[Update!] Moving Onto Bigger and Better Things?

[newb1rdmom]

Hey, there! I've posted a few threads for some feedback about my guinea keets and I think only a handful of people saw them and replied but I wanted to post an update anyways!

In one of my previous threads I was asking for answers because I had lost 3 keets to unknown causes and everyone who replied were extremely helpful! Since then I haven't lost anymore keets and they're all doing really well! Yesterday, I actually moved the 7 small keets back onto the wood chips because I felt they're ready now and with having the grit to help them digest things if needed I felt that it would be a good time to go ahead and start moving them back towards the chips; because it's a lot easier than the puppy pads and I feel it lasts a bit longer as well...

My 9 larger keets are doing extremely well. They're still not too interested in me and they still dislike me reaching in to just change the food and water but I think it's okay as long as they're happy and healthy the rest of the time. I have been trying to give them treats whenever I interact with them so they might consider it a positive thing instead of negative but.. we still need to work on that lol. It looks like they've gotten all their feathers now so I'm considering moving them to the outdoor coop area we have next to our chickens! I've looked online and I've seen some people say around 3 weeks of age is an okay time to start adjusting them to their outdoor space and I've seen others say not until they're fully feathered so I've just waited until they seem like they've got all their feathers. I'm not entirely sure about their age maybe around 5 weeks old?

Even the 7 smaller keets are getting their feathers now. I'll go in to watch them for a bit and make sure they're doing alright and I'll see them hopping and flapping their wings. I've caught one trying to fly on top of their food dish a few times. I think the 9 larger ones are getting the hang of what flying is though! There's been a few times I've taken them out of their box to move them to the cleaning pen -- so I can clean their box out -- and they've managed to escape my grasp and flap around somewhere else. Even earlier one of them flew into the smaller box with the younger keets. They're quite the handful lol.

But that's it! I just wanted to let everyone who may have been following along with me that they're doing really well!! They're flapping and growing feathers. They're eating and pooping normal lol. And I think the larger ones are ready for the outdoors! We're cleaning the pen out today so that it'll be ready for them! I may wait a couple days because the weather is a bit iffy here at the moment but I want the pen cleaned and ready for them when it's time to move! I dunno. I'm just excited to see them growing and doing so well.. I wanted to share it with someone else and I thought who better than some of the people who have helped me figure out how to care for them!!

I added some pictures too in case anyone wanted to see!! (I'm not really sure how to hold them because they flap around so much!!)

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Hey, there! I've posted a few threads for some feedback about my guinea keets and I think only a handful of people saw them and replied but I wanted to post an update anyways!

In one of my previous threads I was asking for answers because I had lost 3 keets to unknown causes and everyone who replied were extremely helpful! Since then I haven't lost anymore keets and they're all doing really well! Yesterday, I actually moved the 7 small keets back onto the wood chips because I felt they're ready now and with having the grit to help them digest things if needed I felt that it would be a good time to go ahead and start moving them back towards the chips; because it's a lot easier than the puppy pads and I feel it lasts a bit longer as well...

My 9 larger keets are doing extremely well. They're still not too interested in me and they still dislike me reaching in to just change the food and water but I think it's okay as long as they're happy and healthy the rest of the time. I have been trying to give them treats whenever I interact with them so they might consider it a positive thing instead of negative but.. we still need to work on that lol. It looks like they've gotten all their feathers now so I'm considering moving them to the outdoor coop area we have next to our chickens! I've looked online and I've seen some people say around 3 weeks of age is an okay time to start adjusting them to their outdoor space and I've seen others say not until they're fully feathered so I've just waited until they seem like they've got all their feathers. I'm not entirely sure about their age maybe around 5 weeks old?

Even the 7 smaller keets are getting their feathers now. I'll go in to watch them for a bit and make sure they're doing alright and I'll see them hopping and flapping their wings. I've caught one trying to fly on top of their food dish a few times. I think the 9 larger ones are getting the hang of what flying is though! There's been a few times I've taken them out of their box to move them to the cleaning pen -- so I can clean their box out -- and they've managed to escape my grasp and flap around somewhere else. Even earlier one of them flew into the smaller box with the younger keets. They're quite the handful lol.

But that's it! I just wanted to let everyone who may have been following along with me that they're doing really well!! They're flapping and growing feathers. They're eating and pooping normal lol. And I think the larger ones are ready for the outdoors! We're cleaning the pen out today so that it'll be ready for them! I may wait a couple days because the weather is a bit iffy here at the moment but I want the pen cleaned and ready for them when it's time to move! I dunno. I'm just excited to see them growing and doing so well.. I wanted to share it with someone else and I thought who better than some of the people who have helped me figure out how to care for them!!

I added some pictures too in case anyone wanted to see!! (I'm not really sure how to hold them because they flap around so much!!)

Beautiful brood you have there! So glad that your littles are doing well now. What are your high and low temps? I’m betting that your older keets could handle most summer areas now, though you may need to bring them in at night if it’s cold... Don’t forget plenty of shade in the day! I recently read a sad post on BYCs where the poster lost many of her juvenile chicks to heat exhaustion during their acclimation phase....

