Keet feed

[PeepsCA]

I've been in your position before, but if I were you I'd just try to find a non-medicated high protein starter feed to start with so your keets at least grow and develop at the proper rate. Try to keep your brooder as dry and clean as possible, and disinfect the waterer and feeder daily. And be sure to keep the keets away from having any contact with other poultry until they are 6-8 wks old if you continue to raise them on non medicated feed the entire time. I'd still continue to look for an Amprolium medicated game bird, pheasant or turkey starter in the meantime, you may be able to order some online, tho it will cost quite a bit to have it shipped. Other's have used Amprolium in the waterer, but it's very easy to overdose the keets, so use extreme caution if you go that route and mix up a new batch daily.

 

[cracking up]

Someone else will help more but I would get a small bag of non medicated in the meantime or mix in some medicated chick food. I've always raised mine on non medicated and never had a problem.

Whoops - Peeps and I wrote at the same time - listen to her.

 

[KrisH]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I am not giving up the search, but wanted to know the plan, for when the keets arrive. They will be in the house for at least a couple of weeks, then I may move them to the nursery at the barn, but they will be seperated from the chickens. The Chickens will move to the chicken house, which will eventually be for both. Once they are old enough and in a safe zone, guessing 12 weeks (any thoughts), I will move them to the chicken house, seperated, but so they can meet the other birds, and they will be confined for 6 weeks to teach them where home is for the nights.

If any of this is bad please feel free to speak up, or if you have advice, I am happy to learn.

Kris

 

[PeepsCA]

Sounds like you have a good plan worked out. If you eventually (but sometime soon) find the medicated starter for them, IMO you could move them out to the chicken house (separated) as early 6 wks old, since they will most likely be off heat by then. It would probably be a good idea to keep them on the medicated starter until they are 8 wks old just as a precautionary measure to make sure their immunity is built up tho. 12 wks old is when I start letting mine out to free range (but a lot of people let theirs out much sooner), so maybe if you move yours out to the coop at around 6 wks old, and get them set up so the chickens get used to them, you can work on integrating them with your chickens (and free ranging) a little sooner too

Good luck with them!