Keets arrived from Guinea Farm of Iowa. Pics included.

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Indoor brooder version 2.0. 4x4x4 ex-pen lined with sheet metal, two glass windows, and cardboard as needed. Floor is tarp, shelf liners, straw.

Ex-pen contains brooder plate, water with electrolytes, plain water, grit, feeder, thermometer. Red heat lamp is still in play. It is sitting 4’ overhead on the roof of the expen and on a dimmer. Temp reading around 90.

I wish I could slide them under the plate while they are sleeping. The awesome thing about lining a wall with a window is I can see under the plate! And sit watching Guinea TV as long as I like.

Can’t wait to see more pics of your babies as they grow! Guinea keets grow so fast.

 

[Sydney65]

Indoor brooder version 2.0. 4x4x4 ex-pen lined with sheet metal, two glass windows, and cardboard as needed. Floor is tarp, shelf liners, straw.

Ex-pen contains brooder plate, water with electrolytes, plain water, grit, feeder, thermometer. Red heat lamp is still in play. It is sitting 4’ overhead on the roof of the expen and on a dimmer. Temp reading around 90.

I wish I could slide them under the plate while they are sleeping. The awesome thing about lining a wall with a window is I can see under the plate! And sit watching Guinea TV as long as I like.

Guinea tv is THE BEST channel!!

 

[Bicoastal]

Can I upload a video or do I have to publish it on YouTube first? I am looking for feedback about the height of the heat plate. I got a good video of one keet walking under the corner of it.

It looks too tall when they are asleep to be effective. But they are still acclimating (ie avoiding it!) so I’m concerned lowering it would eliminate the tiny interactions they are experimenting with now.

They are largely avoiding the heat plate and lining up along the edge because it is partially in their way. I’m going to give them 24 hours then I may move the plate so it is fully in their way and see if that forces them to adopt it.

 

[Bicoastal]

I inched the heat plate toward their favorite corner. Now it partially overlaps with the heat lamp. If the lamp is away from the plate, the keets completely avoid it.

This weekend may hit 80 so I may be able to switch off the heat lamp for an hour and see if that helps them adopt the plate as their heat source.

I dimmed the lamp last night and it got down to 85ish degrees. Whoops. But they still would not venture under the plate. Look at the buggers carefully avoiding it…

 

[R2elk]

Can I upload a video or do I have to publish it on YouTube first? I am looking for feedback about the height of the heat plate. I got a good video of one keet walking under the corner of it.

It looks too tall when they are asleep to be effective. But they are still acclimating (ie avoiding it!) so I’m concerned lowering it would eliminate the tiny interactions they are experimenting with now.

They are largely avoiding the heat plate and lining up along the edge because it is partially in their way. I’m going to give them 24 hours then I may move the plate so it is fully in their way and see if that forces them to adopt it.

You need to upload videos to a host site such as YouTube, copy the URL and paste it into the message box.

It is entirely possible that it is too hot underneath which is causing the keets to gather at the edge. I start my keets at 90°F measured at the bedding level. If you measure the air temperature, the bedding will be even hotter. Check the temperature at the bedding level.

 

[R2elk]

I inched the heat plate toward their favorite corner. Now it partially overlaps with the heat lamp. If the lamp is away from the plate, the keets completely avoid it.

This weekend may hit 80 so I may be able to switch off the heat lamp for an hour and see if that helps them adopt the plate as their heat source.

I dimmed the lamp last night and it got down to 85ish degrees. Whoops. But they still would not venture under the plate. Look at the buggers carefully avoiding it…

By the time my keets are a week old, I have the heat source down to 85°F measured at the bedding level. At no time do I ever try to keep the whole brooder at that temperature. They need the ability to move to and from the heat source as they want and need to. I keep the feed and water in the unheated part of the brooder.

 

[Sara S]

In my indoor setup, I don’t have a way of getting the heat lamp any higher. I have raised it as high as I can get it. Pic of setup attached.

I have also ordered a dimmer. Hopefully that helps while the keets are in the house.

Maybe clip it on the out side? Or on top and let it sit on top of the cage?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

By the time my keets are a week old, I have the heat source down to 85°F measured at the bedding level. At no time do I ever try to keep the whole brooder at that temperature. They need the ability to move to and from the heat source as they want and need to. I keep the feed and water in the unheated part of the brooder.

I second this so always have cooler areas. Watching the keets being raised by mama Guinea has shown me that they can withstand quite a lot of temperature variation (as long as they are healthy!). It was mind blowing to see that some of the keets didn’t even want to snuggle with mom at night with 65 F low temps, they just wanted to be near her. Also, I think it can be tough to switch a baby onto a heat plate so I’d give it some time. When you move them outside, if it’s cold, that’s when you may want to drop the level a bit. They will get tougher and tougher quickly now that they are past their first week!

 

[Bicoastal]

We definitely have hot and cool zones. (I’ve just taken up the waterers and thermometer for cleaning.)

A few have spilled under the plate. I think they are getting used to it as a neutral piece of furniture. I guess that’s progress.

 

[Bicoastal]

Well, this is embarrassing but I think I turned the heat plate down too low. I spent some this evening after cleaning with my fist under the plate and it’s just tepid room temperature unless my skin is touching the plate. Then it is pleasantly warm.

When the plate first arrived and I plugged it in for the one-hour period, it got ouch hot! Scary hot. So I turned it down from 7 to 4. I think I overreacted. I’ve adjusted to 4 1/2 and will check how that feels before I go to bed.