- Feb 6, 2007
- 2,056
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Quote:
Describe your setup for them. How old, feed, housing.
Describe your setup for them. How old, feed, housing.
Major Mortality rate what could be wrong with my flock? HELP PLEASE
- Thread starter bossynbella
- Start date
ETA: The were shipped as day olds. They are now one week old.
When my husband picked them up last Thursday, one was dead in the box and a second one was barely alive. At first I had him set them up in a box (18 inches cubed) with a light on a dimmer that can easily get at and maintain 95. He put the thermometer in there and made sure it was correct. He put in a small dish of food and water. (We were using chick starter at first, but we switched them to gamebird.) When he got home, 3 were dead. The next day, several more were dead. When I got home on Sunday (I had to go to California) we were down to 25. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday we lost at least 2 each day and I lost one more today. We are now down to 12.
They have been in a large wooden brooder with 1/2" wire floor, 2 lights at different levels, food, and water (at first it had vit. in it, now antibiotics) They have been warm with plenty of room to get out of the heat, which they do, but they also enjoy sitting under the either of the lamps. They eat, drink and poop fine until the first symptoms start....if they have any at all. Some will gasp, some will walk unsteady. Droppings have not changed. Only one dead keet has ever had pasty butt.
I usually take them out and give them more water with antibiotics through a straw, letting a drip hit their beak and waiting for them to swallow it. I try to give them 5 little straw tips full at each session, a few times a day. It hasn't helped yet. Since I've started doing that, I have lost the 2 I tried to help. When they die, they stick their legs straight out to one side and their necks are bent all the way backwards. They die with a gasp and their heads snap back. Often, they will start twitching their heads back right before they take their final breath.
As of right now, there are NONE with any symptoms at all. But every day, I'll lose another who didn't have any symptoms either.
I've been looking all over for anything that fits the symptoms but not finding anything yet. I contacted the hatchery, and was told to give them the antibiotics which they have had now for about 30 hours. I was also refunded for 10 keets. I do expect a 100% loss, but am hoping for the best.
When my husband picked them up last Thursday, one was dead in the box and a second one was barely alive. At first I had him set them up in a box (18 inches cubed) with a light on a dimmer that can easily get at and maintain 95. He put the thermometer in there and made sure it was correct. He put in a small dish of food and water. (We were using chick starter at first, but we switched them to gamebird.) When he got home, 3 were dead. The next day, several more were dead. When I got home on Sunday (I had to go to California) we were down to 25. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday we lost at least 2 each day and I lost one more today. We are now down to 12.
They have been in a large wooden brooder with 1/2" wire floor, 2 lights at different levels, food, and water (at first it had vit. in it, now antibiotics) They have been warm with plenty of room to get out of the heat, which they do, but they also enjoy sitting under the either of the lamps. They eat, drink and poop fine until the first symptoms start....if they have any at all. Some will gasp, some will walk unsteady. Droppings have not changed. Only one dead keet has ever had pasty butt.
I usually take them out and give them more water with antibiotics through a straw, letting a drip hit their beak and waiting for them to swallow it. I try to give them 5 little straw tips full at each session, a few times a day. It hasn't helped yet. Since I've started doing that, I have lost the 2 I tried to help. When they die, they stick their legs straight out to one side and their necks are bent all the way backwards. They die with a gasp and their heads snap back. Often, they will start twitching their heads back right before they take their final breath.
As of right now, there are NONE with any symptoms at all. But every day, I'll lose another who didn't have any symptoms either.
I've been looking all over for anything that fits the symptoms but not finding anything yet. I contacted the hatchery, and was told to give them the antibiotics which they have had now for about 30 hours. I was also refunded for 10 keets. I do expect a 100% loss, but am hoping for the best.
Last edited:
- Jul 22, 2010
- 57
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Not sure what to say, but usually if u have chicks die like that quickly without symptoms it could be from coci. I know medicated chick starter helps them to gain immunity, and ive heard that if you put chicks on wire to early that also could have an affect. I would go grab a pack of corrid or a bottle of sulmet and treat them with that along side of the antibiotics. Best of luck ive lost several baby chicks this week before someone told me this remedy, since then i havent lost a single one.
