New babies, Guinea keets

[Wlorraine]

We have talk about getting guineas because we have black snake on our place. We know they don't kill snakes, we just wanted them to know they are not welcome here. So yesterday, we bought 6 keets. We have ducks already and have had them for years. But these are so different to brood. I have them in a room in the back of the house under a head lamp for a temp at 95, warm water with rocks in the dish so they won't drown, chicken started for feed, put them on paper towels with self liner for bedding but they are still crying. I can't figure it out and it really is upsetting me. Any suggestion would be appreciated!

 

[PeepsCA]

Add a mirror taped to the brooder wall, so it gives them the illusion of more keets being in the brooder with them, they are crying because they are missing their clutch mates. It will pass.

BTW, you should be feeding them Game Bird starter or Turkey starter, not chick starter

Keets need higher protein than chicks do, around 27%-28% is optimal (that wouldn't be why they are crying tho, unless they are refusing to eat the food). If the starter feed is medicated make sure it's medicated with Amprolium only.

And just to let you know, some flocks will and do do kill snakes (mine being one of them!). Don't know about black snakes cuz I do not have them here, but my Guineas took this Gopher snake out last night that was up in my goat pasture (hence the Nannie Berries). I was busy and didn't check it out at the time, just made sure that it wasn't a rattle snake so I left them have at it. I figured they would just injure it and drive it off, but nope, found it dead in the same spot today (up the hill from their coop, where the Hens are all laying currently). Looks like a few precise pecks to the head was all it took

(it was semi curled up with it's head covered by the body when I found it, I uncovered the head for the pic). Gopher snakes don't bother me, because they are good for rodent control, but apparently they bother the flock!

 

[Wlorraine]

Thank you! I have been worried trying everything even having a radio on near them, which seems to soothe them so.

 

[daylily]

OMG PeepsCA, That is one big snake! Good for them

Luckily we just have the tiny garter snakes that eat bugs! Mine are so afraid of them and the water hose! LOL! They jump a mile to get over it! After carefully examining it, duh, it's been there for years!