Baby Keets - resting?

[vicknick]

Cutie pies!!

 

[vicknick]

Congrats on your new keets! So was it a chicken hen or Guinea hen that incubated them and then had no mothering instincts? For your heating pad cave, monitor temps in there. With your house so warm you might want that pad on low. The keets will regulate their own temperature preference but you don’t want them to have to choose between baking and freezing (for them). Anywhere between 90-100 F in that cave should work. You can also find threads on BYCs about diy ideas like the “mama heating pad” or MHP plus other ideas. What kind of bedding are you using? If using shavings, introduce chick grit now. I would use chick grit even if not using shavings, as my keets seem to be experts at finding something inappropriate to eat!

It was a chicken hen - I don't have any other guineas.. OK - I'll put a thermometer in there! I was goiing to put in pdz since it works as grit too, and is so easy to keep clean, and absorbs odor. LOL babies always want to put everything in their mouths, no reason baby guineas would be different!! LOL!

 

[R2elk]

It was a chicken hen - I don't have any other guineas.. OK - I'll put a thermometer in there! I was goiing to put in pdz since it works as grit too, and is so easy to keep clean, and absorbs odor. LOL babies always want to put everything in their mouths, no reason baby guineas would be different!! LOL!

PDZ is not grit and does not work as grit.

 

[vicknick]

It's zeolite - a mineral. Here's a research project showing pdz works as grit. https://nmbu.brage.unit.no/nmbu-xml...dubilige (Sodbilig Uriyanghai).pdf?sequence=1

 

[R2elk]

It's zeolite - a mineral. Here's a research project showing pdz works as grit. https://nmbu.brage.unit.no/nmbu-xmlui/bitstream/handle/11250/2399707/FMT-Sudubilige (Sodbilig Uriyanghai).pdf?sequence=1

The birds in the study were fed commercial feed which does not require grit in order to be digested. You can believe whatever you want to believe. Some unethical manufacturers try to pass oyster shell off as being grit.

 

[vicknick]

Setting aside the question of whether or not zeolite is sufficient as grit: These baby guineas are only eating commercial feed - game bird starter - so won't need any insoluble grit until they're old enough to range.

 

[R2elk]

Setting aside the question of whether or not zeolite is sufficient as grit: These baby guineas are only eating commercial feed - game bird starter - so won't need any insoluble grit until they're old enough to range.

That is true unless you put them on wood chips. Whenever they are on wood chips they need access to grit because they can and do eat wood chips but cannot digest them without grit.

 

[vicknick]

That is true unless you put them on wood chips. Whenever they are on wood chips they need access to grit because they can and do eat wood chips but cannot digest them without grit.

Thankfully, since the zeolite is going to be their bedding, wood chip issues don't apply.

 

[Sydney65]

One of them keeps biting the others' feet. He eats food too, so he knows what the food is, he just thiks the other babyfeet are tasty or something? Is there a way to stop this before someone gets hurt? I took him out and cuddled him to sleep, but when he wakes up I'm hoping he won't do it again!
Also, an update - the babies are in and out - some are running around, some go inside for a minute and then go back out again - just being cute.

Ok, now you need to know what the temp on the floor inside the box is. If it's too warm, they'll be running in & out. Honest, I'm not trying to make things difficult. Lol set a small room thermometer inside. I have an RF thermometer I repurpose for this. If you have a handy man living with you who does his own repairs, he might have one.
Temp is important bc if it's off, the keets can develop pasty bum, where a white plug stops everything up & they can't poop. This can be gently removed with warm water or coconut oil. The important thing is to gently wash it away, not pull on it. Pulling can cause internal injury and death.
On the flip side, it can cause runny stools, or dehydration.
The toe thing-there's always one. It probably won't hurt anyone at the moment, but it is something you want to keep an eye on as it can lead to cannabilistic behavior. I once had to amputate a toe bc the offender wouldn't leave it alone. I'd put shoes on him, get it healed upm & she'd start again (by this point they were grown). Weird thing was once I removed that one toe, she never bothered the others.

 

[R2elk]

Thankfully, since the zeolite is going to be their bedding, wood chip issues don't apply.

Like I said, you believe what you want to believe but don't base your belief on a study that provides a false conclusion.