Naturally hatching Guinea momma question

[Stacy Lucht]

So I decided to let my Guinea hatch her own eggs! My females laid 40 eggs cooperatively in a dog crate in the coop. Coop is 12 by 12 by 10. I have 2 females and 5 males.
One female sat the eggs. Today is day 27 and there are 3 babies!
My question is should I lock female in crate when I turn in the others for the night tonight?
I am afraid they could hurt the babies until they get older on purpose or accidentally Not sure how long to separate until they can co parent
I have another larger cage that is modified for babies in the coop. I can move them there when she is done hatching and can house them there at night and let them roam the coop daytime.
I gave her and babies food but am hesitant to put water in crate in case she spills and gets babies wet. It is a little waterer with marbles for safety .that is now right outside door of crate.
For reference I live in central Texas and it is really hot right now. 98-100+ I don’t want to deprive her of water if she needs it. I am also running fan for air.

 

[Sydney65]

So I decided to let my Guinea hatch her own eggs! My females laid 40 eggs cooperatively in a dog crate in the coop. Coop is 12 by 12 by 10. I have 2 females and 5 males.
One female sat the eggs. Today is day 27 and there are 3 babies!
My question is should I lock female in crate when I turn in the others for the night tonight?
I am afraid they could hurt the babies until they get older on purpose or accidentally Not sure how long to separate until they can co parent
I have another larger cage that is modified for babies in the coop. I can move them there when she is done hatching and can house them there at night and let them roam the coop daytime.
I gave her and babies food but am hesitant to put water in crate in case she spills and gets babies wet. It is a little waterer with marbles for safety .that is now right outside door of crate.
For reference I live in central Texas and it is really hot right now. 98-100+ I don’t want to deprive her of water if she needs it. I am also running fan for air.

Same Mama is sitting on 37 more eggs that will be hatching in the next 24°? When mine hatched last year, there were 4 on the bottom that ended up crushed or suffocated while 19 more hatched. I think I'd see if the other momma would take those hatchlings, or put them in brooder w/heat until the others hatch. By all means, see what others say, but that's a lot of eggs. Some have had momma see she has keets & walked away w/them, leaving the eggs.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

So I decided to let my Guinea hatch her own eggs! My females laid 40 eggs cooperatively in a dog crate in the coop. Coop is 12 by 12 by 10. I have 2 females and 5 males.
One female sat the eggs. Today is day 27 and there are 3 babies!
My question is should I lock female in crate when I turn in the others for the night tonight?
I am afraid they could hurt the babies until they get older on purpose or accidentally Not sure how long to separate until they can co parent
I have another larger cage that is modified for babies in the coop. I can move them there when she is done hatching and can house them there at night and let them roam the coop daytime.
I gave her and babies food but am hesitant to put water in crate in case she spills and gets babies wet. It is a little waterer with marbles for safety .that is now right outside door of crate.
For reference I live in central Texas and it is really hot right now. 98-100+ I don’t want to deprive her of water if she needs it. I am also running fan for air.

Congratulations on the hatch! I’m in Oklahoma and also struggle with the hot temps during nesting and hatching. First off, I assume that the hens can access a regular adult waterer in the coop, and that the babies can’t get to this big waterer and drown? I put my cup waterer up on a concrete block for this reason. Did the keets just hatch in the last day? Are both females on the nest and locked down tight? They should “lock down” for a few days as eggs are hatching, though my main Guinea mom is dumb about it and gets off and on the nest during hatching.

I would worry about keets exploring on their own without mom to protect them from other guineas but not sure how to best protect them in your setup as I wouldn’t want to lock moms away from water. I also wouldn’t want to lock moms (especially two!) in a small area with keets as they could trample keets if they panic or get anxious. Maybe you could put a temporary fence or panels around the dog crate or lock the cocks elsewhere for a few days? Again, I wouldn’t want to get the cocks all upset right now either as that could set off the hens so that they trample or kill the keets.

