Newbie Help

[danielle3557]

So I've never raised any livestock before, but when I lived with my mother in law she was always raising baby chicks and ducks so I've seen roughly how she did everything. I just recently bought my own home and my father gifted me with 16 baby guinea fowl. Now strangely enough I've never seen her raise the babies during warm weather so here's my dilemma. The average temperature where I live is between 80-90 and I currently have the babies out in my pole barn in a tub sized Tupperware container with a heat lamp about 2 feet above the top of the container. It hasn't gone over 98 degrees in there and hasn't gone below 90. What exactly should I try to keep it around? They are pretty small I would say no more than 2 weeks old. I found one dead today and started to worry that I was making it too hot for them. I am of course providing them with water and feed, and I have a hay bedding currently in there but once that is gone I am switching to pine shavings. Thank you!!

 

[danielle3557]

Ps there is an actual big water guy in the other corner as well as the little cups. They just like to get in the little cups

and I do have the circle feed as well as this feeder but they kept getting there heads stuck in it

 

[GuineaFowling]

Your keets look around a couple of days. Not older than a week. If your guineas are too hot they will show it by panting and stretching out. If they are cold they will huddle together. Your temp seems okay.
Water dishes. Oh the hassle.
Always put pebbles in the water dishes to keep the babies from drowning. It is essential that you do this for babies younger than a week old. Also do not let your keets get into the water dishes. Another good reason to add pebbles.
It is known that guinea keets usually die from water. That is why they say guinea hens are bad mothers because they always lead the babies through wet grass. I do not know why they are so fragile to it. It is normal when they occasionally fall into the water but it should not happen too often.
Also, when giving your babies greens as treats make sure you cut it into small pieces as the long strands of grass or such can tangle up in their crop.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

On the water dispensing.... I ALWAYS use a very shallow dish or pan and put enough water in the thing for the keets to pick up with their beaks for
the first week. It is a pain, but I have NEVER had a fatallity and the keets get the hint very quickly were the diinking hole is.
After a week of life I put in the chick water (one quart) size with one of the very narrow bases that allows them to just get their
beaks and feet into the ring.
After 3 weeks I put the reguar base on and raise the water dispenser up on a platform about 2 or so inches off the floor of the brooder.
This keeps the little turds out of the water (sorta) and keeps the water much cleaner.
Hope this helps
Guinea Goonie

 

[chickenmadness7]

You're DEFINITELY making it way too hot for them. My guinea keets couldn't tolerate the heat lamp above 85 the 1st week. 2nd week was about 80. 3rd week, 75. In fact, I stopped using the heat lamp all together by the time they were two weeks old. They seem to not need heat the way that chicken chicks do. I bet you could take away the heat lamp during the day all together and just use it at one end (so they can move to get away from it) at night.

 

[chickenmadness7]

I would also agree that your keets don't look to be two weeks old. They look to be about a week or so. Also, guinea keets need to be fed either Turkey starter or game bird starter. Many do feed chick starter but the protein is MUCH lower than Turkey or Game Bird Starters. I actually did half game bird starter and half chick feed with mine until they were 7 weeks of age. Now, they are on chick starter (and a lot of other foods) since they're being integrated with chicks.

 

[chickenmadness7]

Lastly, your keets will make a cricket/chirping sound when they are too hot or too cold. Pay very attention to that...and adjust the temp accordingly asap.