Mean keets!?

[WestKnollAmy]

Are keets normally aggressive to each other?

I went down to the brooder room today and found blood in the plastic tub where the keets and chicks are living. I thought wow, they are showing symptoms of coccidiosis already? They are less than a week old, never had that to happen and I raise hundreds of chicks every year.
On further inspection one of the keets had blood on the side of it's neck. One of the pretty lavenders, of course. I wasn't sure if it was residue from some one's droppings or what so took it outside to wash it off and look at it in the sunlight. Sure enough, it had a hole in the side of it's neck but it was no longer bleeding so I cleaned it and the blood off the brooder floor.

There are about 12 keets and 18 chicks but no one else was hurt that I could find. It is a 2x4' long plastic tub with a screen top. I can't find anywhere it could have gotten hurt. I do not use shavings so not a piece of wood to stab it with. The blood I noticed was all in the middle of the brooder beside the plastic waterer.

What I have noticed in the brooder in the house is they like to pick at feathered feet but I have also seen them peck their own feet and yelp. These are strange creatures to me.

 

[PeepsCA]

That would be cannibalism... it happens occasionally, usually due to over crowding, but can also be from a lack of protein. So make sure they have a high protein starter feed free choice, with at least 26% protein. You could treat the wound with a quick q-tip dab of Blu-Kote to hide the blood and scab (it's purple and stains everything, so watch out), or you could try switching out to a red light instead of a white light (also hides the blood) to keep the others from continually pecking at the wound... otherwise you may need to separate the wounded keet until he is all healed (maybe put him in with a mellow buddy or chick?), or the keets (and chicks) may continue to peck at his wound and eventually kill him, and in the process create the bad habit/learned behavior of cannibalism.

 

[terrilhb]

Thank God for Peeps. I hatched my 1st guinea's 6 weeks ago. They have never done that. I wish you luck.

 

[perchie.girl]

Note to self.... must add blue coat to RX box....

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Thanks.
I have them in a huge brooder, they practically get lost from one another in there because there are not too many.
I am feeding game bird starter, 27% protein.

I have checked the keet every time I am down there, about 4 times a day and no more pecking to that area. I had put a bit of neosporin on it to start with. That blue coat stuff is pretty gross but works well.

I thought about a red light but now it doesn't seem to be a problem now. I hope it doesn't start up again.