when to move to hatcher? Need answer ASAP please!

[TerriLaChicks]

OK my 15 eggs started hatching (early) at 7 a.m. this morning -- now it's 7 pm & I have 11 keets out -- several more eggs still pipping -- question is, when I can move all of them to the brooder? should I move some tonight or in the morning & or can I wait a full 24 hours until all are hatched & dried & fluffy? I don't want them to starve...


thanking you all in advance for your advice & help!

 

[daylily]

It will be fine to leave them til tomorrow morning when all are dry and hatched. I would avoid opening the hatcher while others are still Hatching. Is your hatcher large enough to handle them?

 

[TerriLaChicks]

Yes it is, thank you for your answer.

 

[PeepsCA]

Keets can survive just fine for 24 hours or even as long 36 hours in the hatcher after hatching without food and water... since they have just absorbed the remainder of the yolk prior to hatching. It's never a good idea to remove still wet keets that are not yet walling and moving around well...they need the high humidity still at that point, but if you do decide to remove the fluffed and dried keets before the rest of the hatch is over, be super quick and only open the hatcher a tiny bit... as the warm moist air rushes out, dry cool air rushes in and can cause the membrane to shrink wrap down over the keets and dry/stick to the keets in the pipped and unhatched eggs. Shrink wrapping traps the keets so they are stuck and can't spin in the shell to zip the top off and hatch, and it can also suffocate them.

 

[TerriLaChicks]

Thank you -- I don't want to move them until I absolutely have to, as I have 2 peacock eggs in there which aren't due to hatch for another couple of days -- I thought they were all supposed to hatch at the same time but these guineas are running a day ahead of the game! I know not to remove them until all are fluffy and dry -- but wanted to be sure -- I've hatched plenty of chickens but these are my first guineas & peas, too. So I wanted to double-check.

They are so precious. I just love their little faces!