Our first time incubating Guinea eggs. (Lil Giant)

[PhilH]

Thanks Peeps..

 

[MiniHorses]

Thanks, Peeps for the info.

Yeah, I give predator issues thoughts -- just HATE snakes, so wanted to "believe" it wasn't LOL.

The setter is co-operating nicely and while off the nest yesterday, I peeked in and what a beautiful nest she has! Before they were just laying in the corner on the straw. She did some redecorating and has pulled the straw up and about 3-4 inches high on all sides, very neat and orderly! Of course, I was trying to hustle and didn't have cam with me. Looks to be in the neighborhood of 30 eggs in there. I lock her in the cage at night, opening back up at daybreak. So far, so good. The cage is a large metal dog crate (2.5X3X3) which is setting in the floor of their building, so I can open and close the end easily. The cage is also covered with a dark grey tarp, so waterproof, hidden area for her.

Here I have seen only 3 snakes on the farm in 13 yrs. We do have some fox and possum but, while they can get up to the housing areas, they generally are discouraged by the activity of 37 mini horses, fence, etc. The wooded area is at the far end, about 1/3 mile from house. But, I never feel they can't get there!!! Some skunks around, also.

I found an egg in the hens nest had been consumed -- leaking goo left & told me -- and it was mid day. So, I may have a chicken who has decided to consume. Bad girl!! Will wait and watch. Anyway..........manure happens! I'm just hoping for some keets.

 

[PeepsCA]

Sounds like a great set up for the probability of a clutch of hatched keets... if you can figure out who the egg napper/eater is!
Good luck, keep us posted.

 

[PhilH]

Well I tossed out the rest of the eggs that hadn't hatched. We ended up with a 60% hatch rate. Not too bad for a first time.. lol

We ended up with 16 Pearl Grey Keets & 5 Lavender Keets.. All of our breeding stock was Pearl Greys. So we are very happy about the Lavenders..

My wife cleaned out the Incubator & sanitized it last night. I have the turner & water bottles in it getting the temp stabilized for the next batch.

I'll post in another thread the next hatch.

Thanks everybody for the replies..

Phil

 

[PeepsCA]

OHHHHH, getting ready for the next hatch... LOL.
Yep,add another addict to the list!

 

[MiniHorses]

Mine began hatching TODAY.......

I had locked down Sun about noon.....only one had pipped as of Mon late day.....I was worried.
Then, about midnight I saw another, then a third. Whew, seems to be working. This AM I was again concerned as nothing hatched. About hr & half ago my little dog starts barking and sure enough, one had hatched and was chirping -- another was close to being out, so I watched that.
Other two were working on it. Checked back about 1/2 hr & #3 is out and #4 is working on the membrane. First 3 are pied, 2 a lot and one not much.....then, #4 comes out....a WHITE

WOW -- a white. I had set myself up for pied & grey, wanting a couple whites soooo badly. Well I guess I was a very good girl !!

If you scan, you will see this is my first yr for guineas, their first time to lay, not setting I had collected eggs......turned by hand (never again, LOL) and soooooooo anxious. There are 16 more eggs and I do not see any more pipping at this time, hoping more do but, if not I am just thrilled with my new little ones. I know the eggs had been laid over a 7 day period, so some may not be viable and I can sure accept that. Just glad to see I did something right.

Cannot believe I got a white!! I'll check back in a couple of days with a pic and update.

 

[PeepsCA]

Yay, congrats! We need PICS tho.

Pied X Pied has the potential to hatch 25% pure White keets

ETA:
Guinea eggs have a pretty good viability window, easily 10 days, but I've has some as old as 16 days hatch (so have my Guinea Hens).

 

[PhilH]

The babies are now 3 weeks old. I'm going to build them a 10'x30' run for them tomorrow. Going to enclose about 10 feet of it for a coop for them.. Got about 3 weeks to get it done.. I'll post pics of that project as it progresses..

Here are the new pics of the keets..



I don't know what she was looking at..



They are happy birds..



The lavenders are so dang curious..



Here they are looking at the outside world..

Thanks for looking..

Phil

 

[156sammi]

that is so exciting thanks for sharing your births

 

[PeepsCA]

What beautiful healthy keets Phil, congrats. I love it that you hatched so many Lavenders!