Brooding Chicks, Hatching Keets, and in general going a little poultry crazy!

I guess we've gone a bit poultry crazy here on the farm. I just recently bought a new Hovabator Genesis 1588 incubator to use as a primary incubator (using my Little Giant as a back up and hatcher for the last three days of egg incubation). Currently we've got 18 guinea eggs in the incubator currently on day 18 of 28 (Guineas have a longer incubation period than chickens which are 21 days from setting to hatch), candling has revealed healthy and somewhat active embryo's inside the eggs, so that is definitely something to be happy about (particularly considering this is my first hatch ever and I have been mostly pessimistic about the process so far considering the more than touchy controls of the Little Giant Incubator which I will never recommend to anyone).

Today I got my order of non-show or "mutt" type Ameracaunas or Easter Egger chickens if you will from Ideal poultry. I ordered 14 and they sent 18, not a one died in shipment and so far they are doing well in my hastily thrown together brooder. It's basically an antique oblong washtub, some paper towels for bedding, a water dish, a feeder, and then covered over with 1/4 inch hardware cloth held down with two scrap sections of wood. The light is held above the brooder via an old boom mic stand from my previous life as a musician. Worked out pretty well if I do say so myself. Right now their in the house, but in a week or two after their temperature requirements no longer have to be so stringent I will move them to the spare room that is built on to the porch. I certainly can't wait now for the Guinea Keets to hatch out. Next up, Turkeys, but that's a blog for next spring.