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  1. eleaf

    Is anyone using the Premier "heat plate" brooder for chicks?

    I think they're getting it. I've been down twice in the last hour, and most were under the plate. Saw one come out, grab a snack from the feeder, a sip of water, then go right back. Just as it should. Can't wait to get the new brooder built and in the basement. Life will be much easier for...
  2. eleaf

    Is anyone using the Premier "heat plate" brooder for chicks?

    No. Just regular cheeping. But also, to clear things up a smidge, I'm talking about guinea keets, not chicks. At this age there's not much difference. They just want warmth, food, and water. But the keets are noticeably more skittish, and seemingly WAY more fragile. I went down a few minutes...
  3. eleaf

    Is anyone using the Premier "heat plate" brooder for chicks?

    I sure hope they figure it out. They seem adamant on running out from under it as soon as I get it under. I've only gone down once and seen 1 underneath without coaxing. The rest are all huddled up under where the light was. Gonna move the plate there. If they don't catch on, I'm gonna have to...
  4. eleaf

    Keets Dying

    Nope. Everything looks normal.
  5. eleaf

    Keets Dying

    I sure hope things are under control! Things do seem to have leveled out. Everyone is eating and drinking happily. They're aware and rambunctious. I've introduced them to a Premier heat plate and I'll be turning their lamp off tomorrow.
  6. eleaf

    Is anyone using the Premier "heat plate" brooder for chicks?

    I have week old chicks that have been using a lamp. I put the Premier in today and they seem to prefer the lamp, likely because of familiarity. What's the best way to transition them? Just turn off the lamp and help them find it?
  7. eleaf

    Keets Dying

    I'm feeding them game starter. They're on construction sand. I've just started putting electrolytes/vitamins and probiotics in their water to help them out more too. I think the light was too low and they were getting too hot under the light, and too cold when they would fall asleep outside of...
  8. eleaf

    Using Artificial Turf In The Brooder?

    My only concern with artificial turf would be the keets pecking at and eating the fake grass.
  9. eleaf

    Keets Dying

    They know about it. They even extended their guarantee period for me, and they've made everything right by me. I'm thinking part of the problem is they were stressed and many had formed bad cases of pasty butt. It's getting better. I can say, however, that these keets REALLY like it after I...
  10. eleaf

    Keets and then more keets

    Thanks. I figured there'd be problems with a 3 week difference, and if we could have gotten more this week I probably would have done it. But we decided to wait until these current chicks are outside before we receive more. But we will be getting a second batch before the season's out.
  11. eleaf

    Keets Dying

    That's why we're getting another batch before the season is out. Hopefully we can fix whatever problem we're having. We've raised several batches of chicks in this exact setup and never had a single loss. As of this morning we have 7 dead keets since Thursday (leaving 11 total). I've already...
  12. eleaf

    Raising Guinea Fowl 101

    Can I introduce Day old keets to a group of 3 week old keets? Or should I wait and get more keets later in the season?
  13. eleaf

    Keets and then more keets

    I currently have a new set of 5 day old keets. With 5 having died in 2 days I need to make sure I have enough guineas come spring that they will fulfill their purpose of helping control ticks. With that in mind, I'm considering ordering more keets before the season is out to ensure I have a...
  14. eleaf

    Keets Dying

    Yes, they were mailed. And I'm sure that it's stressful enough. I also figured it wasn't sand that was the problem, but using play sand. It's definitely moist. It comes that way. Feels like the sand on a wet beach. I'd used it with chicks and never had problems. But guineas seem more sensitive...
  15. eleaf

    Keets Dying

    Hello, This is my first time raising keets. We received an order of 18 on 8/4. 4 have already died from unexplained deaths, and one drowning. They're in a feeding trough on sand. The light is on one end and keeping at 95 degrees (cooler on the other end). No draft. Game bird starter (30%...
  16. eleaf

    2 questions . . .

    Thanks! I didn't THINK that poop on top of the boxes would be a problem, but I wasn't sure. I'm fairly confident that molting is a likely issue, at least with the 4 older hens. It was a pretty sudden stop. But the older hens have been known to lay elsewhere. I've had to retrain them 2 or 3...
  17. eleaf

    2 questions . . .

    I may need to raise the roost. Right now it is the same height as the entrance to the nesting boxes. The tops of said boxes are higher than the roost. But I think it's more of a pecking order problem, TBH. The other hens and roo sleep on that lower roost just fine, and there is plenty of room...
  18. eleaf

    2 questions . . .

    It may be that my hens have either drastically slowed down their laying, or else they've taken to laying outside of their boxes. I know how to retrain them if I need to, but what I'd like to do first is to coop them for the minimum amount of time necessary to get a reliable baseline for how many...
  19. eleaf

    Small roo small pullets

    That's exactly what happened. We had him segregated in a dog cage inside the run when we first got him home. After just a few minutes it was obvious that he had no intentions of being mean. In fact, when the dog got close, all the pulleys flocked to him. So we just let him out. All was well and...
  20. eleaf

    Small roo small pullets

    We've just gotten a 3.5 month old roo. We have five pullets that are around the same age and size. We got the roo on trade from a friend (known and disease free) who couldn't have a roo. Being that they are about the same age and size, I have a question about integration. Do I need to separate...
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