Keets hatching, now what?

[rosawoodsii]

I have my first keet hatched this morning, and looks like two more eggs getting ready. My incubator spiked to 103.5F about 10 days ago and I was sure that was the end of that--but looks like at least one, and possibly more made it through. I was told to leave the temperature approximately where it was all during the last month (100F), but aren't the keets supposed to be kept at 95 degrees? Should I take tem out as they hatch (and dry)? When do they need to be fed and watered?

I'm so excited! And so clueless.

 

[flgardengirl]

No don't take them out until they are done hatching or the humidity will be off for the rest of the hatch. They should be okay for a few days in the hatcher once they are hatched.

 

[featherz]

Try to keep em in the incubator if at all possible. I took mine out and had to 'rescue' six of em near the end that were shrinkwrapped. In my defense, I had a 4 day hatch period so I had to take some of them out.

(All six of my shrinkwrapped rescues are doing very well and are alive and peeping today!)

 

[Cattitude]

Treat them like chicks, as far as food and water and shelter goes. I keep my baby keets in with my baby chicks.

 

[rosawoodsii]

Another keet hatched while I was gone today, so now I have two. How hot should it be? Still at 100 degress or cooler now?

I guess leaving them in there means I shouldn't open the incubator (oops!) but they've got to eat and drink sometime! So then do I put food and water in the incubator?

 

[featherz]

They are like chicks - they can last a day or two without food or water because they are using up the yolk. that said, my keets were so crazy I broke protocol once a day and took them out. However, I had a LOT of keets and they were hatching early. And I had to save a few shrinkwrappers

 

[ColbyNTX]

They will be fine in there for 3 days with no food or water. That's why hatcheries sell day olds so they can ship them for 2 days with no food or water. You WILL do more harm to the ones that haven't hatched yet! It can be hard to just leave them in there, but it is best. When you think the last one has hatched, wait until everybody is dry before removing them all at once.

 

[rosawoodsii]

Yes, it is very hard to just leave them in there. Should I lower the temperature to, say, 97 or less?

What do you mean by "shrinkwrappers"? I'm sure it has something to do with low humidity, but what actually happens and how do you save them?

Thanks, all!

 

[featherz]

I didn't lower the temp. Shrinkwrapping is when the humidity drops in the incubator and the inner membrane looks like shrinkwrap over the chick/keet and they can't get out. there's more information on how (or if) to save them if this happens in the incubation/hatching forum as well as a discussion on when to go in there and intervene (my intervention worked out great, but they often do not!).

 

[MuranoFarms]

Quote:
When the keet pips the shell, then the incubator is opened it loses humidity. This causes the membrane still around the keet (in the shell) to dry out and get stiff. Sometimes it cements itself to the keet (or chick) at this point they cannot move enough to get out of the shell. Sometimes you have to help them or they will eventually die. This is called 'shrink wrapped' because the membrane sticks to them like they were shrink wrapped into the egg. If this happens you'll want to moisten the membrane a bit. A still strong keet will then struggle and pull itself lose. However, if its already been struggling awhile it may be weak and need you to carefully pull back the membrane so that it can get free. Work slowly, keep dabbing the membrane with a wet paper towel, and stop if you see blood! You can let it put it back in the bator and work on it some more in a few hours. It may not be ready to hatch completely yet, and it could die if you pull it out of the shell before its ready. Let the keet do the work, just help a little. Honestly....it's best to just keep the bator closed as much as possible!

Good luck!