New Keet care questions: pasty butt, etc.

[appleacres]

Hi Everyone!

I have sixteen keets that seem like they are very healthy and vigorous--they are just a week old today.
However---a couple questions:

1. One is a big time runt--about a 1/4 size of the others, but super smart and resourceful. However, seriously tiny, and doesn't seem to eat as much as the others--he has plenty of chances, sometimes I see him peck, and sometimes he just looks at the food and walks away, but never chows down like the others. I've been cleaning up bad pasty butt on him 2-3 times per day, while the others have had it a tiny bit at the beginning, but are getting less and less of an issue each day. They have two water containers, one with nutridrench and one with electrolytes, I was planning on stopping the nutridrench soon because they seem healthy, but I am worried about the little one. I have tried feeding him a drop on his own, but he shakes his head and only gets a tiny bit of the drop in his mouth. What are some reasons why this could be happening/solutions?

2. Some are friendly, but most seem to really not want to be picked up, and crush into a corner. I thought I needed to handle them a few times a day to tame them, but it doesn't seem to be working. The only time I for sure pick each one up is when I check them all for pasty butt in the morning, so maybe they are associating me with that, the rest of the time (4-5 times/day) I am either just picking up random ones and holding them until they calm down and stop chirping, or putting my hand in the box, or touching them gently, and most of them seem to tolerate this, but still crush together and jump around nervously.

3. At what age do people start giving them grass, grit, mealworms, and white millet? I feel like this could help a lot with #2, but I think they're too young.

4. If I am using a Brinsea heat plate, what is the ideal temperature of the rest of the brooder? Currently it is 75 degrees. When I tried adding the heatlamp which makes the brooder 95 they seem much happier and more active, but I don't think I should be using the heat plate AND the heat lamp, right?

5. I have been changing paper towels 3-4x per day, but they are still getting clumps of food stuck on their feet--at what point is this a problem where I somehow have to get it off? (not sure if they will peck it off themselves), they hate me touching their feet even more than their butts!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Hi Everyone!

I have sixteen keets that seem like they are very healthy and vigorous--they are just a week old today.
However---a couple questions:

1. One is a big time runt--about a 1/4 size of the others, but super smart and resourceful. However, seriously tiny, and doesn't seem to eat as much as the others--he has plenty of chances, sometimes I see him peck, and sometimes he just looks at the food and walks away, but never chows down like the others. I've been cleaning up bad pasty butt on him 2-3 times per day, while the others have had it a tiny bit at the beginning, but are getting less and less of an issue each day. They have two water containers, one with nutridrench and one with electrolytes, I was planning on stopping the nutridrench soon because they seem healthy, but I am worried about the little one. I have tried feeding him a drop on his own, but he shakes his head and only gets a tiny bit of the drop in his mouth. What are some reasons why this could be happening/solutions?

2. Some are friendly, but most seem to really not want to be picked up, and crush into a corner. I thought I needed to handle them a few times a day to tame them, but it doesn't seem to be working. The only time I for sure pick each one up is when I check them all for pasty butt in the morning, so maybe they are associating me with that, the rest of the time (4-5 times/day) I am either just picking up random ones and holding them until they calm down and stop chirping, or putting my hand in the box, or touching them gently, and most of them seem to tolerate this, but still crush together and jump around nervously.

3. At what age do people start giving them grass, grit, mealworms, and white millet? I feel like this could help a lot with #2, but I think they're too young.

4. If I am using a Brinsea heat plate, what is the ideal temperature of the rest of the brooder? Currently it is 75 degrees. When I tried adding the heatlamp which makes the brooder 95 they seem much happier and more active, but I don't think I should be using the heat plate AND the heat lamp, right?

5. I have been changing paper towels 3-4x per day, but they are still getting clumps of food stuck on their feet--at what point is this a problem where I somehow have to get it off? (not sure if they will peck it off themselves), they hate me touching their feet even more than their butts!

