Congrats Frosterley! Your post was 21 hours ago, so I'll bet you have more keets by now. The keets start walking at different times. Some of mine were up in 10-15 minutes, others took longer. I had one that took several hours, and she turned out to be the runt. I didn't think she'd make it, really, and thought, "well, if she makes it, great. If not, then I'm broken hearted, but I'm not going to interfere." She finally made it and is catching up with the other guineas in size. She's healthy as a horse. Some just don't make it though - and it's not your fault.
They dry at different rates, too, so it's hard to say. Peeps can help you, but she's battling torrential rains in N.Ca. now. It may take her a while to respond.
Leave all keets in the incubator until they're dry which can take about 24 hours for them to get thoroughly dry. Again, there's no hard and fast time rule here. But resist the urge to remove keets. It lowers the humidity for the others which can potentially reduce your hatch rate. Easier said than done...I know from experience! LOL. The keets will be fine without food and water for 24 to 48 hours so don't worry that they're hungry. They also stimulate the other keets to hatch.
When you move them to the brooder, feed them a high protein crumble - 26% minimum protein. But first, teach the keets to drink. Gently dip their beaks in the water once or twice and they'll get the idea. I sat and watched them for about an hour. If they didn't drink, I dipped their beaks again, but I've never had a keet die yet (knock on wood).
Sprinkle the crumble (not pellets) in front of them onto a white paper towel. I found they were more stimulated to eat if the crumble sort of bounced on the paper towel. Do that two or three times during the first hours of them being in the brooder. Worked for me. I watched them a lot during the first 24 hours to make sure everyone was eating and drinking.
If you don't have high protein crumble, scramble an egg and then cool it down to room temperature and chop it into tiny tiny pieces. The keets will go bonkers for it. But if you don't already have a high protein crumble, you've got to go get some. I get mine at a local farm feed store. Some Tractor Supply stores have it. Buy a Turkey starter or Game Bird starter. Check the tag on the bag to make sure it's high protein. Keets need the protein for proper leg and foot development, and you'll see that they grow FAST, and I mean FAST. Regular chick starter isn't high enough protein.
Put them on a non-slip bedding surface like paper towels or rubber shelf liner you can get at Walmart or the Dollar Store. Don't use shavings because they might eat them and become impacted and die. The non-slip surface also keeps them upright and their feet and legs from splaying.
Start the temperature of the brooder at 95 degree Fahrenheit directly under the heat source for the first week. The keets will move closer to the heat if they're cold, and can move away from it if they're too hot. Cold keets struggle. Keep them toasty.
Put marbles in the water dish so they don't fall in and drown.
You may already know all this, and if you do, my apologies.
So - how's it going now?????
They dry at different rates, too, so it's hard to say. Peeps can help you, but she's battling torrential rains in N.Ca. now. It may take her a while to respond.
Leave all keets in the incubator until they're dry which can take about 24 hours for them to get thoroughly dry. Again, there's no hard and fast time rule here. But resist the urge to remove keets. It lowers the humidity for the others which can potentially reduce your hatch rate. Easier said than done...I know from experience! LOL. The keets will be fine without food and water for 24 to 48 hours so don't worry that they're hungry. They also stimulate the other keets to hatch.
When you move them to the brooder, feed them a high protein crumble - 26% minimum protein. But first, teach the keets to drink. Gently dip their beaks in the water once or twice and they'll get the idea. I sat and watched them for about an hour. If they didn't drink, I dipped their beaks again, but I've never had a keet die yet (knock on wood).
Sprinkle the crumble (not pellets) in front of them onto a white paper towel. I found they were more stimulated to eat if the crumble sort of bounced on the paper towel. Do that two or three times during the first hours of them being in the brooder. Worked for me. I watched them a lot during the first 24 hours to make sure everyone was eating and drinking.
If you don't have high protein crumble, scramble an egg and then cool it down to room temperature and chop it into tiny tiny pieces. The keets will go bonkers for it. But if you don't already have a high protein crumble, you've got to go get some. I get mine at a local farm feed store. Some Tractor Supply stores have it. Buy a Turkey starter or Game Bird starter. Check the tag on the bag to make sure it's high protein. Keets need the protein for proper leg and foot development, and you'll see that they grow FAST, and I mean FAST. Regular chick starter isn't high enough protein.
Put them on a non-slip bedding surface like paper towels or rubber shelf liner you can get at Walmart or the Dollar Store. Don't use shavings because they might eat them and become impacted and die. The non-slip surface also keeps them upright and their feet and legs from splaying.
Start the temperature of the brooder at 95 degree Fahrenheit directly under the heat source for the first week. The keets will move closer to the heat if they're cold, and can move away from it if they're too hot. Cold keets struggle. Keep them toasty.
Put marbles in the water dish so they don't fall in and drown.
You may already know all this, and if you do, my apologies.
So - how's it going now?????
.
