Help! 3 day old keet failing to thrive

[Chestnut Hill]

Keets hatched 10/10 and arrived 10/12. I’m new to birds. When they arrived, they seemed very small delicate. I dipped their beaks in water and showed them food and how to get under their warmer. They weren’t really eating or drinking. So I mixed up some of that green gel. They seemed too be eating, drinking, pooping and acting normally. I went to work. When I got home, one was dead. This morning, it occurred to me that they were all piled up under their warmer, like they might be cold. So I put a heating pad under them. One keet acted differently, she is smaller, she is not as active, she keeps to herself and I never see her eating or drinking. That doesn’t mean that she isnt, just that I haven’t seen her. There are 20, so it’s hard to keep up. I got a little bit of sugar water in her this morning, but she’s still not acting right.
Suggestions please, what should I do for her?

 

[Pyxis]

What are you using as the warmer?

Can you get some poultry nutri drench and give the weak one a few drops, as well as add it to their water? Nutri Drench is great and will give them a boost and help them get over the stress of shipping.

Can you also describe the rest of your brooder setup, what you're feeding, and whether you've checked for pasty butt, which is common in shipped babies?

 

[Chestnut Hill]

Thank you. Brooder is a plastic tote, in the house, with a thick padded dog bed underneath to hold heat. There is a heating pad under the plastic tote. The warmer is a warming plate on legs. I believe it was made by Premier, it’s like the Brinsea EcoWarmer. The floor covering is blue disposable bed pad. Food is Purina Game Bird Starter. Green gel is Grogel Plus B. Her butt is not pasty.

 

[Pyxis]

I use the Premier heat plate too. They work through contact heat, meaning the keets would need to make direct contact with it to get warm, do you have it low enough that they can easily touch the heat surface?

 

[Chestnut Hill]

I use the Premier heat plate too. They work through contact heat, meaning the keets would need to make direct contact with it to get warm, do you have it low enough that they can easily touch the heat surface?

Maybe I should lower it. I’ll try that.

 

[Pyxis]

Sounds good! I angle mine so that the front is the perfect height for them to be able to just duck under and walk underneath, and the back end is almost touching the bedding. That way it's easy for them to get under it, and I know they will be able to make contact with the warming surface.

I'd also do the Nutri Drench too - I keep on hand at all times and always give it to newly hatched babies and shipped babies. It really gives them a boost and helps them recover from the stress of hatching/shipping.

 

[Chestnut Hill]

My neighbor brought over some Nutri Drench and we got a few drops of that and a few drops of sugar water in her, but she was too far gone. Thank you for the information. I will get some to have on hand. The others seem to be getting more vigorous by the minute. We lowered the warmer, and walked in to find them spread around the edges. So I raised one side and lowered the temp on the heating pad. Thank you for your help.