Please, please help. 3 Week Old Keet Swaying, Can't keep balance, and Lethargic

[NCgirl21]

My guinea keets are very, very active. Always running around and away anytime I put my hand in the brooder. Today, my three week old keet is just standing there swaying back and forth, sometimes plopping on the ground and he's not really responding. I was petting him and he wasn't running away (VERY unusual). It has happened so suddenly and I don't understand. I change the water several times a day and wipe down the slimy grunge on the bottom. They are on large wood chips in their brooder, eating Purina Start and Grow, and I have provided Chick Grit for the last week or two. In the brooder he is with 4 silkies and 1 other guinea keet (all approximately the same age).

I'm sorting of freaking because he was so fine before and now all of a sudden it's a complete 180 and I'm so new to the chicken world and I've already lost one guinea, I can't stand to lose another and I have no idea what to do or really, what's happened- to go from so fine and normal to hardly able to stand and plopping down.

Please, please respond with any ideas, guesses or experience, anything. I appreciate any and all feedback.

 

[NCgirl21]

Update: Now he can't stand or even lift his head. I checked his crop but didn't feel any lumps and I tried yogurt but he's so unresponsive that it didn't work. Please, does anyone have any ideas? Either of what to do or what in the world could possibly have caused this?

 

[PioneerPrincess]

How is your guinea keet? I'm not sure what's wrong, so here's a bump.

 

[NCgirl21]

Unfortunately my guinea died and then the next week another guinea died. So that's three guineas in 4 weeks (each time on a Tuesday). They are in a brooder with 9 other chicks and there have been no problems with them. I'm honestly not sure what happened. Just got 4 guineas yesterday and that person said it was VERY strange to have lost all three so suddenly.

Thanks for asking though

 

[PioneerPrincess]

I might be able to offer some help now, since two weeks ago I noticed that one of my broody hen's keets was lethargic. I gave it Vitamin drops but he died later that day. Two or so days after that, the other four became very lethargic and 'tame' which was very unusual for these guineas (and really all guineas in particular). We figured out that our problem was that they weren't getting enough protein. We have been trying out a new feeding method & I'd been limiting their feed. But that didn't really work because I wasn't letting them free range.

Chick feed contains 16-18 % protein & that is perfect for chicks, of course. Guineas, however, require 26-28% protein. Since we'd run out of chick feed, we immediately threw in torn up pieces of ham, caught crickets & bugs, & purchased more chick feed. Two days later they were 100 % better & are still doing great. We let the broody hen free range with her keets now so they can catch all the insects they need & they get alot more chick feed. I'd recommend letting them have as much chick feed as they need & ,if you are already doing that, give them some crickets or meat to build up on that protein, or you could just purchase a game bird feed, which will have the perfect percentage guineas need. I hope this helps!