I'm on high alert !!!

I've never had guineas before, my excuse was last summer was the first year I had to pull ticks off the dogs...lol. I've heard good and bad but they sound to me anyway as if they will be easy enough to care for.

I agree the weather is a huge part, not to mention mine were in the mail system another whole day than yours which is more of a drain on the system I would think. I know they can live 3-days on the yolk sack but that doesn't sound like an ideal (no pun intended..lol) start in life.

As for the incubator I would imagine if an egg explodes you could have bacterial damage as stuff is absorbed thru the shell. If the eggs sat in a substance such as soil that would absorb bacteria I imagine it could transfer from one egg to another whether it exploded or not..
I haven't used an incubator in years but I remember what it's like to have a bad egg pop, it's NASTY !! I am trying to keep a close watch, the eggs that will cause me the most wonder/concern are the dark dark green ones. It's as if the shell is opaque and I can't see anything beyond maybe the air sac. I don't think I'm good enough to chart the air sac change and feel comfortable that I know what I'm doing for it being fertile...lol.

~Julie =0)

Julie, how are your chicks and your eggs doing? Mine are still doing fine, growing like weeds. Their wing feathers are getting pretty long and tail feathers have started.

Julie, been so busy outside getting my gardens ready..............I can't keep up with all my favorite threads these days! Gggrrrr. :-) Your pics are SO cute! I love the little partridge silkie.......too cute looking so curiously at you. What type of guineas did you get? I have had guineas all my life - - - they are great for ticks, snakes, any small insect, and overall predator control due to the LOUD chatter they make when afraid. :) Glad to hear the Ideal made your order good via credit. I have considered ordering from them, since they too are in Texas............however, I've always used Cackle and sort of feel loyal to them? lol Keep us posted on their new feathers! I love to see everyones babies!
Belinda

My turkeys are coming from Cackle beginning of next month. I got french guineas in my Ideal order. I only ordered 5 of them. One was in bad shape when the order arrived and didn't make it. Another didn't grow like the others and expired several days later.

So I am down to 3 on the guineas, never had them before but think I will like them. They sure do panic and move very fast....lol They seem wild compared to the chicks.

All in all I don't think I can complain, the chicks traveled very far in bad weather. I took their mat away from them last night when I cleaned the brooder box and left them on the pine shavings to see how they do. They enjoy "scratching" around in it and I think it's good practice for them and breaks up the boredom. Boredom can lead to picking...lol, so it helps keep them occupied in my opinion. Everybody seems to be eating well and I believe we are progressing in the right direction !!

I should hopefully have a few eggs hatch next week, Thursday I think. My cuckoo silkie egg is still showing movement and today is day # 14. So I have my fingers crossed for the little guys left from my original batch....before the power outage.

I have since gotten some blue laced red wyandotte eggs, some black and blue orpington eggs, some black and blue standard cochin eggs (had to replace the blue chick that died) and a slew of indian runner eggs ( I do have 3-indian runners ordered from cackle with the turkeys) I also got 30 more silkie eggs. So I am full up on brooding and incubating. I do have a bid in on some gold laced wyandottes but I tell you what I MUST quit looking...lol.

The weather is suppose to reach 50 today wooooohooooo !!! I plan to pull out the motorcycle in a few and ride to work. This weekend hopefully will see me raking off my flower beds, again. Transplanting my tomato seedlings to the next size tiny pot and working on my coop.

Have a great day !!!

~Julie =0)

Julie, The guineas make a great deal of noise and they love to nest in trees and make great noises when some one can to your home unanouned an they will let you know... When you get them
please send pixs love to see them...
Tracey

The guinea pics are above, I got them with my Ideal hatchery order

~Julie

She hatches eggs and rides a motorcycle. Whatta woman! LOL

I think it's amazing that some of those eggs survived the power outage. Be sure to post some pictures of all those new babies.

Last night, some of mine were trying so hard to fly up and roost on the top of their water bottle. That's impossible because the wire lid on the brooder is just above it. So, this morning when I took off the lid to give them fresh feed and water, before I could blink one of the Ameracaunas had flown up and perched on the edge of the box. She seemed as surprised at her stunt as I was.

Now what am I going to do when they have all learned to fly? LOL

I've got 4 silkie eggs still showing movement (pre- power failure eggs) and should be due to hatch next week..... I'm geeked...lol. There are 2 banty favorelle eggs moving as well that will be ready next week too. The green eggs I can't tell, several appear to have appropriate egg sacks so I am hoping for the best next week and they will pop out a fuzz ball for me.

I know I'll have my face planted over the incubator window watching every chance I get...lol. It's probably a good thing I work so many hours or I'd never be able to step away from the bator...lol. I plan on moving those eggs into a "hatching bator" that I have up and running next to the original. That way I won't accidentally turn them when I do my other eggs. I have a big gap time wise between the pre-power outage eggs and the replacement eggs for all the ones that didn't make it.

I was explaining it to someone at work and he made a good point. I was saying in theory you're not suppose to disrupt the eggs the last three days of incubation. No opening the bator, no turning etc... He looked at me and said do you think the hens know this cuz I don't think they are counting days and stop flipping eggs and moving around the last three days....lol. To be honest I hadn't thought about it.

I have my duck eggs set up in an aquarium incubator I made and it seems to be working just fine ( I've had it running for several weeks as my back up bator incase the real one died before I "had" to have the duck eggs..lol). I mist them with warm water every time I turn them. It makes sense, mom would be wet (damp) probably when she came back to the nest. I will try to remember to post some pics. The duck eggs (indian runner) are pretty big and some are greenish blue, go figure !!!

I know what you mean about the flying. I got some screening to replace the solid cardboard top I have over 3/4 of the brooder box. The remaining section is covered with a window screen and the light is on that section. I started with a cardboard top because I worry about drafts. We use strictly wood heat so temp levels are inconsistent at best and it's been such a cold spring here. I just got rid of the 10" of snow I got last week in that storm.

The black Australorps seem to be the most adventurous at this stage. They run up to investigate any time my hand is in the box. They also get on top of stuff and crane their necks trying to see over the edge of the box, it's too cute. So far I have chicks fluttering the length of the box but not going over/out when it's open. I'm not ready for that. I have a shih tzu that is super sweet but she's a bird killer when nobody is looking. She managed to get some parakeets about 7-8 years ago. when I was at work. Although I'm sure if a chick got loose the other dogs would be in on the chase in no time.

~Julie =0)

They are so so cute!!!
Tracey

This is such fun! I'll bet you are glued to the incubator window.

There was a big difference in the size of some of my chicks. The Ameraucanas are bigger than any of the others and are feathering out sooner. The Buff Brahma, who is by far the largest breed, is one of the smallest. I guess some were born earlier than others, perhaps some were two-day chicks when they were mailed.

We also do all our heating with wood or pellets but I'm sure our temperatures have been quite a bit warmer than yours. Had a little panic with all the wind last weekend. One night the power kept blipping off but would come back on in a couple of minutes. I had a kerosene heater ready to go if it did go off.

I have mine in a very large Rubbermaid container with a wire top SO made for it. Wood shavings on the bottom and it's been very easy to clean.