Quote:
Thanks, I will look into that as well. Did you have regular cocci symptoms in your birds first? I don't see any of the same symptoms except for getting lethargic the day before they die. They usually die at night with that too right? Mine up and die whenever the mood strikes.
If it helps:
The chick starter that I had them on orginally was medicated. The were on it for about 3 days. I had my husband take them off it because I started to think I was poisoning them with it or something. There seems to be conflicting information about useing it with keets, and I thought that since they were still dying of whatever it was, they might be building up toxins or something in their bodies, so I switched them to gamebird feed. They kept dying.
I have two large brooder boxes side by side.... one has the keets, the other has 12 chicks (four 6 week olds, three 3 week olds and five 2 week olds) who are all fine. On a side note on bad bio security, the brooder that the chicks were in was a better size for me to make a keet pen with (because of the piece of wire mesh I had) and the wooden keet box was larger (so my chicks had more room) so I switched them. The keets do not touch the floor of the box the chicks used to be in, but the chicks are on a 4 inch bedding of shavings, and often scratch down to the floor. When the keets were in that box, there was a thin layer of bedding, with newspaper over the top so they wouldn't eat the shavings. It's possible that there are no toxins/germs/etc in the larger 'now chick' box. But if there was anything, the chicks haven't 'caught' it.
I do wash my hands every time I handle a dead keet, I don't really pick up the live keets at all right now because I don't want them to get a chill, no matter how slight. (Unless I am trying to get some antibiotics in them, and then I keep them as warm as possible.) I don't change my clothes after handling a sick or dead keet. (I don't rub them all over my clothes though either) I do pick up my chicks all the time. I don't know if any of that will help.
Thanks, I will look into that as well. Did you have regular cocci symptoms in your birds first? I don't see any of the same symptoms except for getting lethargic the day before they die. They usually die at night with that too right? Mine up and die whenever the mood strikes.
If it helps:
The chick starter that I had them on orginally was medicated. The were on it for about 3 days. I had my husband take them off it because I started to think I was poisoning them with it or something. There seems to be conflicting information about useing it with keets, and I thought that since they were still dying of whatever it was, they might be building up toxins or something in their bodies, so I switched them to gamebird feed. They kept dying.
I have two large brooder boxes side by side.... one has the keets, the other has 12 chicks (four 6 week olds, three 3 week olds and five 2 week olds) who are all fine. On a side note on bad bio security, the brooder that the chicks were in was a better size for me to make a keet pen with (because of the piece of wire mesh I had) and the wooden keet box was larger (so my chicks had more room) so I switched them. The keets do not touch the floor of the box the chicks used to be in, but the chicks are on a 4 inch bedding of shavings, and often scratch down to the floor. When the keets were in that box, there was a thin layer of bedding, with newspaper over the top so they wouldn't eat the shavings. It's possible that there are no toxins/germs/etc in the larger 'now chick' box. But if there was anything, the chicks haven't 'caught' it.
I do wash my hands every time I handle a dead keet, I don't really pick up the live keets at all right now because I don't want them to get a chill, no matter how slight. (Unless I am trying to get some antibiotics in them, and then I keep them as warm as possible.) I don't change my clothes after handling a sick or dead keet. (I don't rub them all over my clothes though either) I do pick up my chicks all the time. I don't know if any of that will help.
- Feb 6, 2007
- 2,056
- 22
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Guineas are some of the most disease free birds there are. Are they fretting? It might be too warm for them. Heat can kill them too. If you see another staggering pull it out, see if it recovers. If it does then its too warm.
The discrepancy you see on the feed is the protein level. Keets grow rapidly and require the higher protein of a game bird feed. This time of year it is pretty easy to find Turkey starter that has a high protein and is medicated.