Awesome that your crew is mostly thriving! Clearly we need some pics...

When very little they may spend more time under the heat plate, just coming out for a bit of activity then running back for a warm up. That’s normal and they should spend more and more time outside of it as they grow. You might check the height (just above their backs) and heat output with your hand. It should be quite warm but not sizzling hot. I always give chicks and keets a warmer and cooler area so they can get to the temperature that they need, so I wouldn’t add a heat light if the plate is working properly. I also prop the heat plate up on one side so they can get close to the heat or further away while still being under the plate.

There’s another thread going on in this forum about keet entertainment - check it out! I do give long weedy grass clumps with the roots and dirt still attached. Give chick grit too. We don’t use fertilizers or herbicides. You can also start giving them some treats like pieces of dried mealworm as long as you are offering chick grit, which I give anyway in case of bedding consumption. I also start catching small insects and let them chase them down. Treats are good to help you go from “terrifying towering predator” to “bringer of treats”. My keets are terrified of me, so I’m no help there... @Sydney65 ??

As for your little guy, it sounds like you are doing what you can. He may have been sickened by transport or hatched with a problem. Being SO much smaller suggests a big health problem to me. I myself give one dish of pure water and one of electrolytes or Nutridrench until they are doing wel. Since you are hoping that your little one can pull through, I’d probably leave the Nutridrench dish in there, cleaned and changed every day.

 

[Sydney65]

Hi Everyone!

I have sixteen keets that seem like they are very healthy and vigorous--they are just a week old today.
However---a couple questions:

1. One is a big time runt--about a 1/4 size of the others, but super smart and resourceful. However, seriously tiny, and doesn't seem to eat as much as the others--he has plenty of chances, sometimes I see him peck, and sometimes he just looks at the food and walks away, but never chows down like the others. I've been cleaning up bad pasty butt on him 2-3 times per day, while the others have had it a tiny bit at the beginning, but are getting less and less of an issue each day. They have two water containers, one with nutridrench and one with electrolytes, I was planning on stopping the nutridrench soon because they seem healthy, but I am worried about the little one. I have tried feeding him a drop on his own, but he shakes his head and only gets a tiny bit of the drop in his mouth. What are some reasons why this could be happening/solutions?

2. Some are friendly, but most seem to really not want to be picked up, and crush into a corner. I thought I needed to handle them a few times a day to tame them, but it doesn't seem to be working. The only time I for sure pick each one up is when I check them all for pasty butt in the morning, so maybe they are associating me with that, the rest of the time (4-5 times/day) I am either just picking up random ones and holding them until they calm down and stop chirping, or putting my hand in the box, or touching them gently, and most of them seem to tolerate this, but still crush together and jump around nervously.

3. At what age do people start giving them grass, grit, mealworms, and white millet? I feel like this could help a lot with #2, but I think they're too young.

4. If I am using a Brinsea heat plate, what is the ideal temperature of the rest of the brooder? Currently it is 75 degrees. When I tried adding the heatlamp which makes the brooder 95 they seem much happier and more active, but I don't think I should be using the heat plate AND the heat lamp, right?

5. I have been changing paper towels 3-4x per day, but they are still getting clumps of food stuck on their feet--at what point is this a problem where I somehow have to get it off? (not sure if they will peck it off themselves), they hate me touching their feet even more than their butts!

