Lethargic Keet - Help!

[Cow Chips]

We got keets on July 7 through the mail. They were born July 5. 2 were already gone while traveling and 1 passed last night. It was my fault on that last one, though...I put off wiping butts and it had a pretty bad pasty butt. So first thing this morning I wiped Keet butts with warm water. Everyone looked pretty good, even the one with curled toes.
Except for this one little cutie. I've been wiping about every other hour or so but she/he is just so lethargic. It's vent was red and looks prolapsed but is now pink this evening, so I use warm water, wipe it off, then hold a clean section of paper towel with warm water - works my kid, why not a keet?
Just to make sure it is staying hydrated, I used a clean plastic syringe and fed it water and a little ground oatmeal in the hopes that I could get it to eat something. This keet is sitting under the lamp almost all day, falls asleep easily, and just looks exhausted. I caught it straining to get something out earlier and, while it did get a little out, it wasn't much. The good thing is that its peep has gotten louder throughout the day and on my last wiping I did get a little poop off the back end, but I just don't know what else I can do to help!
It's peeps have gotten louder throughout the day but I told my husband he has to go check in the morning if it's still with us or if I've got to dig a little grave. Earlier tonight I held it after my feeding/wiping and the poor thing looked like it was gasping for air. The other Keets knocked it over in the brooder box and it just laid there. I held it, it fell asleep, I cried, it slept...it was hard!

We live about 2 hours away from the nearest feed store. Any DIY suggestions? And thanks for the add and for your help! I'm a first time Guinea mom and appreciate this so much!

 

[Cow Chips]

Nevermind....Little Bubble Butt passed away sometime last night or this morning. Yesterday I saw a black mass near it's leg and thought - oh that must be the poop it can't squeeze out! Turns out it was blood. Poor guy was probably injured on the trip here and it just got worse. I did give her/him a little burial. My husband didn't even smirk, considering how much effort I've put into keeping these little babes alive since we got them Thursday. So now I'm down to the Baker's Dozen and the one with the curled toes (AKA Dumbledore: yes, I went there) is looking a little slow. But all butts have been wiped, litter has been changed, water is clean, box is warm, and feed is abundant. Here's to hoping I don't lose more - I can't take it.

 

[mustang56]

I'm so sorry you lost your little one...
One thing to help stop pasty butt, is to use room temperature water....
and another may be, to make sure their feed isn't clumping up...
(keep the feed dry) for chicks, we actually hammer their feed into almost dust.
seems it makes it easier for them to eat...

Make sure you have a cool area for chicks to cool off....some say heat can help cause it...

add 2 tablespoons of mother's vinegar to a gallon of water.....helps prevent pasty butt...

by doing the things listed above, I rarely get pasty behinds...

It is possible your little one that died, was injured... so sad...

When you see pasty butt, immediately clean it.... =)

 

[mustang56]

http://scoopfromthecoop.nutrenaworld.com/pasting-in-chicks-causes-prevention-treatment/

 

[Cow Chips]

Thanks!
I have done all that but I am staying vigilant on the pasty butt thing. Those keets will have the cleanest butts in New Mexico! LOL
Their brooder box is actually a giant rubber stock tank, about 4 feet across. Only half of it is warmed and with our hot temps, I've raising the light higher...otherwise, it's above 100+ degrees in there!
I was reading threads about the ACV but hesitated to put it in due to the temps and dry air conditions. We live in Northeast New Mexico and today's outdoor temps are going to be 100-102 for the next couple of days. If it happens again, I'll be adding a bit into their water!
Thanks for your help!

 

[R2elk]

Thanks!
I have done all that but I am staying vigilant on the pasty butt thing. Those keets will have the cleanest butts in New Mexico! LOL
Their brooder box is actually a giant rubber stock tank, about 4 feet across. Only half of it is warmed and with our hot temps, I've raising the light higher...otherwise, it's above 100+ degrees in there!
I was reading threads about the ACV but hesitated to put it in due to the temps and dry air conditions. We live in Northeast New Mexico and today's outdoor temps are going to be 100-102 for the next couple of days. If it happens again, I'll be adding a bit into their water!
Thanks for your help!

ACV given at high temperatures is harmful. I don't remember exactly what it does but a search should reveal what problems it creates. Because of all the posts claiming that it eliminates pasty butt, I tried it. All it did for me was to greatly increase the number of pasty butt cases I was finding.

Good luck.

 

[mustang56]

Wow at those temperatures... you might not need a heat lamp...! unless you have a/c

Very warm temperatures, from what I've read can cause pasty butt...

I just raised some quail....with a heat lamp... because the brinsea warmer, didn't work for them... =(
They seemed to like the temp at 90 degrees... they get colder than chickens I think...
for the first week.... then we just kept lowering it...from there on.
The chicks I do have, have a mom tending to them... so no heat lamp there...!

I read their stomach is just now starting to build up good bacteria to help break down the food.
I guess they don't have enough bacteria yet...
I wonder if sifting your food like I do... would help...?
Might be like humans, eating to much or to fast, without chewing that food 90 times before swallowing...lol

 

[charid]

Yes. Too much heat = dehydration. Loss of fluid. Panting. Gasping. Lethargy. Pasty butt. Too much wiping can pull their insides out. If its that bad that you are wiping every few hours it is damaging them and go to warm bottom soaks. Its going to take a while but you cannot pull or tug or wipe too much on the dried poop...ever. never. After all its dried up inside too and it WILL pull on the intestines or cause tearing away and internal bleeding.

Happy healthy keets generally make a quiet chick noise. Lots of loud chirping is usually an indication of a problem. Stress. Too much heat that they cant get away from. Pain. Ambient temp is a huge factor. If they are in a stuffy hot shed and its like an oven in there already, then you probably dont need a heat lamp. Week 1 95 max. Each week drop by 5.

Search these sites thoroughly for problems and solutions. You will find something on just about everything. Hopefully the rest are ok. Keep us posted.