Hopefully at least one mom will get off the nest and escort babies out soon. Staggered hatches are common for Guinea nests so I’d have an incubator fired up and ready if the hens decide to abandon the rest of the eggs. I’ve also, unfortunately, had both guinea moms and dads attack and kill keets, so I would be cautiously monitoring.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[Stacy Lucht]

So, for an update! My guinea hen successfully hatched 7 chicks over a 30 hour period. she then started getting off nest with chicks. I moved her to a larger crate that i had prepared and put crumbles, water and a small brooder plate in it.
I then put the rest of the eggs in my incubator after candling and removing a few duds.
2 more hatched over the next 24 hours and then 2 more 4 and 5 days later! So I have 11 keets all successfully integrated with momma hen. I still have incubator going as I obviously have a staggered hatch and have had one eggs pip today 7 days after first hatch!
The only frustrating part of this experiment is that the mate to the hen is most upset and hanging out by the coop all day after I have let the flock out in am. I know he wants to be with momma hen, but I am hesitant to let him have access to babies now. Hen calls all day for him too, but if I leave her in crate and let him in coop, it just seems to agitate them more.
I have let hen and chicks have roam of coop today and will put them back in crate when I let the rest in tonight (without problems I hope) Hen does settle down and brood them for the night once everybody is in and roosting. They do use the brooder plate a little, but it was 102 here yesterday, so I really only have it just in case she doesn't settle on them for the night, she seems to be a good momma except for wanting her mate there.
Not sure how long to give the eggs left in incubator. I am getting a little worried about rotten eggs as it is in my Kitchen! I don't want to candle again, but as I said, one is pipped and I saw one move yesterday, not the same one tho. I don't really want/need more keets, but I can't just get rid of an egg that might still be viable?
That doesn't feel right. thanks for the advice and encouragement!






Congratulations on the hatch! I’m in Oklahoma and also struggle with the hot temps during nesting and hatching. First off, I assume that the hens can access a regular adult waterer in the coop, and that the babies can’t get to this big waterer and drown? I put my cup waterer up on a concrete block for this reason. Did the keets just hatch in the last day? Are both females on the nest and locked down tight? They should “lock down” for a few days as eggs are hatching, though my main Guinea mom is dumb about it and gets off and on the nest during hatching.

I would worry about keets exploring on their own without mom to protect them from other guineas but not sure how to best protect them in your setup as I wouldn’t want to lock moms away from water. I also wouldn’t want to lock moms (especially two!) in a small area with keets as they could trample keets if they panic or get anxious. Maybe you could put a temporary fence or panels around the dog crate or lock the cocks elsewhere for a few days? Again, I wouldn’t want to get the cocks all upset right now either as that could set off the hens so that they trample or kill the keets.

Hopefully at least one mom will get off the nest and escort babies out soon. Staggered hatches are common for Guinea nests so I’d have an incubator fired up and ready if the hens decide to abandon the rest of the eggs. I’ve also, unfortunately, had both guinea moms and dads attack and kill keets, so I would be cautiously monitoring.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Congratulations on the hatch! I’m in Oklahoma and also struggle with the hot temps during nesting and hatching. First off, I assume that the hens can access a regular adult waterer in the coop, and that the babies can’t get to this big waterer and drown? I put my cup waterer up on a concrete block for this reason. Did the keets just hatch in the last day? Are both females on the nest and locked down tight? They should “lock down” for a few days as eggs are hatching, though my main Guinea mom is dumb about it and gets off and on the nest during hatching.

I would worry about keets exploring on their own without mom to protect them from other guineas but not sure how to best protect them in your setup as I wouldn’t want to lock moms away from water. I also wouldn’t want to lock moms (especially two!) in a small area with keets as they could trample keets if they panic or get anxious. Maybe you could put a temporary fence or panels around the dog crate or lock the cocks elsewhere for a few days? Again, I wouldn’t want to get the cocks all upset right now either as that could set off the hens so that they trample or kill the keets.

