Guineas dying, help!!

[R2elk]

I have heard that using layer feed can give roosters (at least chicken roos) kidney problems, leading to early death. I just prefer feeding my birds the same food. I love my rooster, and so I just wanted to be on the safe side and go with my research. Plus it costs less

Around here, layer feed is much less expensive than all flock.

I don't keep roosters long enough for the extra calcium to be a problem. Guinea cocks and tom turkeys do get to stick around much longer than roosters do for me.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Around here, layer feed is much less expensive than all flock.

I don't keep roosters long enough for the extra calcium to be a problem. Guinea cocks and tom turkeys do get to stick around much longer than roosters do for me.

Ah okay. Do you cull the roos? Or sell them? I have actually culled broilers before I was so surprised with myself...

 

[R2elk]

Ah okay. Do you cull the roos? Or sell them? I have actually culled broilers before I was so surprised with myself...

I eat them. I switch breeders every couple of years.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I eat them. I switch breeders every couple of years.

I have one 5 yr old roo and three 3 yr olds, along with a 5 year old Guinea cock and some 1-4 year old Guinea cocks. All birds get layer crumble for a few months of the year, during spring when I don’t yet have babies. I usually necropsy dead birds if I don’t know the cause of death. As far as I know, eating layer feed for a few months of the year has not impacted the males.

 

[Goathouse]

Hello everyone! I know there has been other threads about this subject, but none really fit my situation, so I figured I would post again and hope someone might give me a little insight as to what the heck is going on!

Ok, so I have been keeping guineas for about 2 years. Started with 12, one died suddenly, but other than that they were great! I hatched around 30 from them this last spring and kept 25 to add to my flock. All has been going pretty good. Raised on mostly turkey/gamebird starter (a few times had to feed them chick when the feed store was out, but they got more gamebird than chick).

For the most part, the flocks (the originals and the new younger ones) mingled during the day, but since they were raised in different spots, one group goes to the barn, and one to their coop at night. All are trained to come back. At night they have a mixture of whatever feed I have on hand. Mostly high protein chicken pellets, sometimes scratch or dent corn. It depends on the day. They free range all day and mingle in the barnyard with turkeys, geese, ducks, and chickens.

Two things have changed a bit, and I'm not sure if there is any correlation. One, for a couple days, 4 of my ducks insisted on sleep in one of the guinea coops. No idea why, but I didn't bother removing them since it seemed fine. Now those four are back to sleeping in their coop

Also, the past few nights, all the old guineas have suddenly decided to come into the barn coop with the younger ones. For the past few months one or two would go in, but now all or almost all are sleeping in there.

Friday morning I found 2 dead guineas. It was surprising and sudden. It's been a busy week, but I don't remember any signs, and 2 in the same night made me very concerned. Not sure if they were younger or older ones.

Then last night as I was putting everyone away, I noticed one moving a tad slower than the others it was slight, but he was a tiny bit hunched and just moved different.

This morning, I found another one dead, and 2 didn't come out of the coop, they were just standing on the ground looking hunched. Not good.

The coop definitely needs a clean, so I am doing that today. (Could dry dusty poop cause something like this?) We recently had a ton of rain, so things are pretty mucky outside....maybe coccidiosis?? Would that be a problem for adult guineas like this? I've had that issue in my quail and baby poultry, but never in adult birds. Would it cause them harm to go ahead and treat them for that?

Also wondered if worms could cause this many deaths? Is there a way to tell, or should I just go ahead and worm the flock? I have a lot of guineas, is there a way to worm them without squirting something down their throat?

I also have some males that tend to bully others a lot. Could the older males now sleeping in the younger guinea coops be killing them? How would I know if that is the case? Not seeing any external signs of injury on the bodies.

Also, one last note, I found mouse poop in one of my feed bags. Not sure how long they've been pooping that bad, but could that cause deaths? I've gotten more tubs and am locking the feed up better now, but that worries me for sure. It's been maybe 4 days now since they have eating any contaminated feed. But if that might've caused it I'd love to know!

Well, sorry for the long post! I hope someone has some insight for me. I'm leaving for a week after Christmas, and this has me very worried, I don't want to loose anymore!

Any ideas or help appreciated! Thanks!

I’ve had 3/4 to die in the last few days. Seemed healthy. The feathers did seem ruffled around the neck

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I’ve had 3/4 to die in the last few days. Seemed healthy. The feathers did seem ruffled around the neck

Sorry to hear that! These are adults? Can you get a necropsy done by your state diagnostic lab?

 

[Sydney65]

*Generally* by the time they're adults, guineas have developed a resistance to coccidia in their common environment. But there are caveats to that.
One is a new environment with different protozoa than they are accustomed to.
The 2nd is that Coccidia are opportunistic, so a stressed bird is a perfect host. I learned this the hard way with shipped keets.
But Numi was raised inside in a meticulously clean environment. She was inside for several months, moved out to the coop when the weather was good,was thriving, went broody and had her own batch of keets.
Meanwhile, I had more shipped keets, that I introduced to the coop when appropriate,and they grew to become terrors who bullied my other birds, including Numi.
Since she'd never been exposed or treated for coccidiosis, she became a prime target.
I had her stool tested to confirm my suspicion, but started her tx before hand, and she recovered. The vet doubted my suspicion, saying it's not normal for adults to be susceptible, until I explained the situation.
I'm troubled by the use of medicated food w/ keets. It isn't strong enough to tx active cases, but doesn't allow the bird to naturally build a resistance. It only prevents infestation while in use. It would seem logical that, though Numi did not receive medicated feed, the result would be the same for any bird who was then placed in population where protazoa is present.

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

Recently I have been feeding them

All flock only contains about 1.4% calcium where layer feed may contain 4% to 6% calcium.

Layer feed is fine for adult guinea hens. When I fed layer feed, I used the 20% protein layer feed for the guineas. The higher calcium levels in layer feed may be harmful to the males and is harmful to the keets.

About a quarter layer feed andthe rest All Flock.