October. You might want to prowl around in the threads re; Guineas in the "Other back yard poultry" forum. Good luck.

 

[Victoria-nola]

I was hoping someone can help me. I have a guinea hen who has a nest with 17 eggs in it but she only stays on the nest to lay another egg. She lays one a day then she leaves and doesn't come back until the next day just to lay another one. She stays about 2 hours to lay an egg then leaves. The 2 males stay with her until she lays the next egg, then off they go. The eggs stay warm because she is laying another egg then they are cold. The eggs have stayed cold other wise. How long does an egg stay good for incubation? She has not been broody at all!! I want to incubate them but don't know how long they can stay in the nest before I can gather them up and incubate them.

The answer to your question about the nest is that they don't start setting on the eggs until they have the full amount they are going to lay, which is sometimes 30 eggs. The eggs do just sit there in suspended animation, sort of, until heat is applied constantly. Same thing if you put eggs in the incubator. So it's not that she's not broody-- by definition if she's laying a clutch she's "feeling it" and intends to set on them. Sometimes things can happen but she intends to set, just has to build up enough eggs.

If you are really set on incubating, you can take the eggs at any point and incubate them. The best chances are when eggs are no more than 7 or so days old, or maybe 10 days, but if the eggs are older they can still hatch, just fewer may make it. Personally I wouldn't want to stop my guinea from setting on her own eggs if the nest is in a safe place. The keets will be a lot happier if they are raised by their own parents. Also, I have been told by people with more experience that guineas can be reluctant to accept new guineas to the flock if they didn't hatch them themselves. It can cause a lot of trouble, even violence. So in terms of growing your flock, you're better off if you let the guineas set on their own nest and follow their own instincts and culture.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I find that my guineas lay very large clutches before sitting, and I can get about 2 weeks worth to hatch (ie ~14 per hen that is using that nest). My last batch was 49 eggs from 2 hens and I got 27 keets.

 

[jeapa]

I got my coop all set up and ready for the chicks that will ship on the 26th. I checked the temp under the MHP and it was 93 set at level 4. The temp in the coop was 83. I used a cardboard fence to partition off a smaller area for them. Here are the photos

 

[Ainee]

I got my coop all set up and ready for the chicks that will ship on the 26th. I checked the temp under the MHP and it was 93 set at level 4. The temp in the coop was 83. I used a cardboard fence to partition off a smaller area for them. Here are the photos

That's a nice setup! I received 6 chicks on the 8th of this month. When I measured the temp under my MHP before they arrived, I measured it with the thermometer tip about midway between the floor of the brooder and the underside of the MHP. I also measured the temp with the sensor touching the underside of the pad - towards the higher settings the temp of the pad registered ~104, which kind of surprised me! I ended up setting it on 3. The chicks seemed very comfortable with that temp. I actually had to turn it down to 2 on day 4. But this is indoors... so the temps aren't dipping down at night. It might be different for your setup and location. I just found it helpful when deciding on the setting, to measure the temp of the pad too. Have fun with your chicks! Looks like they have a great home waiting for them!

 

[jeapa]

That's a nice setup! I received 6 chicks on the 8th of this month. When I measured the temp under my MHP before they arrived, I measured it with the thermometer tip about midway between the floor of the brooder and the underside of the MHP. I also measured the temp with the sensor touching the underside of the pad - towards the higher settings the temp of the pad registered ~104, which kind of surprised me! I ended up setting it on 3. The chicks seemed very comfortable with that temp. I actually had to turn it down to 2 on day 4. But this is indoors... so the temps aren't dipping down at night. It might be different for your setup and location. I just found it helpful when deciding on the setting, to measure the temp of the pad too. Have fun with your chicks! Looks like they have a great home waiting for them!

Yes Ainee, I was testing the temp at different settings and 93 is probably still a little warm considering 8 chicks would be under the MHP. It has been so warm here thus far for September. I was checking the weather for the next 2 weeks and it looks like the day they arrive it will be 70's daytime and upper 50's at night.

I am thinking one of the advantages of using the MHP in conjunction with a larger space in the coop is the ability for the chicks to move away from the heat source and if need be lounge near it. I am excited to try this out.

Are your chicks still using the MHP?

 

[aart]

Quote: Do get too worried about the thermometer readings...they are good for reference but going by the chicks behaviors is better.
ETA: Oh, substitute 'MHP' for 'lamp' in my blurb below.
The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

 

[jeapa]

Do get too worried about the thermometer readings...they are good for reference but going by the chicks behaviors is better.
ETA: Oh, substitute 'MHP' for 'lamp' in my blurb below.
The best indicator of heat levels is to watch their behavior:
If they are huddled/piled up right under the lamp and cheeping very loudly, they are too cold.
If they are spread out on the absolute edges of the brooder as far from the lamp as possible, panting and/or cheeping very loudly, they are too hot.
If they sleep around the edge of the lamp calmly just next to each other and spend time running all around the brooder they are juuuust right!

That is great advice. The last time I raised some chicks with a heat lamp they never chose to lay directly under the heat lamp until I raised it high enough that the temp was in the 80-85 range. Observing behavior is definitely the way to go. I just want to get an idea at the difference in temp from the coop and under the MHP at different settings.

Thank you for the great advice.

 

[Ainee]

Yes Ainee, I was testing the temp at different settings and 93 is probably still a little warm considering 8 chicks would be under the MHP. It has been so warm here thus far for September. I was checking the weather for the next 2 weeks and it looks like the day they arrive it will be 70's daytime and upper 50's at night.

I am thinking one of the advantages of using the MHP in conjunction with a larger space in the coop is the ability for the chicks to move away from the heat source and if need be lounge near it. I am excited to try this out.

Are your chicks still using the MHP?

That sounds perfect! Mine are still using it, though very little. I have it set at 1 now. During the day a single chick might go under the pad for a short nap, but very infrequently. At night they're sleeping just outside of the opening. Several nights they slept with their bodies under the pad, and their heads sticking out of the opening - so like everyone here says, they definitely regulate themselves! They're so interesting to watch. I'm hoping to move mine outdoors at @ 3 weeks. l'll try upping the temperature setting a little then, until I get a feel for what they need outdoors. I hope you love this method! I know I do! Good luck and hope to see pics of your babies!