I just moved 5 week old guinea keets from my bathroom shower to an outdoor brooder. The brooder is a chain link dog kennel with smaller boxed area with two heating lamps.
The bottom of 1/3 of the kennel has chicken wire to keep them from squeezing out.
The temperature outside is about 38 degrees. They seemed totally fine moving all around making noise and only huddle near the heat lamp at night when they sleep.
Then I noticed one flew up higher and escaped and could not get back inside. I tried in vain to catch hiM but every time I came near he flew up I to a tree.
Well after 24 hours of him hanging close by and evading me he finally fell victim to a predator in the night. (I Found feathers) yesterday morning.
Now all the keets are comeplety silent and hiding in a remote part of the pen all day and night. I noticed some rat activity as well which I am working on fixing. They are not near the lamp.
Anyone know what is going on? Are they frightened from one dying near the pen? Are the rats freaking them out? Are they cold? (The temp has dropped and they are in a pile although not right next to the lamp).
Are the rats able to kill them? I would think they would just steal food.
The bottom of 1/3 of the kennel has chicken wire to keep them from squeezing out.
The temperature outside is about 38 degrees. They seemed totally fine moving all around making noise and only huddle near the heat lamp at night when they sleep.
Then I noticed one flew up higher and escaped and could not get back inside. I tried in vain to catch hiM but every time I came near he flew up I to a tree.
Well after 24 hours of him hanging close by and evading me he finally fell victim to a predator in the night. (I Found feathers) yesterday morning.
Now all the keets are comeplety silent and hiding in a remote part of the pen all day and night. I noticed some rat activity as well which I am working on fixing. They are not near the lamp.
Anyone know what is going on? Are they frightened from one dying near the pen? Are the rats freaking them out? Are they cold? (The temp has dropped and they are in a pile although not right next to the lamp).
Are the rats able to kill them? I would think they would just steal food.