Keets arrived from Guinea Farm of Iowa. Pics included.

[Sydney65]

I've never used a light, but cardboard box with 250 w light...sounds like a fire hazard. Poop balls I use a butter bowl with abt 1/4" coconut or other liquid oil in it then stand keet in it- holding securely- for a few seconds then use soft cloth also dipped in oil to remove feces. To me, it comes off easily, and the oil leaves a film that reduces, not eliminate- future sticking, and protects their feet from infection (esp coconut oil). Mine living outside are adults and they still get a good oil cleaning when I trim their nails. And use the oil for their poopy bums.

 

[Bicoastal]

As for your light - have you checked the temperature under there with a thermometer? When I use a 250 light it has to be at least two feet off the ground with a large space available or it will cook them. I would bet that your brooder is way too hot.

Keets turn one week old today!

The 250W lamp is 4' off the ground and on a dimmer. There is a temperature gauge in the brooder reading around 92. Based on their behavior, they seem content. See pic. Brooder plate should arrive tomorrow afternoon.

I clean and change water (and bedding) twice a day. Waterer has marbles in it that are cleaned with hot warm. Water is refilled at room temp.

I will add a second water with electrolytes. I can mix up a solution and save it in the fridge?

Several went to excited and experienced new homes today. I am down to a more manageable number that is close to the final count I’d like to end up with. I’m really rooting for Week 2 to go as well. Then I will feel I can breathe a bit.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Keets turn one week old today!

The 250W lamp is 4' off the ground and on a dimmer. There is a temperature gauge in the brooder reading around 92. Based on their behavior, they seem content. See pic. Brooder plate should arrive tomorrow afternoon.

I clean and change water (and bedding) twice a day. Waterer has marbles in it that are cleaned with hot warm. Water is refilled at room temp.

I will add a second water with electrolytes. I can mix up a solution and save it in the fridge?

Several went to excited and experienced new homes today. I am down to a more manageable number that is close to the final count I’d like to end up with. I’m really rooting for Week 2 to go as well. Then I will feel I can breathe a bit.

That’s great that you’re monitoring temperature. How many keets are left in your little flock after the rehoming? A week old is very encouraging - hope they continue to do well for you! Do you have a second brooder that you’re getting ready? Keets get flight feathers in fast, so they will probably start flying at two weeks old! Maybe you can get them into their next brooder so you won’t have to worry about the cardboard anymore?

 

[Bicoastal]

That’s great that you’re monitoring temperature. How many keets are left in your little flock after the rehoming? A week old is very encouraging - hope they continue to do well for you! Do you have a second brooder that you’re getting ready? Keets get flight feathers in fast, so they will probably start flying at two weeks old! Maybe you can get them into their next brooder so you won’t have to worry about the cardboard anymore?

I have 26 keets now. I have a fantastic and proper brooder outside in the coop. Bigger, wooden, screened lid, floating wire floor, removable tray for cleaning, adjustable chain for heat lamp from ceiling to lid. Put a lot of thought and time into it. It’s just been too cold in VA to maintain 95 degrees with the heat lamp.

My hope is that after two weeks I can move them outside.

Im including a pic of the outdoor brooder the day they arrived. Fortunately it was 80 degrees that day. Yesterday we had ice! Freeze warnings the first half of the week.

Two questions-

can I provide plain water with a chicken nipple? Are they big enough to use that?

Will brooder plate be warm enough outside around feeezing temps? I REALLY wish these products had built-in thermostats.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I have 26 keets now. I have a fantastic and proper brooder outside in the coop. Bigger, wooden, screened lid, floating wire floor, removable tray for cleaning, adjustable chain for heat lamp from ceiling to lid. Put a lot of thought and time into it. It’s just been too cold in VA to maintain 95 degrees with the heat lamp.

My hope is that after two weeks I can move them outside.

Im including a pic of the outdoor brooder the day they arrived. Fortunately it was 80 degrees that day. Yesterday we had ice! Freeze warnings the first half of the week.

Two questions-

can I provide plain water with a chicken nipple? Are they big enough to use that?

Will brooder plate be warm enough outside around feeezing temps? I REALLY wish these products had built-in thermostats.

Oh you’ll have a good sized flock then - that’s excellent! I have 28 and am cautiously optimistic that this is going to be an ideal number of birds for good flock dynamics. That’s going to be a fantastic brooder - must be frustrating that they can’t go out yet!

Re: nipple waterer, I used those for my chickens/chicks but my guineas just don’t like nipple waterers. The only one my keets liked also dripped water everywhere.

For your coop brooder, maybe you can set it up and monitor temps? The keets might have a hard time switching from light to plate, so you want the ambient temp to be at least a little warm too. When do your temperatures warm up?

I hate to use a heat light in a coop, but I did use one, very cautiously and well-secured, last fall for my late keet hatch when temps dipped below freezing. I put some large non slippery tiles down over the shavings and put the light over the tiles in hopes that if the bulb shattered, the hot fragments would mostly land on the tiles. I also kept their water on the tiles so that keets wouldn’t be drinking cold water. Cold keets would get under the light for a bit to warm up, then run after mom for awhile; mom was way to agitated about being locked up to sit and warm up cold keets. This warming station was pretty popular with the keets.

 

[Bicoastal]

Temps are continuing to swing over the next ten days. Getting really warm this weekend but only briefly.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Temps are continuing to swing over the next ten days. Getting really warm this weekend but only briefly.

Maybe try playing around with your brooder temperatures using your heat plate plus a light or radiant heat plate or oil filled heater? I used to use an oil filled plug in heater for some animal rooms. It’s safer for unattended use than forced air electric heaters. Having two different heat sources gives you some redundancy in case one fails during a cold night. Also, I read back over what I wrote above and this reminded me that you only want to use animal safe heat bulbs (as I’m sure you are), because the “shatter proof” bulbs are coated and can release Teflon that’s toxic to birds.

 

[Bicoastal]

It’s here! Of course it’s going to take up a lot of floor space. I may ditch the box and line the ex-pen walls with cardboard so they have more square footage. Cleaning the floor would be harder.

The brooder plate doesn’t have a thermostat, which I knew. Hello, that’s what consumers need!

If @R2elk could shoot me a link to an infrared thermometer, that would be great! My googling kept taking me to pricier forehead-scanning medical ones.

I am feeling really anxious about not being able to see all of the keets and see the temperature any time I want to glance in. But so many people here rave about the heat plates, so I’m going to give it a go. Wish us luck!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

It’s here! Of course it’s going to take up a lot of floor space. I may ditch the box and line the ex-pen walls with cardboard so they have more square footage. Cleaning the floor would be harder.

The brooder plate doesn’t have a thermostat, which I knew. Hello, that’s what consumers need!

If @R2elk could shoot me a link to an infrared thermometer, that would be great! My googling kept taking me to pricier forehead-scanning medical ones.

I am feeling really anxious about not being able to see all of the keets and see the temperature any time I want to glance in. But so many people here rave about the heat plates, so I’m going to give it a go. Wish us luck!

Best of luck!!!

 

[Bicoastal]

Indoor brooder version 2.0. 4x4x4 ex-pen lined with sheet metal, two glass windows, and cardboard as needed. Floor is tarp, shelf liners, straw.

Ex-pen contains brooder plate, water with electrolytes, plain water, grit, feeder, thermometer. Red heat lamp is still in play. It is sitting 4’ overhead on the roof of the expen and on a dimmer. Temp reading around 90.

I wish I could slide them under the plate while they are sleeping. The awesome thing about lining a wall with a window is I can see under the plate! And sit watching Guinea TV as long as I like.