The discrepancy you see on the feed is the protein level. Keets grow rapidly and require the higher protein of a game bird feed. This time of year it is pretty easy to find Turkey starter that has a high protein and is medicated.
Quote:
Excuse me if I'm wrong but did we ever find out what was the problem?
Excuse me if I'm wrong but did we ever find out what was the problem?
Just read some of this thread~too much heat could be the problem but if so the keets will have their mouths open and panting. They will also try to get as far from the light or heat source as possible. I am saying this because if your keets are stressed by something else they do not need to get chilled on top of things by removing their heat source.
As a rule keets are very hardy if kept warm and dry. If they get chilled or wet the first 2 weeks of life they will die. But that said other thing can also effect your keets. Dirty conditions and/or poor circulation of air and cause issues. This can happen with shipping. Keets do not do well with the stress of shipping anyway, but add poor air circulation and dirty condition to that and you could have a problem. One of which is salmonella. Cocci usually presents itself early in dropping -- seen as light blood in otherwise normal or watery droppings. Coccidiosis is usually not seen in day old or week old chicks or keets but it can be if they came into contact with old dropping before shipped or after(though after would not account for the ones that died during shipping). You need to treat cocci with more then feed if you suspect it -- Sulmet is my medicine of choice in that case and you could treat with antibiotic I believe(Call your vet to be sure).
I do not feed medicated feed to my keets as my personal experience with medicated feeds has not been great. My birds -- chickens and guineas -- seem to be healthier in the long run without the use of medicated feeds. I do medicate if I see signs of sickness. It is an individuals choice there.
Another thing to try is small cut grass clippings! Might sound odd but you would be surprised how it can help. Take your sissors outside and cut some clean, fresh grass into small pieces. It can not hurt! Make sure you do not get any weeds as some of those can hurt.
Hope some of this helps. I really feel for you as I have been there....
As a rule keets are very hardy if kept warm and dry. If they get chilled or wet the first 2 weeks of life they will die. But that said other thing can also effect your keets. Dirty conditions and/or poor circulation of air and cause issues. This can happen with shipping. Keets do not do well with the stress of shipping anyway, but add poor air circulation and dirty condition to that and you could have a problem. One of which is salmonella. Cocci usually presents itself early in dropping -- seen as light blood in otherwise normal or watery droppings. Coccidiosis is usually not seen in day old or week old chicks or keets but it can be if they came into contact with old dropping before shipped or after(though after would not account for the ones that died during shipping). You need to treat cocci with more then feed if you suspect it -- Sulmet is my medicine of choice in that case and you could treat with antibiotic I believe(Call your vet to be sure).
I do not feed medicated feed to my keets as my personal experience with medicated feeds has not been great. My birds -- chickens and guineas -- seem to be healthier in the long run without the use of medicated feeds. I do medicate if I see signs of sickness. It is an individuals choice there.
Another thing to try is small cut grass clippings! Might sound odd but you would be surprised how it can help. Take your sissors outside and cut some clean, fresh grass into small pieces. It can not hurt! Make sure you do not get any weeds as some of those can hurt.
Hope some of this helps. I really feel for you as I have been there....
Quote:
I've heard about their hardiness, which is why I am so perplexed. Some of the ones that have died have opened their mouths and made gasps... I don't know if that's concidered panting. The thing is, they will still occasionally move themselves to directly under the lamp to rest and sleep. I have held several of them when they started to gasp, and it would not improve... at least, not in the few minutes I was willing to keep them out. I raised the lamp yesterday and they seem to be sleeping in the same positions, in a semi-circle about 6 inches outside the diameter of the lamp, with a few occasional rests directly under the lamp.
I would guess that they absolutely got chilled on the way here, and it is possible that the heat once they got here was not enough to overcome that. When I was trying to rapidly build their box with the wire floor, they were in a small tub, and I stupidly put their water in there with them. 6 of them got wet, and 1 died right then. The other 5, I used the blow drier on and got them dry as quickly as I could. We lost two of them in the next two days. 3 of them are still alive and showing no signs of stress.
