Farming Friends

Incubation Period

The incubation period for grouse eggs is 25 days.

Incubation Temperature

The temperature in the incubator for grouse eggs is 99.5 degrees fahrenheit.

Humidity Levels

The humidity level (wet bulb thermometer) for grouse eggs is 82-86 degrees fahrenheit.

Final Day Of Egg Rotation

The final day of egg rotation for grouse eggs is day 22.

Please note that all of this information is only a guide and that this information may differ according to the incubator manufacturer’s guide.

Always consult the manufacturer’s guide when using an incubator and automatic egg turner.

There are certain signs that show that the guinea fowl hen is about to start laying eggs.

• Visiting the same patch of undergrowth daily.
• Sitting in a patch of undergrowth for periods of time.
• Digging a hole in the ground to form a nest area in the undergrowth.
• Male guinea fowl sitting nearby waiting for the hen.

Once this behaviour is observed, you can watch and wait for the arrival of guinea fowl eggs.

It is important not to disturb the hen when she is on the nest as she may get up without laying. Make sure that the guinea fowl do not see you go near the nest site as this can put them off laying in this area. Collect the eggs when the guinea fowl are not around and try not to disturb the undergrowth as this will indicate to the guinea fowl that a predator has been in the nest area. It is also a good idea to replace the real guinea fowl eggs with a pot or plastic egg so that the guinea fowl will continue to lay in this nest, because if the eggs disappear then the guinea fowl will stop laying in this nest site and will find another area to lay which may take some time to discover.

Incubation Period

The incubation period for chukar partridge eggs is 23-24 days.

Incubation Temperature

The temperature in the incubator for chukar partridge eggs is 99.5 degrees fahrenheit.

Humidity Levels

The humidity level (wet bulb thermometer) for chukar partridge eggs is 80-88 degrees fahrenheit.

Final Day Of Egg Rotation

The final day of egg rotation for chukar partridge eggs is day 21.

Please note that all of this information is only a guide and that this information may differ according to the incubator manufacturer’s guide.

Always consult the manufacturer’s guide when using an incubator and automatic egg turner.

Poultry Definitions

• Bantam - A small, miniature chicken known as a Bantie / Banty.
• Breed - A group of birds having distinctive features in common.
• Broiler - A young chicken raised for it’s meat which is usually 9 - 12 weeks of age.
• Brooder - An enclosed area with a heat lamp for raising young chicks.
• Clutch - A set of eggs laid in a nest by one or more hens.
• Cockerel - A male chicken under one year of age.
• Coccidiosis - A disease which can kill chicks.
• Casque - The helmet on a guinea fowl’s head.
• Guinea Cock - An adult male guinea fowl one year or older.
• Guinea Hen - An adult female guinea fowl one year or older.
• Hen - A female chicken one year or older.
• Keet - A baby guinea fowl of either gender aged from birth to 12 weeks old.
• Layers - Mature female chickens kept for egg production.
• Litter -The bedding used in the hut or run, such as straw.
• Mites - Very tiny parasites that live on chickens.
• Nest Egg - A natural or artificial egg placed in the nest to encourage the hen to lay her eggs in the nest.
• Pipped Egg - A pipped egg is one that has been cracked by the chick at hatching time.
• Poultry - Domestic birds raised for meat or eggs.
• Pullet - A female chicken under one year of age.
• Shanks - The legs on a bird.
• Wattles - The fleshy red cheek appendages that hang under the bird’s beak.

Cynthia asked in a comment, “What is a pipped egg, please?”

A pipped egg is one that has been cracked by the chick at hatching time. When eggs are placed in an incubator for hatching, a sign that the chicks are going to hatch is when the eggs are pipped or cracked. It is important to look out for pipped eggs so that you can check the length of time it takes the chicks to hatch out.

Saturday 8th March 2008, saw the guinea fowl egg laying season begin.

I found one guinea fowl egg laid in the paddock. I don’t know if this is where the guinea fowl laid the egg or if a magpie has tried to move the egg but it was certainly an unusual place for the guinea fowl to lay it’s egg as they like to lay their eggs in a dug out ground nest that is covered with foliage or greenery such as a thick patch of nettles.

I will now begin my guinea fowl egg count. Last year I collected 275 guinea fowl eggs but think that I lost over 300 guinea fowl eggs to the magpies. The guinea fowl began laying on the 23rd February 2007 and finished on the 20th September 2007.

My guinea fowl free range and so finding their nest sites is not easy. I have to watch their movements carefully so that I can track down their eggs and I also need to make sure that I get their before the magpies who are partial to stealing guinea fowl eggs. We currently have about 6 magpies in and around our farm. I will let you know when I find the official guinea fowl nesting site.

Egg record keeping is an important part of keeping and raising poultry.

It is important to keep a record of the following information:

• How many eggs laid.
• When laid - time of day if known and time of year starts and ends so can work out the laying season.
• Where laid. 

Keeping a note of when eggs are laid and how many are laid is important to tracking patterns in egg laying and helps to identify problems with your poultry such as health or age. Poultry can stop laying and if you know the dates that this occurs it allows you to track any changes that may have occured such as change in feed, weather, housing, lighting or the introduction of new birds which may all effect the egg laying of poultry.