Day old Guinea Keets... strange behavior???

[Lurkeygirl2011]

I just picked up four day-old guinea keets. I have them in a box with shavings, food, and water. The heat lamp is hung and it is a large enough box for them to move out of the light if they need to.
My question is about how they are acting. One keeps laying down with one leg stretched out behind him/her and intermittently panting. Is this normal keet behavior? I have never had guinea fowl before. If not, any suggestions on what to do.

 

[gambler]

I'm no expert but it sounds like they might be too hot.

 

[TarHeelBlue]

Sure sound too hot to me too. Make sure that the area "out of the light" is really a lot cooler. Put a thermometer in that area - that way you can make sure they have a cool spot to go and can self regulate their temps.

 

[Lurkeygirl2011]

Thanks, I think you were right. I got them an even bigger box and keep raising the light increments, and they are still going to the very edge of the lights shadow, but they stopped panting, whew.

 

[PeepsCA]

I agree, they sound too warm, and shouldn't be panting... I also agree with getting a thermometer, laying it on the floor directly under the glow of the heat lamp to see what the temp is... it should be no hotter than 95 in the center (I usually start my newly hatched keets out at 90 tho and use a regular 75 watt light bulb in my brooder lamp hoods, not a heat lamp bulb and they do fine). You might want to add a little pedialyte or gator ade to their water, and make sure they are drinking (dip their beaks in the water quickly a couple times and make sure they swallow a few times) just as a precaution against dehydration from getting too warm. Laying comfortably totally crashed out, with legs stretched out behind them is a normal scene in my brooders