 

[newb1rdmom]

Beautiful brood you have there! So glad that your littles are doing well now. What are your high and low temps? I’m betting that your older keets could handle most summer areas now, though you may need to bring them in at night if it’s cold... Don’t forget plenty of shade in the day! I recently read a sad post on BYCs where the poster lost many of her juvenile chicks to heat exhaustion during their acclimation phase....

Yeah it’s pretty hot here so I’m a little nervous! Right now its 88° outside and the low is 71° I believe. It’s showing our night temperatures to be in the 70’s so I don’t think it’ll be too cold but I’m not sure? We have a little shade house in the pen so they can cool off if they like! Right now they’re so scared and confused they’re huddling in a corner.. One of them even flew onto my back while I was crouched down. They seem very flustered with the new experience but I’m hoping they will get used to it soon.

 

[RainbowHen]

They're so pretty! Sounds like you're doing great!

 

[newb1rdmom]

They're so pretty! Sounds like you're doing great!

thank you!!!

 

[newb1rdmom]

Beautiful brood you have there! So glad that your littles are doing well now. What are your high and low temps? I’m betting that your older keets could handle most summer areas now, though you may need to bring them in at night if it’s cold... Don’t forget plenty of shade in the day! I recently read a sad post on BYCs where the poster lost many of her juvenile chicks to heat exhaustion during their acclimation phase....

I noticed they have their little mouths open and their little throats are a going but I don’t hear a lot of sound so I’m not sure if that’s them panting or making noise.. We did just move them and fluster them a bit so I’m not sure if they’re just worked up or not.. My grandmother thinks they will be okay after they calm down.. What are your thoughts?

Also; these are the shaded areas! I moved a few of them under the little house so maybe they will cool off but 3 of them kept running from me and wouldn’t let me put them with the rest so hopefully they find the shade themselves...

 

[RainbowHen]

I noticed they have their little mouths open and their little throats are a going but I don’t hear a lot of sound so I’m not sure if that’s them panting or making noise.. We did just move them and fluster them a bit so I’m not sure if they’re just worked up or not.. My grandmother thinks they will be okay after they calm down.. What are your thoughts?

Also; these are the shaded areas! I moved a few of them under the little house so maybe they will cool off but 3 of them kept running from me and wouldn’t let me put them with the rest so hopefully they find the shade themselves...

Seems like they are panting. Probably just worked up. Give them some cool water and give them space.

 

[newb1rdmom]

Seems like they are panting. Probably just worked up. Give them some cool water and give them space.

I thought that may be the case! I gave them lots of cool water in their water feeder and I’ll check on them again in maybe an hour or two to see how they’re doing. If they are still panting what do you recommend because the box they were in is a bit too small now (imo) which is why we thought it’d be a good time to move them to the outdoors.

The current temp is 88° and it’s going to stay around that temp for the rest of the day until later tonight and its supposed to go down to low 70’s. Do you think they’ll be okay once it cools off a bit more?

I live in Texas so it’s always pretty warm outside. It’s going to be in the high 80’s to low 90’s all week long which are normal temps here. My grandmother had keets before that she raised in the same pen but I don’t know what the temps were during that time but she said they did just fine out there.

The room they have been in was pretty warm overall. I’d get sweaty after being in there for 5 mins but they didn’t have any issues with the temp indoors so maybe they’ll be fine w the temps outdoors? Just a little worked up atm?

 

[RainbowHen]

I thought that may be the case! I gave them lots of cool water in their water feeder and I’ll check on them again in maybe an hour or two to see how they’re doing. If they are still panting what do you recommend because the box they were in is a bit too small now (imo) which is why we thought it’d be a good time to move them to the outdoors.

The current temp is 88° and it’s going to stay around that temp for the rest of the day until later tonight and its supposed to go down to low 70’s. Do you think they’ll be okay once it cools off a bit more?

I live in Texas so it’s always pretty warm outside. It’s going to be in the high 80’s to low 90’s all week long which are normal temps here. My grandmother had keets before that she raised in the same pen but I don’t know what the temps were during that time but she said they did just fine out there.

The room they have been in was pretty warm overall. I’d get sweaty after being in there for 5 mins but they didn’t have any issues with the temp indoors so maybe they’ll be fine w the temps outdoors? Just a little worked up atm?

I think they will be just fine at those temperatures. They just got worked up. I'm sure they'll settle. If you're worried you can try wetting down a shady spot so the dirt is a bit damp and add ice to the water dish. A shallow pan of water to walk in might be helpful.

 

[newb1rdmom]

I think they will be just fine at those temperatures. They just got worked up. I'm sure they'll settle. If you're worried you can try wetting down a shady spot so the dirt is a bit damp and add ice to the water dish. A shallow pan of water to walk in might be helpful.

I just went to check on them and they seem to have calmed down and cooled off a bit. They’re really liking the shady house lol. I got worried they may not be coming out to eat or drink much so I moved their food and water closer to the shaded areas so they have more access to it and are still able to stay cool. On some of the hotter days I might add some ice to their water like you suggested. It’s pretty warm here lol but hopefully they will adjust alright. I think they’re still nervous to the outdoors.