Broody hens are not all natural mothers. Chuckle. The first time broody I had the guinea eggs under panicked and left the nest the minute they started to hatch - two days early. I'm thankful I check nests every day. Two had hatched of the 11 under her, and were cold and wet and the eggs were cold. I bundled the lot, keats and all into my shirt - I have no pride LOL, and headed into the house.
I had an incubator going and a hatcher in progress and running, nearly finished. I put them all in the incubator and quickly lined the hatcher with paper towels and got set to use it as a brooder. I let the keats warm in the incubator and then transfered them to the hatcher/brooder. They looked pretty good. Some of the eggs had peeped weakly when moved so I held out hope.
Another hour passed and finally there began to be stronger peeping. I also started to try to help what looked like a stomped egg, pipped toward the middle and looking dry. A little open, a little moisture, wrap and return.
Then another long hour later the peeping in the bator turned serious and I had two new wet keats banging around! Yay. Hours later another pair hatched and were moved to the brooder and I checked on the stomped egg.
He was flat backwards and stuck with both legs pinned over his head in the dried membrane. I freed his legs, wrapped him and returned him.
All in all I have six of 11 potential keats, and the helped hatched baby still trying to get his legs working properly but hanging in there. I'm surprised so many survived but pleased.
And oh my, they're adorable, fast moving and endearing. Only one is lighter colored everyone else looks to be typical pearl babies. I'd never done keats before - verrry cool. I'll be doing keats again. And hoping that broody eventually gets her... stuff ... together. Sigh. In the end they do have brains the size of peas.
I had an incubator going and a hatcher in progress and running, nearly finished. I put them all in the incubator and quickly lined the hatcher with paper towels and got set to use it as a brooder. I let the keats warm in the incubator and then transfered them to the hatcher/brooder. They looked pretty good. Some of the eggs had peeped weakly when moved so I held out hope.
Another hour passed and finally there began to be stronger peeping. I also started to try to help what looked like a stomped egg, pipped toward the middle and looking dry. A little open, a little moisture, wrap and return.
Then another long hour later the peeping in the bator turned serious and I had two new wet keats banging around! Yay. Hours later another pair hatched and were moved to the brooder and I checked on the stomped egg.
He was flat backwards and stuck with both legs pinned over his head in the dried membrane. I freed his legs, wrapped him and returned him.
All in all I have six of 11 potential keats, and the helped hatched baby still trying to get his legs working properly but hanging in there. I'm surprised so many survived but pleased.
And oh my, they're adorable, fast moving and endearing. Only one is lighter colored everyone else looks to be typical pearl babies. I'd never done keats before - verrry cool. I'll be doing keats again. And hoping that broody eventually gets her... stuff ... together. Sigh. In the end they do have brains the size of peas.
