Need Advice!! Egg trying to hatch and I dont have an incubator!

[lizzard14]

Okay, I've got a mess! My turkey took over a guinea nest. None of my guineas were broody, so I thought I'd let her try, BIG MISTAKE!!!!! I've found 4 that she has crushed. I guess they pip and once that egg shell is cracked, she just crushes them ;-(. anyway, I was able to save one yesterday. I brought him in and put him in a metal bowl with a wash cloth and all I had was a 40 watt light bulb. She had already crushed all the egg shell around him so it was that hard to save him. Today, I found another baby crushed, so tonight I was going to check the remaining eggs under her and see if any more were any good. There was only 5 left, and as I picked one of them up, I candled and noticed there was movement in the air pocket, upon further examination, I notice the shell was cracked and I could feel him pecking on the shell. I brought him in and put him in the bowl, with the 40 watt lamp, a damp cloth and a thermometer. Is it possible? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! If I leave him with her, she will crush him. I've got the the temp up to about 100. I just don't know how close to put the lamp. I don't want to cook him.

 

[lizzard14]

oh.. and I have foil up and around the bowl and lamp, like a cone to trap in the heat.

 

[PeepsCA]

Since you posted this last night, the keet may have already hatched (or died) by now... but if the thermometer is/was on top of the egg and reading 100, that's about the best you can do with a makeshift hatcher as far as heat/temp goes.

If the keet hasn't hatched yet, and still alive... being open to the air may cause the inner membrane to shrink down on the keet, and it may expire while it is struggling to hatch, or it can also suffocate. You might want to mist the egg, and then keep moistening the membrane with a wet q-tip once the keet pips the shell. If the keet appears to be struggling you might have to slowly help it hatch a little at a time, but that can backfire on you if you help too much/too fast...

 

[lizzard14]

thanks PeepsCA! I was hoping you would read my post and give me some advice. ;-) The little guy is hatching right now. I do have the bowl in the bathroom. We have been turning the shower on from time to time to keep the humidity up. He doesn't really seem to show any signs of struggling, but I wouldn't know what that would look like. I've never watched one hatch before. I've got a warm damp cloth in the bowl with him, well it is up kinda on the side of the bowl, I was afraid if he hatched it might cool him off if he lays on it. I have put foil up around the top of the bowl, up to the top of the lamp. The temp is ranging from 99-100 so far. Please keep your fingers crossed for me. I really want the little guy to make it. Anyway, he pipped a big hole and now he is going around the egg. It looks like maybe he is a quarter to halfway around. I'll keep you posted. Man.. I will never, ever let Gobbles get on another nest. After I took these eggs, she went and stole the other nest that the guineas started. I made her get off of that one this morning. Maybe the guineas will go broody and hatch those.

 

[lizzard14]

YAY!!!!! AND HE'S OUT!!!!! Keep your fingers crossed now that he makes it!

 

[JLeigh]

It's amazing that he hatched in a bowl. Now I've heard everything . Keep him warm. Your temperature is just right at 99-100 (no lower than 95) degrees. I'd keep it that high until you hear from Peeps. I'm not sure I'd keep that damp cloth in there. It probably cools off really fast.

 

[lizzard14]

I took the damp cloth and the egg shell out. He's peeping and moving around. The temp is 98 in there right now. After they hatch and dry, can I move him into the pet taxi with the other one that hatched on the 16th? The temp in there is around 95 and that little guy hides under a stuffed bear that I put in there to keep him company and to act as momma. He seems to be doing okay. LoL.. JLeigh, A big metal mixing bowl is all I had to use. Man.. after all that has happened in the last couple of days with Gobbles crushing those babies, I just knew I had to get them out from under her. I have one more egg, that is a possibility. So I guess the mixing bowl will stay for a couple of days. I'll keep you guys posted.

 

[JLeigh]

If the two are VERY close in size, yes, put them together, but watch like a hawk for the first day or two. Be ready to get the smaller one out if the older one picks on him too much. They'll probably be fine, but you never know. Remember to teach him to eat and drink. What food are you using?

Keep the humidity up for the remaining eggs.

A metal mixing bowl....well I never! I wouldn't try to do that again really. What a kick that it did okay for now, but I think those eggs were on the verge of hatching anyway? I don't think your method would work for 28 days LOL. Maybe I'm wrong.....wouldn't be the first time!

How about some pictures? Hmmmm?????

"Guinea Keet Hatches in Metal Bowl". It's a first .

 

[lizzard14]

Oh heck no! I wouldn't even try it for 28 days! This was just an emergency type thing. I just didn't know what else to do. I just knew that if I didn't try something, Gobbles ( my turkey) would end up crushing these also. I knew this one was fixing to hatch, I could feel him pecking on the side of the egg. Gobbles had already cracked it though. The one that hatched 2 days ago, Gobbles had smashed the egg shell around him, he was still in that white sack between the egg shell and membrain. I brought him in and put in the metal mixing bowl with a light, and got the temp up to about 100-103 and I tore that sack and helped him then he just kinda fell out. He literally had no shell left. I don't know how she didn't crush him. Well, she would have if I hadn't of found him when I did. I will try and get some pics just pretty quick. Thank you for your help. ;-)

 

[lizzard14]

the one that is awake was hatched 2 days ago, the one that is sleeping was the one hatched in the metal mixing bowl ;-)