Questions about incubating Guinea Fowl Eggs!

[Julic]

I am so thankful to have found this thread. PeepsCA, you provided all the information that I was needing and then some. I had been reading on "how to" and then asking myself well what is that and what does that mean and how do you do that. ha ha! Wishing I could find a step by step with explanation which you provided in this thread. I just recently got my first pair of Guineas. Looking forward to adding to the flock in April/May once she starts laying. I see it will be an experience with the incubating etc... I look forward to the challenge.

Thanks!!!

 

[mdmdyer4u]

Newbie here too! My girl just laid her first 2 eggs yesterday, overnite, with temps well below freezing, she was not sitting on them when I went out that morning to let them out and were cold to the touch, I don't believe were frozen. I brought them in and put them in a "homemade" incubator, went out this evening to close the hutch and she has laid 2 more, again not sitting on them.... I guess my question is, is there still a possibility of these eggs hatching? I have them in a box with temp of 77-80 and I think the humidity is ok, but like I said I just found made this myself. Someone said that guinea eggs were forgiving, what are my chances here????

 

[BarbaraNH]

I can't help you with any incubating information, but I do wonder if you have two female guineas instead of just one. Guineas usually lay only one egg each day during laying season.

 

[mdmdyer4u]

Just going by what I have found online, by the sounds they make they are male and female. However, and more proving..... I have caught them "in the act". I have only a total of 4 eggs now. She didn't lay any yesterday. Another person told me she will lay atleast that many until she is done laying with up to 30 eggs. So never having birds before I am totally clueless.....

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Hello:

I have found that when the keets start peeping (not piping) that one should make absolute sure the little guys have an air hole.
The Guinea shell is a bit harder than a chicken shell, even at hatching and it is most important that the humidity is raised
and the the incubator left alone. I too have had my keets hatch out a few days early.
I have found that many of them need a little help out of the shell.
I use a medical type que tip like the ones you see at the doctors office.
I carefully open the shell from the peep a little at a time during the 24 hours it make take for the little one to make it out.
I DO NOT open the shell to the point were the chick is attached to the yolk sac.
I let them work their way out of an open shell and make SURE that they do not drag the shell around
the incubator as this may cause problems.
I use cutical scissors to cut the cord once they are out.
I just spend the day and night with them.
It is always a wonder to watch the little turds hatch out anyway.
If you see a few hatch out early and are mobile, do not worry.
They can stay that way for a few days without problems.
Just remember to take out your turner on lock down
a few days early. As stated I do this around day 25.
guinea G.

 

[oweirdo]

Following, for I have eggs on the way. And need to remember all these numbers

 

[DevaughnWifey]

I am wondering how easy it is to candle the guinea eggs since the shells are so much harder than chicken eggs??

I've never hatched eggs before, but am considering it just for the heck of it. I don't like guinea's but my husband does & has two pairs. My chicken's aren't grown up enough to breed, but the guinea's are well over old enough and after checking the eggs (cracking) I know they are fertile.

One of the other commenters mentioned that they had to help the chicks out of the eggs... and it almost sounds like guinea's are more difficult to incubator/hatch out... Am I correct in thinking this? Or am I just over-thinking?

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Hello:

Oh sure you can candle them. Just use a strong light source and keep it to a minimum.
I have found that Guinea keets are in fact just a bit harder to hatch out.
I just spend the day and night with them and start looking for peeps around day 25.
Not all of them hatch out in a 24 hour period. Some are late bloomers and those
are really the ones you need to watch and offer aid.
If you have not hatched out a bunch of keets you are missing a wonderful experience.
They really are cute as a button.
Guinea G.

 

[oweirdo]

I got my eggs today, they weren't due till Tuesday. So it was a nice early surprise!

 

[DevaughnWifey]

Guinea G: I've never hatched ANYTHING let alone guineas. My husband got his 4 straight run chicks from a swap meet about a year ago. We thought we had 3 females and 1 male, now I think we have 2 & 2, because there are two pairs of birds who "hang out" together, and one is always more protective of the other in both sets, and when I crack the eggs they're all nice & fertile. One of the females is going into a brood session though I can almost tell... she started laying tons of eggs... I didn't even know it was POSSIBLE for them to lay 3 eggs in one night... that just blows my mind... but by the time she popped out the 3rd one, she had run out of the brown stuff that makes the eggs spotted so I have 3 very different colored eggs lol. I didn't let her keep them. The guinea's live in the same house with my chickens, and my chickens eat the guinea eggs if they get a chance, then eat their own.