Guinea chicks dropping dead

[Ambiguity]

Last week sunday our guineas hatched 3 dozen happy, health, loud keets. We gathered them up, brought them inside. They have a nice warm light, medicated game bird starter, and vitamin water.

Every morning since I brought them in there is at least one dead bird in the brooder, and I can't figure out why they are dieing. They appear fine throughout the day, the eat they drink they poop. Then in the morning more dead birds. They started dieing before I would think that they had time to catch anything. Until today the only symptom I had was death. This morning one seemed to lose all motor control, and died shortly after I got up. Yesturday we switch their food from the game bird feed to the chick feed, wondering if there was to much protien in the game bird feed. We have raised many guinea chicks with no problem. I don't know why they keep dieing! So if anyone has any ideas I would appreciate it. Thanks

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Could be the feed. Starter is usually what people use for the first 2 weeks.

Anyhow, BUMP

 

[Burton Wyandotte 601]

I'm sorry but I dont know, I wish I did, my guinea keets did the exact same thing. Untill I got some medicine for them. How old are they, I gave my last guineas LS-50 It helped alot.

 

[rebecca100]

Are they piling at night? I lost a lot of chicks that way one year. Finally figured out there was a draft in the brooder. I would dread checking them in the mornings and tried everything to make them stop until I finally found what was causing them to do it. the ones that didn't die would be sick the next day too. All I could think of. Wish you good luck finding out what it is and hope no more die!

 

[mypicklebird]

Guinea keets seem to be more fragile than chicken chicks until older. I feed mine game bird start until they go out with the chickens. If they get wet/damp supposedly they can easily chill and die, haven't seen this myself- but I have heard they chill more easily. They DO startle more than chicken chicks- could something be scaring them at night? rats/cats/skunks ect- they will jump and stampede into each other. All of the standard baby poultry problems to think about- too hot, too cold, getting wet, (piling up), bad feed, wrong feed, predators ect.

 

[purpletree23]

Maybe they would be better off with the mother. It could be a number of things. Too warm, too cold etc.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Definitely not better off with the mother, guinea hens are well-known for losing their whole flock of babies. They drag them through the tall wet grasses and the babies get sick.

I'm sorry that you are having so much trouble. I raise my guinea keets with chicken chicks and haven't lost one yet

 

[purpletree23]

Thanks for that information shellyd. I want to raise keets and did not know that about the mothers.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Last winter I was having similar problems with chicks--finally figured out they had a BAD case of mites. Check carefully and spray the birds if you find any, and completely clean out the brooder. Mix poultry dust or sevin in with the bedding.