keets are in. I'm not doing so well

[rhoda_bruce]

Well yesterday our keets came in at the postoffice. They got put in a box in the house, but it was too small a box and the light was too strong, so I put them in the brooder with 2 lightbulbs. I figured that if the light was too strong, they would have more room to get away from it.
Well last night they were near the bulb, so I figured they were cold and I told my husband to deal with it. He lowered the lights. They were fine this morning but this afternoon I found one dead and one with a red, swollen eye and groogy. It was strong enough to fight to get away from me, but it seemed to have a deathwish. It kept getting away from the light. I put some antibiotic ointment, to help with the reddness and to make it taste terrible. I also put the ointment on all the parts that might be first attacked if I have a case of cannabolism. Well I decided to get an ICU unit ready, so the cardboard box with light got set up again and I went to check on the keet and it was laying down, but alive. Well I put him right under the light and I think he may have died in transport.
The hatchery did send me an extra, so I lost 2 and now have 14, which is still good, if I don't lose anymore. I was hoping I could save him. I am usually good at nursing things back. I figured it was just self inflicted hypothermia. It was very warm today in my neck of the woods. I was soaking wet when I was finished my afternoon chores, so I wouldn't think I would need that much extra warmth.
Well I nailed some empty feed sacks around the brooder to keep a warm temp and hopefully we will be out of the woods very soon, but I am a bit discouraged.

 

[robin416]

If your keets are comfortable with the temp they will be in a circle around the perimeter of the light when they bed down. I got my new keets in yesterday morning. They are in a 4X2 cage, a red spot light sitting on top of it. When I go out to check on them and if they're taking a break that's how I find them. I do have reflectix on the top and around two sides, the other two sides are open.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

So far, the other 14 seem fine and running around, but its discouraging. I am an ole pro with chickens and only raised keets once, in ignorance of what they could eventually do for me. Maybe I should have ordered more. Then they would have sent more than just one extra.
Its just that when my husband choose his color I started looking for a hatchery and some were all sold out for the whole year and when I found one I had to wait until June and thats ordering it in November. All those months and I already lost 2. I just hope thats it for the loses.
I betta go check on them again.

 

[robin416]

I had Guineas before chickens. I read what I could find on them for the basics and from there learned a great deal more about their behavior from personal experience. I wouldn't be without them.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Well here is an update:
I seem to have 14 little keets, eating turkey starter, drinking water, trying to catch mosquitos and moths and being very untrusting of me. I show up and they go to the other end of the brooder. I can take the unexceptance though.....just don't all drop dead on me!
I have to leave in 2 hours for a 12 hour shift, but they seem to have everything they need and all look stable.

 

[ColbyNTX]

Shipping is tough on them but they sound like they will be OK now. Just keep them warm, dry, feed and water for 6-8 weeks and then they get pretty tough. I have never lost a keet but I have hatched every one I ever had. I hatched 33 out of 35 eggs this week and 50 more in the bator. They wont usually get as tame as chickens but they will learn who you are and come close to you. Good luck, you will love them.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

No fatalities today. My husband had to do the morning chores today.....I was still at work. He called me after and the first thing I asked about was the keets.
In both of the books we have on guineas, they claim that most people, once they get into guineas, decrease the amount of chickens they have, because it is the most cost effective. Well my egg sales have decreased and I am not going to go down on my prices, so I think I might thin out my flock just a bit. I think about 15 hens could take care of me and about 3 other families. The guineas are supposed to feed themselves eventually, so that will be nice.
I will have to concentrate on finishing my fence, to include the whole yard.....something I always planned to do anyway.

 

[robin416]

That bit about Guineas feeding themselves is incorrect. They will get more of their food from free ranging during the Summer months but they still need the balanced feed for the minerals and vitamins. I currently have 13 adult Guineas, they get about five pounds of feed every day even with the free ranging.