chirp * 8

Eight keets are out of their shells and exploring their new surroundings. Two eggs never pipped, and the third is trying to break out but it does not look like it will make it. It's unfortunate but it's not a good idea to help a bird out of the shell -- they are usually the runts that will always have a hard life and will likely have an early death anyway. Additionally, shells tend to stick to the skin of the bird, so attempting to break them out almost always causes bleeding, and so they die immediately.

Picture below is the new brood. There are also three short movies on youtube: first drink, first food, and spider chow. I don't know exactly what color they will be -- the mother is a Lavender, and the father is either a Royal Purple or Lavender.

first keet at 8:32pm

Right on schedule! It's typically 24 hours between first break to complete hatch. There are three more pipping, so tomorrow there will be four.

hatch ahead of schedule

Came home and heard a chirp every few minutes... and found one egg with the first signs of hatching -- a single hole where the keet's egg tooth breaks through.

So, that means there will be keets as early as Thursday evening. By Friday they will be in full swing.

Pictures will be posted as the action picks up.