Hopefully at least one mom will get off the nest and escort babies out soon. Staggered hatches are common for Guinea nests so I’d have an incubator fired up and ready if the hens decide to abandon the rest of the eggs. I’ve also, unfortunately, had both guinea moms and dads attack and kill keets, so I would be cautiously monitoring.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

So, for an update! My guinea hen successfully hatched 7 chicks over a 30 hour period. she then started getting off nest with chicks. I moved her to a larger crate that i had prepared and put crumbles, water and a small brooder plate in it.
I then put the rest of the eggs in my incubator after candling and removing a few duds.
2 more hatched over the next 24 hours and then 2 more 4 and 5 days later! So I have 11 keets all successfully integrated with momma hen. I still have incubator going as I obviously have a staggered hatch and have had one eggs pip today 7 days after first hatch!
The only frustrating part of this experiment is that the mate to the hen is most upset and hanging out by the coop all day after I have let the flock out in am. I know he wants to be with momma hen, but I am hesitant to let him have access to babies now. Hen calls all day for him too, but if I leave her in crate and let him in coop, it just seems to agitate them more.
I have let hen and chicks have roam of coop today and will put them back in crate when I let the rest in tonight (without problems I hope) Hen does settle down and brood them for the night once everybody is in and roosting. They do use the brooder plate a little, but it was 102 here yesterday, so I really only have it just in case she doesn't settle on them for the night, she seems to be a good momma except for wanting her mate there.
Not sure how long to give the eggs left in incubator. I am getting a little worried about rotten eggs as it is in my Kitchen! I don't want to candle again, but as I said, one is pipped and I saw one move yesterday, not the same one tho. I don't really want/need more keets, but I can't just get rid of an egg that might still be viable?
That doesn't feel right. thanks for the advice and encouragement!






Congratulations on the hatch! I’m in Oklahoma and also struggle with the hot temps during nesting and hatching. First off, I assume that the hens can access a regular adult waterer in the coop, and that the babies can’t get to this big waterer and drown? I put my cup waterer up on a concrete block for this reason. Did the keets just hatch in the last day? Are both females on the nest and locked down tight? They should “lock down” for a few days as eggs are hatching, though my main Guinea mom is dumb about it and gets off and on the nest during hatching.

Sounds like things are going well! Unless you are somewhere incredibly cold, you don’t need the brooder plate or supplemental heat of any kind if the Guinea hen is caring for the keets. My hen raised chicks and keets are much less temperature sensitive than the brooded ones.

 

[Stacy Lucht]

Our nighttime temps are 75-78 with highs in the upper 90-102. I am just as worried about them overheating as I am of them getting cold. They do occasionally go under plate, so I am leaving it for now. Probably not the whole 4 weeks as they mature and I see how momma acts. I was being cautious as she is a new mom!
I have 3 eggs pipped today, this is day 34 from when she started brooding, and day 8 since the first egg hatched. Crazy!
Not sure if they were layed after she started brooding by the other 2 hens, or I have read recently that older eggs in the clutch can be the latest and longest to hatch. It has been an interesting experiment for sure!
thanks for your support and advice!!

Sounds like things are going well! Unless you are somewhere incredibly cold, you don’t need the brooder plate or supplemental heat of any kind if the Guinea hen is caring for the keets. My hen raised chicks and keets are much less temperature sensitive than the brooded one

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Our nighttime temps are 75-78 with highs in the upper 90-102. I am just as worried about them overheating as I am of them getting cold. They do occasionally go under plate, so I am leaving it for now. Probably not the whole 4 weeks as they mature and I see how momma acts. I was being cautious as she is a new mom!
I have 3 eggs pipped today, this is day 34 from when she started brooding, and day 8 since the first egg hatched. Crazy!
Not sure if they were layed after she started brooding by the other 2 hens, or I have read recently that older eggs in the clutch can be the latest and longest to hatch. It has been an interesting experiment for sure!
thanks for your support and advice!!

eggs could be older, but my guineas will constantly add new eggs to the nest too, so staggered hatches are very common!