New and my keets are dying!

[R2elk]

R2elk, is this true for adults, too? I think feeding is a weakness of mine - remember when I killed one of my favorite hens with treats one winter? She died of a fatty liver that spring. Oh, I was so upset. Now I worry about what you said: I am feeding layer pellets to the adults because I wanted to get organic feed and the game bird feed is never organic. Am I hurting my adults with that? Should I go to game bird feed with the higher protein even if it has pesticides in it? Some game bird feed also has fish meal, I think, and I am not fond of that (I am vegan myself and I think we kill way too many ocean creatures). Our flock does free range and eat bugs and grasses, etc. but they do eat a good amount of pellet food, too. Advice please?

Sorry to hijack the thread for this one question. May be of interest to you as well, when you have an adult flock (hopefully soon).

Adults are fine on at least a 16% protein feed. The layer feed can be harmful to the males because they do not need such a high concentration of calcium.

I feed all of my poultry a 20% protein All Flock feed with free choice oyster shell always available.

The organic vs non organic issue is a personal decision. Too often you are paying for a label that may or may not be truthful. There are unethical companies who sell you a label but don't actually give you what you paid for.

Your guineas are omnivores and no amount of your being vegan is going to change them. If the extra cost makes you feel better, then go for it. Personally I, like all of my poultry am an omnivore. It is a personal choice which each individual has to make for themselves.

In the summer, my feed bill decreases because of the amount of foraging that all of my poultry do.

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

Adults are fine on at least a 16% protein feed. The layer feed can be harmful to the males because they do not need such a high concentration of calcium.

I feed all of my poultry a 20% protein All Flock feed with free choice oyster shell always available.

The organic vs non organic issue is a personal decision. Too often you are paying for a label that may or may not be truthful. There are unethical companies who sell you a label but don't actually give you what you paid for.

Your guineas are omnivores and no amount of your being vegan is going to change them. If the extra cost makes you feel better, then go for it. Personally I, like all of my poultry am an omnivore. It is a personal choice which each individual has to make for themselves.

In the summer, my feed bill decreases because of the amount of foraging that all of my poultry do.

Thank you so much, R2elk!

Yes, I know they eat bugs but I don't feel real good about buying them fish when our oceans are already fished to extinction. The All Flock feed is a good idea. I have oyster shell for them (hens) as well and you are right, the males don't need all that calcium in the pellets.

Very good points! Thanks again!

 

[R2elk]

Thank you so much, R2elk!

Yes, I know they eat bugs but I don't feel real good about buying them fish when our oceans are already fished to extinction. The All Flock feed is a good idea. I have oyster shell for them (hens) as well and you are right, the males don't need all that calcium in the pellets.

Very good points! Thanks again!

My poultry eat a lot more than bugs. They will all catch and eat small rodents. When I am mowing in the guinea pen and happen to uncover a nest of pink mice, the guineas will make them disappear very quickly. Several years ago, some voles dug their way into the guinea coop. By the time I got around to trying to deal with them, the guineas had already solved the problem by eating them.

 

[Sydney65]

I swear I have this part of the lesson book marked but I'm not finding it....

 

[Sydney65]

My poultry eat a lot more than bugs. They will all catch and eat small rodents. When I am mowing in the guinea pen and happen to uncover a nest of pink mice, the guineas will make them disappear very quickly. Several years ago, some voles dug their way into the guinea coop. By the time I got around to trying to deal with them, the guineas had already solved the problem by eating them.

Lol..mine saw one of those the other day-and ran!!

 

[newb1rdmom]

don't use cedar - I would not use wood at all under keets until they are a few weeks old - and then only pine shavings

for grit - make sure you get chick grit - I think it may be in the chick starter already so I also would be careful giving it too early - maybe after 1 week? - I raised tons of keets on game bird starter (24-28% protein) but chick starter will work, too - for the first week I gave them nothing but that and water

they tended to spill it so the feed would become bedding and be cleaned out with poo - oh well - otherwise just shelf liner in the brooder box for the first week I would say

if you make the box long enough, and put the heat lamp on one side, they can also move towards or away from the heat as needed - maybe others have said that already

I don’t think the wood chips I have are cedar but I will double check them. I’m only using them for my older keets and they’re doing fine with it. I read some comments from everyone who replied and I chose to use puppy pads and some sand for my smaller keets — so no more chips for them!

I read comments about getting grit so I actually got that today! I use a gamebird starter feed for them so I assume it probably doesn’t have grit? But in the case it does the bag said to be cautious with how much you give them anyways so I just sprinkled a bit in their food and into the bedding where they like to scratch and pick their food. Hopefully this works and they get enough but not too much!

I’m still unsure if my box is large enough (i feel for the smaller keets its probably not because the layout just doesn’t make sense or leave a ton of exploration room — i’m looking into larger boxes!) but i do have things set up where they can get to the heat source or get away from it! I still need to work on the set up as I have 1 lamp for 2 boxes and it just doesn’t feel adequate enough but I’m working on getting it fixed!

 

[R2elk]

I read comments about getting grit so I actually got that today! I use a gamebird starter feed for them so I assume it probably doesn’t have grit? But in the case it does the bag said to be cautious with how much you give them anyways so I just sprinkled a bit in their food and into the bedding where they like to scratch and pick their food. Hopefully this works and they get enough but not too much!

Do not add grit to their food. Sprinkle it gently on the bedding. They will find it and should take only what they need. Some people add grit by pulling up a clump of grass with the soil intact on the roots and let the keets, chicks, poults, etc, forage for their own grit in the soil.

 

[newb1rdmom]

R2elk, is this true for adults, too? I think feeding is a weakness of mine - remember when I killed one of my favorite hens with treats one winter? She died of a fatty liver that spring. Oh, I was so upset. Now I worry about what you said: I am feeding layer pellets to the adults because I wanted to get organic feed and the game bird feed is never organic. Am I hurting my adults with that? Should I go to game bird feed with the higher protein even if it has pesticides in it? Some game bird feed also has fish meal, I think, and I am not fond of that (I am vegan myself and I think we kill way too many ocean creatures). Our flock does free range and eat bugs and grasses, etc. but they do eat a good amount of pellet food, too. Advice please?

Sorry to hijack the thread for this one question. May be of interest to you as well, when you have an adult flock (hopefully soon).

we do happen to have 7 adults already so i’m curious about this answer as well! i think we feed them the same food we give our chickens + sunflower seeds. they’re also free range so they eat bugs and everything else they wish.

the keets are on a gamebird feed though!

 

[newb1rdmom]

Do not add grit to their food. Sprinkle it gently on the bedding. They will find it and should take only what they need. Some people add grit by pulling up a clump of grass with the soil intact on the roots and let the keets, chicks, poults, etc, forage for their own grit in the soil.

ohhh! okay! i will just sprinkle it on the ground for them then!! I might try the grass method too! i bet they would have fun with that

 

[R2elk]

we do happen to have 7 adults already so i’m curious about this answer as well! i think we feed them the same food we give our chickens + sunflower seeds. they’re also free range so they eat bugs and everything else they wish.

the keets are on a gamebird feed though!

Bennie can tell you about the pitfalls of giving too much BOSS.