They are DYING........Help

[Gatordog]

I just picked up 16 Guineas this morning 7-18-13 and one was already died and 4 more have died. They were feed that Green gel from Meyers and they have 2 sources of water and an additonal waterer with sugar added. It is hot down hear in South Texas, so I had a red light at first, but I switched to a 60W bug light. Coop temp measured about 3.5 feet from the light is 92 degrees, With the red light it was 95 degrees.

Should I add a FAN.

They are on the Screened back porch that faces south which normally has a good breeze, but today has been calm.

 

[Gatordog]

FYI, my number is 956-202-3247

 

[Sandshaven]

I don't think I would use a fan.. Young keets like it about 95 degrees. Do you have any vitamins and electrolytes? That might help with stress.

 

[Gatordog]

They are OK now, I lost 5 of the 16 shipped. The shipping heat was just to much for them. Like I said one was dead in the box and you could tell several were not going to make it. They would just sit or lay there and would eat and drink but never had any energy. Very sad, I hate mail ordering birds and this is my last time. The hatchery is great, Meyer, but it is just to far and to hot down here in South Texas. Meyer said it was also hot up there,so it was a hot 4 days for the little keets.

 

[PeepsCA]

Shipping in the heat is definitely hard on the fragile little keets, it's not only the heat and stress that can do them in but they can also pile up on top of each other in the corner of the box and the ones on the bottom can get smothered. Sorry you lost a few.

If you have any chilled watermelon or cucumbers, a couple slices in the brooder for the rest of them to peck at will help hydrate them and also help give them a little energy (make sure to remove the seeds).

Make sure the rest can get away from the heat in your brooder if they need to... it's a good idea to have the lamp/heat source at one end, and place their food and water outside the glow of the lamp.

 

[Gatordog]

I was wrong 8 died and I doubt there will be any left come Monday. They are eating and drinking and playing just fine, and then one just lies down, turns on its side and dies gasping for life. They look great and then within 5 minutes another one dies. The heat is perfect and they are on stray, but were on pine shavings until I was told to change to hay

 

[PeepsCA]

What kind of starter feed are they eating? Is it medicated, and if so what's it medicated with?
It's not normal to lose so many, after a few days of them being shipped, the rest should have been fine...
I feel bad for you (and them!)

 

[Gatordog]

It is bluebonnet game bird starter and not medicated. I started giving them egg yolk but what else should I give them to help. Maybe some crushed Peach or some yogart to get them up. Watermelon has been mention, and I will try but peach or plums should have more sugar than watermelon.

I know chickens (peeps_) love meat, should I give them some ground turkey?

 

[Naunnie]

So sorry for your loss. You said they were eating and drinking but....have you seen them drink? I ask because, a friend was experiencing kinda the same thing. She just assumed they were drinking. I encouraged her to observe them closer...sure enough they had not figured it out yet. Hers were 2-3 days old. She had to dip each ones beak in the water before they got it.

I'm not sure about giving them ground turkey....but I would offer room temp scrambled eggs. I was told to offer grit with supplemented protein type food. Hopefully others will chime in on this.

I can't help but wonder if something may be wrong with the bag of bluebonnet. Is it old or smell off?

 

[critters]

I would add some "Poly-Vi-Sol" baby vitamins WITHOUT IRON to their
water and dip their beaks into it and every so often do it again and I have
also found that watermelon is something they like so add that to their
brooder, without the seeds, and that will give another water source and
perk them up some...(learned that from Peeps and is a winner!)...

sorry you have lost so many but best of luck with the rest!

PS>>>
with the hot temps there and the brooder light, have you double checked
the temp on the little guys during the heat of the day? is the brooder set
so they can move around to a cooler spot inside, away from the lamp,
if they feel the need to??
my brooders are inside my house so I can better control their brooder temps...
...just wondering.......its been in the high 90's here too this week.