Whether they like it you touching it or not, pasty butt has to be dealt with. The behavior you describe is akin to what I've seen. It's imperative to get that resolved.This is pretty good -
https://the-chicken-chick.com/pasty-butt-in-chicks-causestreatmen/
Watch what he does, if he's scooting further in to brinsea, he's cold. If trying to get away from it, he's hot. I don't have brinsea model, but think they're all the same in that you can adjust legs to put the plate at an angle so it's higher in front than back. You've got about another week or so where their fragility makes everything critical.
The feet- I washed with cotton balls and coconut oil. It easily removed debris.
When picking them up, catching them will be tramatic. Have a soft warm cloth - I always have those terrycloth washclothes that come in big packs to use. It restrains and comforts so that I could do what I need to do.
I also had a runt. He learned to use his size to his advantage -he was the first to do many things, I can only assume it was because he was lighter. He was able to get on the perch, be able to balance, wld ride on my shoulder, etc.He still has a cocky attitude.
If you feel it's not warm enough, lower the plate on the legs or try mama's heating pad (do search in this forum).
You want that wet paper towel not to set on their feet- it gets like concrete when dry. I switched to dog training pads, but that too is a short term solution - it should get you to when you can use wood chips. I'd stick to the turkey starter for now and hold off on treats for awhile. Being clean, warm, hydrated and fed are the main things for now.
There's no scientific approach to getting them responsive to you. I always talk to them so they become accustomed to my voice, and always talk when approaching so they know I'm coming. It got to the point where it didn't matter what time of day it was, I always say "good morning" as I enter the room.
Some may begin to respond to you in a few weeks. Some will always see you as a mixed bag - you provide food and shelter, but still a potential threat. On the off season, I can do pretty much anything w/those their second year. The twins aren't quite a yr yet, and they scream like a banshee and do everything in their power to get away from me.
Good Luck.

 

[appleacres]

Awesome that your crew is mostly thriving! Clearly we need some pics...

When very little they may spend more time under the heat plate, just coming out for a bit of activity then running back for a warm up. That’s normal and they should spend more and more time outside of it as they grow. You might check the height (just above their backs) and heat output with your hand. It should be quite warm but not sizzling hot. I always give chicks and keets a warmer and cooler area so they can get to the temperature that they need, so I wouldn’t add a heat light if the plate is working properly. I also prop the heat plate up on one side so they can get close to the heat or further away while still being under the plate.

There’s another thread going on in this forum about keet entertainment - check it out! I do give long weedy grass clumps with the roots and dirt still attached. Give chick grit too. We don’t use fertilizers or herbicides. You can also start giving them some treats like pieces of dried mealworm as long as you are offering chick grit, which I give anyway in case of bedding consumption. I also start catching small insects and let them chase them down. Treats are good to help you go from “terrifying towering predator” to “bringer of treats”. My keets are terrified of me, so I’m no help there... @Sydney65 ??

As for your little guy, it sounds like you are doing what you can. He may have been sickened by transport or hatched with a problem. Being SO much smaller suggests a big health problem to me. I myself give one dish of pure water and one of electrolytes or Nutridrench until they are doing wel. Since you are hoping that your little one can pull through, I’d probably leave the Nutridrench dish in there, cleaned and changed every day.

Sadly I think he did have some health problem--he just passed away this evening. I somehow managed to come in right as it was happening and I held him and he opened his eye and looked right at me for a minute, even though his neck was seizing up, very sad!

He was very small--1/4 the size of all the others, and not growing at all, after a week he still didn't have all his feathers on his stomach, and still had a bellybutton scab, pasty butt that had to be cleaned 4x/day--so I am hoping he had a problem, and not that there is some general problem with the flock that is now going to present itself!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Sadly I think he did have some health problem--he just passed away this evening. I somehow managed to come in right as it was happening and I held him and he opened his eye and looked right at me for a minute, even though his neck was seizing up, very sad!

He was very small--1/4 the size of all the others, and not growing at all, after a week he still didn't have all his feathers on his stomach, and still had a bellybutton scab, pasty butt that had to be cleaned 4x/day--so I am hoping he had a problem, and not that there is some general problem with the flock that is now going to present itself!

I’m so sorry! It’s hard to lose the little guys! It sounds like you did the best you could for it, but he was too sick or may have had a congenital or hatching issue (like infected yolk sac, if its umbilicus was still visible). It sounds like you have it the best chance that anyone could. I hope that the rest of your new confusion of guinea keets is doing well!