HELP! New Keets Look Frail

[Trefoil]

The temps in their room is 79 and I have a light bulb on my 3day old guineas and peababies and will (weekly raising it) until they are feathered.They spend a lot of time under the light and I lost my first keet ever (15 years) when it got away from the light and got too cold. I add a couple of teaspoons of acv to their quart of water until their out of the brooder and feed 28% gamebird feed. . Works for me.
When they look or act frail, I assume they aren't keeping warm enough unless its obvious that isn't the problem.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Amazing but true. I've hatched over a 100 of them this year and have not lost a single one. We do have predators here,mainly foxes and hawks but I haven't even seen the Hawks since early spring (there crows chase them off) and I take care of the foxes as I see them. I haven't seen any coyotes here but I have read that they've brought them to our area to help control the foxes. Owls don't come around during the day that I've seen. No stray dogs or cats around here. We have eagles but they don't seem interested so far.

I'm not recommending that OP needs to free-range I'm just trying to say that they aren't as delicate as stated and don't need the formula for heat to grow properly. With my original flock, I followed it to a t. I didn't even move them outside until 8 weeks old and kept them locked up for 2 weeks before I let them start going out. My adult guineas have nothing to do with the keets except maybe to chase them away and harass them. The younger keets do benefit by having the slightly older kids to hang out with and they benefit by having some chicks to put some brains into the group. By free range I mean I open the gate between the breeder and the main pen and the main pen is already open to let those adult chickens out so they have the ability to go wherever they want. In general they stay in the main run or within probably five feet of it.

My guess is that the development delays are nutritional. My neighbor feeds her turkey poults chick starter and her's are much smaller than mine despite being the same age.

 

[TrueStockFarms]

I lost a keet it got wet while I was at work today and by time I got home it was too late... I have a mason jar style plastic chick water thatthsy can't even stand in so idk why he got so wet I'm so disappointed in myself

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I lost a keet it got wet while I was at work today and by time I got home it was too late... I have a mason jar style plastic chick water thatthsy can't even stand in so idk why he got so wet I'm so disappointed in myself

I find it peculiar that that would happen at that age! Is there a draft where they are? Looking at your pics again, I find it hard to believe they are really 3 weeks. In the second brooder pic I posted there is a lavender and a pearl next to the same type feeder. They are a little over 2 weeks in that pic and you can see how they compare in size to yours. I'm going to try to get a better close up but they don't really cooperate lol.

How is your brooder set up?

 

[charid]

I lost a keet it got wet while I was at work today and by time I got home it was too late... I have a mason jar style plastic chick water thatthsy can't even stand in so idk why he got so wet I'm so disappointed in myself

Im so sorry. It may be some infection inside and he just could not stay warm from fever and chills. I would contact the person that sold you these birds and find oit what diet they were on and whatever other info you can find.

Also forgive yourself any mistakes you think you made. Sometimes we blame ourselves when we shouldn't. Disappointment in the guinea game is high where I live. My birds free range on 600+ acres, they stick to 40 acres though but predators come at them from every direction. At times I feel its too much to take on and I think to sell my birds.

 

[TrueStockFarms]

SunHwaKwon ... Yes they are very tiny… She was feeding them 20% protein and they were in with ducklings so its likely that they were wet before and maybe could have an infection? They were in a cardboard box with a plastic crate insert in the bottom and straw for bedding. Somehow they have been spilling their water without knocking it over apparently. So I moved them to a wire dog crate with an open bottom so that if they spill their water they will not be sitting in wet bedding. I also zip-tied their waterer to the crate so that they can’t move it. Hopefully that will keep them from spilling it.

charid ...
And yes I know what you mean… I have wondered if it was a bad idea to get these keets. The ducks are so much easier to take care of and I didn’t realize how much work the keets would be but I know it will be worth it in the long run.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Don't let it turn you off from the keets. Once healthy, they are very low maintenance. I plane my waterer on a piece of wood to keep them from getting anything in it and also give it a more stable platform than the bedding.

 

[TrueStockFarms]

Good idea about the water platform! I might try that!

 

[GlennLee]

As my keets got bigger, I took a cool whip container, weighted it with some stone and lined the inside with double stick tape, then stuck their waterer in it. Worked well to anchor it, keep it up higher (when they are bigger) and they couldn't knock it over when they roosted on the top! I now bungee chord the waterer to a 1/2 cinder block. They are so crazy, they have broken their feeder. You would think they are having a bar room brawl in their coop or something! Good luck... lots of things to consider and tweak when you first start out, but it gets easier as time goes on!