My guinea is laying around all of the time

[Keets n chicks]

He/she (don't know) lays a little bit away from the rest of the flock. I am not sure if something is wrong. He/she does get up and walk, and flies up to roost but that is about it. He/she looks a little smaller than the others. Any ideas?

 

[Pyxis]

Can you catch it? You're going to want to look it over for injuries. Check the legs, see if they're swollen, check for bumblefoot, etc. Also check the keel to see how body condition is and if it's been losing weight.

Once you catch it and check it over you'll have a better idea of what's going on. Any limping or anything like that when you see it walking?

 

[Keets n chicks]

I'm sorry, what is the keel? I think it may be limping a little bit. I will try to catch it tomorrow, but that wont be easy

 

[Pyxis]

I'm sorry, what is the keel? I think it may be limping a little bit. I will try to catch it tomorrow, but that wont be easy

The keel is the bone down the chest. You can feel the muscle conditioning there to see if the bird is underweight or not. Like this:

 

[Keets n chicks]

How should I hold her to do this? I usually corner them and hold their wings to there bodies and pick them up. I don't know if I can feel her chest like that.

 

[Sydney65]

I can tell you how I do it, but I handle my goons a lot. 1. I put on form fitting garden gloves, bc I have better control in them while still being protected from scratches. 2. Place hand on back to still bird,confine wings to side, and feet together, pick up. 3.Talk soothingly to bird while holding it's back against you,then you'll be able to remove hand from wings and control head, stroke neck,pet,sooth. 4.Move bird into cradle position in arms on back, cont. Soothing, stroking wherever she seems most soothed by, never letting go of feet. See my icon over there? He's cradled in my arms, on his back, asleep. That was when I brought him in every night to treatment on his wounded toe.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

How should I hold her to do this? I usually corner them and hold their wings to there bodies and pick them up. I don't know if I can feel her chest like that.

Mine are not very tame/handleable. I either grab them off the roost or use a net. I may wrap in a towel to confine. Make sure that you don’t try to grab tail feathers or legs, as you might restrain a chicken. They will drop their feathers so you are left holding a handful and no bird. Their legs are also fragile so you need to hold the body.