OMG what do I do, they are three days EARLY!?!

[GBov]

Today is supposed to be lock down but we have four hatch already. The turner is still in place. Do I just leave it in there? I am afraid they will get stuck in or under it.

With the quail I take the trays out but as they are hatching already I dont want to kill any eggs at this stage by fooling around with taking it out.

Or should I jsut quickly take the eggs out of the turner and take the entire thing out?

PLEASE HELP! These are our first keets!

 

[sweety13]

Just unplug turner?

 

[PeepsCA]

You can either leave the turner in (but unplugged like sweety suggested) and add more water by barely cracking the lid (and use a a funnel and a tube or a turkey baster etc) or have a warm moist towel to set the eggs in and wrap them in that while you take the turner out and add water then put the eggs back in (hatching is messy, it's gonna get your turner all messy too)... Or you could also carefully carry the incubator into the bathroom, shut the door and turn the shower on hot, full blast so it's nice and steamy/humid in there, then take the eggs and turner out in a moist environment (probably the safest thing to do). Just be quick as you can, whatever you decide to do.

Good luck with your hatch, post some pics if you can!

 

[GBov]

I have un plugged the turner and left it in. Five have hatched so far. They look all nice and floofy but am I right in saying they can stay in the bator for 24 hours like chicken chicks?

If so I can see what hatch today and tonight adn take them out in the morning. That way I can mist the remaining eggs and take them out of the turner and lock down again with my fingers crossed.

So far they look good!

 

[PeepsCA]

If there are more pipped eggs, you at least need to raise the humidity to at least 65%... most keets need the extra moisture to be able to spin around and zip the shell, plus the extra humidity softens the shell and the thick membrane. So if you can at least just raise the humidity, the hatched keets (and the rest of the eggs) will be fine for 24 hours... the hatched keets have just absorbed the remainder of the yolk and will be fine a while with out food and water for a while.

 

[GBov]

If there are more pipped eggs, you at least need to raise the humidity to at least 65%... most keets need the extra moisture to be able to spin around and zip the shell, plus the extra humidity softens the shell and the thick membrane. So if you can at least just raise the humidity, the hatched keets (and the rest of the eggs) will be fine for 24 hours... the hatched keets have just absorbed the remainder of the yolk and will be fine a while with out food and water for a while.

Its at 80% right now so if they will be fine for awhile I will stop worrying about them for awhile and go clean my car lol.

 

[leonphelps]

I was told to try to give them water BEFORE food. this will cut down the risk of pasty butt.

 

[PeepsCA]

I always dunk their beaks as I am putting the keets into the brooder and make sure they all get a few swallows before I even set them down. Then I scatter starter feed in front of them on a towel or paper towel, other wise they start pecking toes and there's a lot of screaming going on.

I also make sure their water and feed are close to the brooder lamp area for the first few days, then gragually move them both farther away as the keets become more active.

 

[GBov]

10 hatched so far!

And they are SO MUCH WILDER than chicks or quail babies! Total panic any time I go near the brooder but so far so good, they all look nice and healthy. And we have one silver keet in the bunch so far.

Do all keets fall over backward when excited?

 

[PeepsCA]

If they scatter like cockroaches when you get near the brooder, then it sounds like you have normal healthy keets, lol.
Congrats, post some pics!