We have not lost any babies in 24 hours.
The wire is suspended about 6 inches over the floor. The floor is removable (slips out) and I have newspaper over that so I can remove the paper, put in new paper and slide it back in. There is no blood in their droppings. There are a few waterier poops but I wouldn't say they are anything out of the spectrum of 'normal'. The entire thing is open to the air, so I don't think circulation is the problem.
They are a bit more active today but they are still not making any noises. The only time they make any noise is when they see me near their box and they run to the other side. I know they are supposed to be noisy, but even when they get startled, they aren't very loud. I figure when/if they start getting loud and annoying, I'll know they're okay.
I can't wait to hear them get LOUD and annoying!
I will go outside and search for some grass.... you would think there'd be some around here!
Thanks for the reply... I'm hoping that even if all of them got chilled, that some of them will be strong enough to overcome it.
I've heard about their hardiness, which is why I am so perplexed. Some of the ones that have died have opened their mouths and made gasps... I don't know if that's concidered panting. The thing is, they will still occasionally move themselves to directly under the lamp to rest and sleep. I have held several of them when they started to gasp, and it would not improve... at least, not in the few minutes I was willing to keep them out. I raised the lamp yesterday and they seem to be sleeping in the same positions, in a semi-circle about 6 inches outside the diameter of the lamp, with a few occasional rests directly under the lamp.
I would guess that they absolutely got chilled on the way here, and it is possible that the heat once they got here was not enough to overcome that. When I was trying to rapidly build their box with the wire floor, they were in a small tub, and I stupidly put their water in there with them. 6 of them got wet, and 1 died right then. The other 5, I used the blow drier on and got them dry as quickly as I could. We lost two of them in the next two days. 3 of them are still alive and showing no signs of stress.
We have not lost any babies in 24 hours.
The wire is suspended about 6 inches over the floor. The floor is removable (slips out) and I have newspaper over that so I can remove the paper, put in new paper and slide it back in. There is no blood in their droppings. There are a few waterier poops but I wouldn't say they are anything out of the spectrum of 'normal'. The entire thing is open to the air, so I don't think circulation is the problem.
They are a bit more active today but they are still not making any noises. The only time they make any noise is when they see me near their box and they run to the other side. I know they are supposed to be noisy, but even when they get startled, they aren't very loud. I figure when/if they start getting loud and annoying, I'll know they're okay.
I will go outside and search for some grass.... you would think there'd be some around here!
Thanks for the reply... I'm hoping that even if all of them got chilled, that some of them will be strong enough to overcome it.
Hey evrybody. I was reading this entire thread and here is my thought, or maybe idea. What about Leptospirosis? One of my horses got it from wildlife and appearantly chickens can get it too. It is highly infectious.
Here is a link: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/leptospirosis_g_pet.htm#whatis
Maybe that helps?
Hope all will be well for the OP soon. That must be very terrifying.
Here is a link: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/leptospirosis_g_pet.htm#whatis
Maybe that helps?
Don't get too worried about them making noise at their age. At least not most of the time. They wait until they are a little older for that and then they never seem to stop. I have some week old keets in with chicks right now and unless they are fighting over grass I really do not hear them. I do start keets early on grass clipping as it seem to get their system working right and they love it! The chicks seem to stand back and watch when I start putting it in the brooder but the keets know what to do with it right away.
Keets are one of the hardest poultry breeds/species to raise(next to peafowl) and until they are 2 weeks old a number of things can kill them. If something frightens them at this age they will even pile up in a corner and sufficate one another--do watch out for that with a open pen. I have lost several in the past to that.
It is all a learning experience! Welcome to the world of Guineas!
Keets are one of the hardest poultry breeds/species to raise(next to peafowl) and until they are 2 weeks old a number of things can kill them. If something frightens them at this age they will even pile up in a corner and sufficate one another--do watch out for that with a open pen. I have lost several in the past to that.
It is all a learning experience! Welcome to the world of Guineas!
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