Chicks_keetkeeper
In the Brooder
- Jul 14, 2023
- 15
- 12
- 31
I’m new to guineas.
We picked up 8 keets. The ambient temp during the day is 110F and 85 at night. The lady at the feed store said not to use a lamp, since it’s so hot. (I think this was mistake #1). She said they were feeding 23% protein unmediated poultry starter in pellet form at the store and the meets were “doing great” (I think this is mistake 2?). They were 36 hours old and in a large trough with pine shavings for bedding(mistake #3).
I took 8 keets home and put them in a cheap brooder- cardboard box with chicken netting on top, layered with puppy pads and paper towels. Per the feed stores instruction, I did not put up the lamp (my mistake). I chose to purchase 25% protein in pellet form for game birds. I used a vitamix to pulverize it and make a much more “crumble” texture and made this available to them along with water (the water has marble rock things to keep them from drowning).
One was dead in the morning and one was lying on its side gasping, with its neck arched back- it died. We turned the heat lamp on, cleaned everything.
So we went back to the store and they said they lost three and these things happen. So we picked up 4 more. One died, gasping, on the way to the house. When we got home, another two were laying on their sides, gasping.We wiped bottoms and made sure vents were open. We tried using a syringe to feed a chick electrolyte mix and thought we were having success since they perked up a bit. Then they seemed to vomit the solution- they hung on a bit longer but died.
Of a total of 12 chicks, 6 have died and two more are exhibiting the same symptoms - I have had them for barely 24 hours from the feed store. I am devastated, my kids are devastated and these keets keep dying. What are we doing wrong and what is killing them?
We picked up 8 keets. The ambient temp during the day is 110F and 85 at night. The lady at the feed store said not to use a lamp, since it’s so hot. (I think this was mistake #1). She said they were feeding 23% protein unmediated poultry starter in pellet form at the store and the meets were “doing great” (I think this is mistake 2?). They were 36 hours old and in a large trough with pine shavings for bedding(mistake #3).
I took 8 keets home and put them in a cheap brooder- cardboard box with chicken netting on top, layered with puppy pads and paper towels. Per the feed stores instruction, I did not put up the lamp (my mistake). I chose to purchase 25% protein in pellet form for game birds. I used a vitamix to pulverize it and make a much more “crumble” texture and made this available to them along with water (the water has marble rock things to keep them from drowning).
One was dead in the morning and one was lying on its side gasping, with its neck arched back- it died. We turned the heat lamp on, cleaned everything.
So we went back to the store and they said they lost three and these things happen. So we picked up 4 more. One died, gasping, on the way to the house. When we got home, another two were laying on their sides, gasping.We wiped bottoms and made sure vents were open. We tried using a syringe to feed a chick electrolyte mix and thought we were having success since they perked up a bit. Then they seemed to vomit the solution- they hung on a bit longer but died.
Of a total of 12 chicks, 6 have died and two more are exhibiting the same symptoms - I have had them for barely 24 hours from the feed store. I am devastated, my kids are devastated and these keets keep dying. What are we doing wrong and what is killing them?
