Chicks_keetkeeper
In the Brooder
- Jul 14, 2023
- 15
- 12
- 31
Warning- graphic photo!!! *********
We purchased 12 guineas, supposedly 2 days old. One died in the car on the way home and we lost 9 within 20 hours. This afternoon, one more keet passed suddenly. Now we have two lonely little keets left. Where did I go weong?
We used chucks in the brood box, a heat lamp to keep it 95 (though when the temperature raised above 100 I turned the lamp off until the temperature was down to 96, then turned it back on). We fed 28% protein game bird feed in a crumble texture. After the first six died, we began carefully watching for signs of stress, which started with lethargy and then gasping. They would go from tumbling about to dead in less than an hour. We tried syringe watering with a poultry electrolyte solution but the keets appeared to vomit it up and then would convulse a few times before passing. We tried warm water, no electrolytes, with the same results. The ones we found that way also had small puddles by their heads, as if they vomited. 2 seemed/appeared to have lime green water-y poop. We tried making sure their bottoms were clean and the bedding was changed 3x during the day(s) we had them, so I don’t think it was pasty butt. I noticed at the feed store they were feeding while pellets and used wood shavings in the keet brooded, with no light.
Is it possible I killed them with the high temperature of 95? Should I not have crumbled the food? I don’t know what I did wrong or how to proceed with (maybe) only two keets and I feel like the last two might die at any moment. Our brood box isn’t fancy- we use a white heat lamp at day time when it’s needed (it’s regularly over 110 in the garage during the day but cools off to about 87 each night) and a red one at night, I put marble things in the water so they couldn’t drown…I really wanted to raise a flock, however I am afraid try again. I also feel bad because I know they are social creatures who need a flock and now we have only 2. What’s killing them and how did I mess this up?
We purchased 12 guineas, supposedly 2 days old. One died in the car on the way home and we lost 9 within 20 hours. This afternoon, one more keet passed suddenly. Now we have two lonely little keets left. Where did I go weong?
We used chucks in the brood box, a heat lamp to keep it 95 (though when the temperature raised above 100 I turned the lamp off until the temperature was down to 96, then turned it back on). We fed 28% protein game bird feed in a crumble texture. After the first six died, we began carefully watching for signs of stress, which started with lethargy and then gasping. They would go from tumbling about to dead in less than an hour. We tried syringe watering with a poultry electrolyte solution but the keets appeared to vomit it up and then would convulse a few times before passing. We tried warm water, no electrolytes, with the same results. The ones we found that way also had small puddles by their heads, as if they vomited. 2 seemed/appeared to have lime green water-y poop. We tried making sure their bottoms were clean and the bedding was changed 3x during the day(s) we had them, so I don’t think it was pasty butt. I noticed at the feed store they were feeding while pellets and used wood shavings in the keet brooded, with no light.
Is it possible I killed them with the high temperature of 95? Should I not have crumbled the food? I don’t know what I did wrong or how to proceed with (maybe) only two keets and I feel like the last two might die at any moment. Our brood box isn’t fancy- we use a white heat lamp at day time when it’s needed (it’s regularly over 110 in the garage during the day but cools off to about 87 each night) and a red one at night, I put marble things in the water so they couldn’t drown…I really wanted to raise a flock, however I am afraid try again. I also feel bad because I know they are social creatures who need a flock and now we have only 2. What’s killing them and how did I mess this up?
