Newbie.. Guineas.. just got a pip!! I'm so giddy!! TY!

[fyrwmn]

Hi.. First I want to thank EVERYONE here on this site for all of your insights, knowledge and spirit. You guys are the best! We have backyard chickens and guinea hens and 25 days ago got unexpectedly thrown into the world of incubating eggs. We found a "missing" guinea hen sitting on her clutch of eggs in the woods. ( she had been gone for a few days and figured she became someones lunch)

After some quick research, decided it best to move the eggs to an incubator. ( Which a friend luckily had available). I stumbled upon this site early on looking for info.. and boy have you guys been helpful.

Well it is day 24.. ( oops its now after midnight so day 25) ... with 11 eggs in the incubator. Did the candling thing.. and had an automatic turner. Then the turner malfuncttioned two weeks ago, dumping all the eggs into a pile ( the turner slipped off somehow). One egg was cracked.. and I tried a repair with glue ( I believe I read about that here) .

Well guineas are supposed to take 28 days to hatch.. I went to turn them this afternoon.. and noticed one was cracked ( which was not previously) ..... I thought to myself "hmmm... thats odd.. how did it get cracked?" .. Then I looked down and as I went to grab the next one... it shook slightly.. and it too was slightly cracked!" A shiver went through me.. could they be "hatching?????"

I quickly closed the incubator and stared... and STARED........ I know I saw some rocking.. and I thought I heard some quiet chirps .. ( Is that possible or am going insane??)

Its been now two hours later.. the longest two hours of my life.. ( I think I now have and idea what my DH went through while waiting for the birth of our first son!) Its nerve wracking because it is completley out of your hands right now.. and I am quite the control freak.

anyway.. wondering if there are any others with guinea experience here.. or anyone just want to wish us luck?? I don't think I'm going to get any sleep tonight!

 

[MandyH]

Hello, and welcome. Guineas do indeed hatch early a lot of times, and when they start, they ALL hatch fairly quickly. Also, guineas are like THE easiest bird to hatch, so you will get to learn on the easy ones first. But beware, once you've hatched something, you will never stop!!!!!LOL!!!!!

 

[fyrwmn]

Kristen..

Thanks for your reply!!

Well, another hour down.. and I can see another one with a crack...

wow.. I'm a wreck! LOL

( and yes, I am sitting on my hands.. or typing)

Linda

 

[eggonomist]

I had the same, I never thought mine would make it due to many incubator issues, I even took them out while I modified the forced air system and right on time to the day one poped out and 12 hours later no.2 was staring through the window at me. They may be easier to hatch ? (not sure about that) but you have to wait a whole extra week

so they are more precious to us. i'm on day 10 with another 8 eggs so maybe I will have little brothers/sisters for the 2 I already have.

 

[Sherry]

Right here with you! 3 weeks ago I hatched 23 guinea eggs. First time I'd ever hatched anything! It is very exciting. Staring at that incubator, like watching your favorite move...you know whats going to happen but just can't stop.

So....I too had been missing a guinea for about a week. Monday I put her 19 eggs in the 'bator.

Good luck!!

 

[fyrwmn]

I never thought I would get so involved in hatching of eggs - I 've seen then before at the BIG E, and other fairs, but never really gave it much of a look.. Here I can't keep my eyes off of em

The first three are doing great... eating, drinking.. snuggling together.. ohhh are they cute!... I have 5 other eggs that have pipped.. but no further action.. hope they are ok ( They pipped this morning, crack in the shell) but nothing further... HMMMM

 

[Sherry]

I know what you mean. I couldn't keep my eyes of that 'bator from day 1.

I called everyone I knew when they started hatching. Now here we go again....waiting.

I've decided being "broody" can be very stressful.