Guinea Vitamins

[twsfarm]

I'm a first time guinea owner and just got my birds yesterday. I've brooded chickens earlier in the year without issue so I'm hoping I can handle guineas. I have 30% game bird starter but I noticed it does not mention any vitamins on the label. I gave the keets some sugar water yesterday but they are on plan water now. Should I add vitamins to either their food or water? Everybody seems fine but I don't want any potential problems because of a deficiency.

They are much more active than chicks and are always on the move before they "crash". Babies are such fun!

In the box on the way home

 

[PeepsCA]

If you are using Purina Game Bird Startena it's already got everything in it the keets need, but if you want to add poultry vitamins to their water you can. The problem is most poultry vitamins (powdered) come mixed with electrolytes, which I only feel the keets need during hot temps, illness or high stress situations... so if you want you can offer one waterer with the vitamins and electrolytes in it, and one waterer with just plain water in it. Another option is to add poly vi sol (children's vitamins, WITHOUT the iron added) to their water, but I don't know how much you'd need to add per qt of water, I've never used them. Whichever route you take, remember to mix a new batch of the treated water fresh every day.

My Startena label lists the vitamins it contains in the ingredients list on the label, just not the amounts...

 

[twsfarm]

Thanks PeepsCA! I guess it helps if I read. I also use Purina Game Bird Startena but I'm used to seeing in listed like on the chicken feed. You always have good advice so I think I'll just stick with the feed and no supplements.

How do you feel about preventive medication (in feed) for coccidiosis?

 

[PeepsCA]

Feeding medicated feed (or not feeding it) really depends on your situation and your own personal preference... some people swear by it, some never use it and have no issues. I used the Startena for my Quail, since they start laying at 6 wks old I wanted to be able to start eating their eggs right away. But I raise a ton of keets (and poults too this season) on medicated starter feed (and sell most of them), and they are all a bunch of major poop machines that peck at/taste everything, including poop so I don't want to worry about losing a bunch of them to a cocci outbreak. Plus I don't have time to deal with treating a batch of hatchlings that come down with cocci, nor do I want to send a batch out of here that may have a borderline cocci overload and end up dying within a few days after the customer gets them home (that I would have to replace)... none of that is cost effective for me, so that's why I now religiously use medicated starter feed. Basically some extra peace of mind on my part. I only use feed medicated with Amprolium tho.

 

[twsfarm]

Hey PeepsCA,

I've kept the guineas on 30% protein and they are 5 weeks old. I'm getting close to running out of this bag, but they only sell it in 50lbs. You posted a few years ago about suggested protein for 6-16 weeks of 20-24%. My local TSC only has Purina flock feeder 20% and Dumor starter 24%. What do you recommend I get? I could also get the game starter and mix it with something else.

Thanks, Josh

 

[PeepsCA]

Josh I'd go for the Dumor 24%, going from 30% to 20% protein at that young of an age is a little too drastic, they still have a couple growth spurts and a few more molts to go thru... and you don't want to stunt their growth or for them to start feather picking or cannibalizing from the lack of protein (plus the Dumor brand might be a little cheaper too).