New keets, hints for first time

[R2elk]

This is the highest protein that we can get around here. It is 18% - non medicated. I have checked around 2 different counties for feed. This was what our first birds were raised on.

I put the thermometer next to the keets.

Most chain operated feed stores will not carry the proper feed for keets and poults but many will allow you to special order the proper feed. Your keets will never reach their full potential if you raise them on poor quality chick grower. Even meat grower at 24% protein or all flock crumbles at 20% protein would be better for them that what you are feeding them. The other thing about chain operated feed stores is that for the most part the people working in them are only repeating the company line and do not actually know about raising poultry especially guineas. The company line for chain feed stores is they only care about their profit line and do not care about your poultry.

 

[R2elk]

Here is the box. It is a water heater box, so it is pretty big.

Lay the thermometer down flat to get a more accurate temperature of the bedding level or get a cheap indoor/outdoor thermometer with an attached probe to be able to measure the temperature right at the bedding level.

 

[Anita Scott]

Most chain operated feed stores will not carry the proper feed for keets and poults but many will allow you to special order the proper feed. Your keets will never reach their full potential if you raise them on poor quality chick grower. Even meat grower at 24% protein or all flock crumbles at 20% protein would be better for them that what you are feeding them. The other thing about chain operated feed stores is that for the most part the people working in them are only repeating the company line and do not actually know about raising poultry especially guineas. The company line for chain feed stores is they only care about their profit line and do not care about your poultry.

We are limited to feed stores around here. We are definitely in the back woods. I don't think there are any chain stores in the entire county, only small mom n pops stores.

 

[R2elk]

We are limited to feed stores around here. We are definitely in the back woods. I don't think there are any chain stores in the entire county, only small mom n pops stores.

My experience with the small Mom & Pop stores is that they tend to take very good care of their customers and will order in the kind of feed you need if you ask them to and give them a reason why you need that kind of feed.

Good luck.

 

[BlueShadow]

Your thermometer should be a bit closer to where the heat lamp is shining to get an accurate idea of temperature. To be honest, I don't worry a lot about the exact number on the thermometer, I judge by their behavior. If they are huddled in a group under the heat lamp, too cold. Fluffed up feathers, too cold. Avoiding the warm end of the brooder, too hot. Running back and forth, just right.

18% protein is quite low for guineas (I don't even like it that low for my chicks). Keets need a much higher protein level. At that level of protein, they probably will survive, but they will grow more slowly, feather more slowly, probably not grow as big, and be more likely to get sick. I am surprised that no stores have anything higher protein, because turkeys & game birds need higher protein and usually someone carries it. Now granted, in my area, I do have to travel extra far to get to a store that carries higher protein feed but it can be found. So a couple options for you - if they don't have any feed higher than 18%, you can ask if they have a protein supplement. Some brands have a product that you can add to the feed to boost the protein. Or you could supplement with hard boiled eggs, but that really is a last resort. You will get the protein into them that way, but the mineral levels will not be adequate.

 

[R2elk]

Or you could supplement with hard boiled eggs, but that really is a last resort. You will get the protein into them that way, but the mineral levels will not be adequate.

There are plenty of good reasons to supplement with hard boiled eggs but they will not increase the protein intake. If you google the protein content of hard boiled eggs, you will find that most reports are that hard boiled eggs have approximately 12% protein.

 

[BlueShadow]

There are plenty of good reasons to supplement with hard boiled eggs but they will not increase the protein intake. If you google the protein content of hard boiled eggs, you will find that most reports are that hard boiled eggs have approximately 12% protein.

Really? Well, thank you for correcting me. I don't remember where I read that, even though it was just tonight. I was reading on raising turkey poults and that was a suggestion to boost the protein content of the feed. I will file that away with the other "commonly known things that 'just aren't so'".

 

[R2elk]

Really? Well, thank you for correcting me. I don't remember where I read that, even though it was just tonight. I was reading on raising turkey poults and that was a suggestion to boost the protein content of the feed. I will file that away with the other "commonly known things that 'just aren't so'".

It is basically an Old Wive's tale that has gotten repeated so often that people don't question it. I was personally guilty of repeating it until I actually looked up the protein level of hard boiled eggs. It is a good idea to feed the keets hard boiled eggs because it has so many other goodies in it, it just doesn't have that high of a level of protein.

 

[laughingdog]

Cold water killing keets reffers to too young of keets let out on wet dew of grass for month and not let them get wet in their water dish (hence marbles or use quail waterer base). Room temp or non cold water ok, but they do better on distilled to get city water chemicals out most as can.

 

[Anita Scott]

The new keets are so entertaining that i watch them instead of TV now. One gets a piece of egg, which I used an egg slicer twice to cut into small pieces, and runs all over the box playing chase. At 3 days old, they are impressive. We threw in a couple of ticks from our clothes, which are pretty bad this year. They make short work of them.