Guinea keets

[trev1lov3]

Hi guys im hatching guinea keets for the first time and i put 28 eggs in the incubator at 24 days i had 7 hatch lost one immediately and it was the first that one i think i can attribute to maybe not letting him totally dry even though he looked like it and he was the first to hatch and all alone. So it's now 3 days after these guys hatched and no other eggs have hatched yet but the last one that did was the smallest and hes not doing good. At first i saw him yawning or looking like he was trying to clear his throat. And i saw the other doing it but he seemes to be doing it frequently so i thought maybe he ate a wood chip maybe i didnt put enough grit in the feed. So i added some more grit. They all went crazy and obviously wanted more so i thought great but little guy thought he went for grit and i saw him take like one sip of water over the last lil bit he seems weak or fatigued i noticed that he does try and cram his way into the middle of them all and so i know he may be tiring him self out getting crushed but a couple times i noticed him nap away from the others and instead of tucking his legs he let them hang out awkwardly which worried me because of the similar fashion it looked to when they die. Hes not doing it now but he seems very tired. The other are bowling him over at time. He sways a lil bit stumbles sometimes and keeps wincong his eyes. I dont wanna lose him. He is the friendliest and climbs right up to mu hanf. Idk if thats cuz he knows he needs help but i tried to give him a lil bit of some egg like. I have done with chicks before to get their energy back up but i could only get him to take like 2 tiny partial beak fulls i guess but couldont get him to take another he kept moving his neck and that was when my gf came and said im probably hurting his neck and i had to restrain my self from being a dick because i totally have every animals best interest at heart and was trying to be gentle. Anyone have any input. Can these birds be hatched and already have a parasite given from the parent? Should i separate him? I hadnt put any organic applecider vinegar yet like ive always done with my chickens becuase it was their first water should i and maybe add sum oregano flakes? Any input will help

 

[CapricornFarm]

You might have to separate him or put him with just one other keet until he gets stronger. Maybe put a kleenex box with the top off in the brooder. You can put food in there on a paper towel but you will need to let him drink frequently. Good luck with him.

 

[trev1lov3]

Thanks. Thats probably what ill have to do just sucks cuz i have work at 7 so ima be worried about the lil dude all day. The tissue box is a good idea.. I just just went to check on him and picked him up n he drank immediately so starting to think maybe they just arnt letting him get enough water. I had it in a corner now im gona move it into the middle so more of the full circle can be used i guess. Sucks .all this then last night they all got distressed because one of them got stuck in one of the feeder holes and was like screaming when i got him free. I didnt take note or think to after he was let out so i didnt know if its was the small one and maybe now hes scared to eat outa that thing lol but now hes the only one who will cone up to my hands readily.

 

[CapricornFarm]

How is he doing today?

 

[trev1lov3]

Well he seems a lil better. Maybe he was just really tired. Im not home from work yet but before i left i checked in on him and he seemed more spirited than last night. I just asked my girl forend and she said hes still a bit more spirited than yesterday so thats good hipefully hell hold up. I was freakin out last night. Could find anything tissue box sized around the house and had resolved to just wsitong til i got home frpm work to go biy sum tissues lol but hopefully all will be well. Thanks

 

[CapricornFarm]

Good luck.

 

[trev1lov3]

Hey capricorn what kind of experiences have you had with runt guineas. This guys seems better but he seems to be growing way slower than the other guys. He was only hatched a couple hours after the others but the others are already double his size. He seems fine but he also noticeably eats less than the rest so i tend to wonder if its inevetiable iwill need to tt so he can eat more and if hes gona live normally. Maybe put him with one other because i would want all of them to just be running him over

 

[CapricornFarm]

He may have internal problems if he is not growing normally. All you can do is your best for him. I would put him with one other, as you suggested. Try him on some mashed boiled egg, it should be easy for him to digest. Good luck

 

[sc000000bysnack]

How is he doing? Also, I'd give him some type of cooked egg (like scrambled egg) mixed in his feed or given as a "treat" - the protein may help his weakness some. I hope he is doing okay!

 

[trev1lov3]

Thanks. Theyre a week old now. He doesnt seem week anymore now he just seems dwarfed and pushed around. Like i just pulled the feeder to fill again and dumped the lil bit stuck in the bottom and sprinkled a few meal worms in there to get em used to getting their food off the ground. The others went crazy for the worms he showed interest in them a bit a bit for a few seconds then looked at me then walked to the edge of the cage and sat back down. And ive seen him do that when theyre all rushing the feeder and waterer as if to like wait his turn but he seems to like only want to eat from the feeder. I see him eat from it slowly somewhat compared to the other but Maybe the worms are too big for him or he just doesnt wanna go for em with the other going so crazy. When he was acting really weak falling over trying to prune and swaying as he stood the first day and a half i was giving him sum eggs scrambled once and lightly heated then allowed to cool a few secs and a lil bit of raw another time and he got better. He doesnt seem week anymore maybe just uninterested in trying to rush around and ending up bullyed and spending more energy idk. Ill probably be giving him more egg hard boiled this time if hell have it and maybe get ready in the morning for a lil bit on a isolation cage to see if i can get him to enhoy meal worms. The other are scaryching at the wood shavings like crazy when they gets tossed in. I havnt seen him scratch once. Ive seen him oeck at the wood shavings or maybe lil bitz of feed on the ground but no worms