Guinea owners please help...

[Chirpy]

I get my chicks and keets next week. I have spent an hour researching all the old posts here but have found conflicting info so I'm asking for your experience.

1) Did you raise keets with chicks? Do they get along as adults?

2) If you kept the keets and chicks separate and then integrated them at a later point - what age did you integrate them and how did it work out?

3) FEED.... some people say they can eat chick starter just fine. Other people say they have to have turkey starter, others say game bird feed?

It does seem to be consistant that as adults they can eat layer pellets..??

Thanks so much for all the help. I really want to do this right.

 

[reallemons1]

So many people, so many different opinions. Isn't it great that life finds a way! Anyhow,I have raised Guineas both with chicks and without. They eat baby chick starter with the chicks. The chicks grew faster so had to be careful the Guineas didn't get squished. As adults they got along well with the chickens eather way. As adults, the Guineas fly in and out of the hen yard as they please. I put out whole corn and layer pellets for the chickens,Guineas, and Peacocks. The Guineas and peacocks also freerange. Enjoy your birds!!

 

[wynedot55]

1 you need 24%gambird feed for the guins.
2.you need to brood them seperate because of the diff feed.
3.when grown they can live with eachother.
4.when grown chickens an guiens can eat the same layer pellets.

 

[cgjsmith]

See the differences in opinion. We brooded them with chicks, same feed, and they don't eat layer at all now. They will occasionally go for some scratch but mostly eat bugs. During the winter they roost inside with the chickens (its always fun to watch the struggle to be in the middle) during summer they sleep on the outside run. My guineas are the king of the coop, Not even the turkeys will mess with them ha ha. Crystal

 

[GUIENALADY]

i have always raised chicks and keets together..feed the same and get along pretty good as adults.

 

[dakinsmimi]

I too raised my guinea babies with chick babies. Same feed. Never had a problem with them getting along.

 

[Chirpy]

I read the first two answers and started to pound my head on the wall....

Then, I read the last ones and finally have a consensus!!

I'm going to put them all together and feed em chick starter!

 

[LazyGirl]

I raised them together too. I actually fed them all starter, and then gamebird feed with the higher protein for guineas. It won't hurt the chickens to get more protein, it may hurt the guineas if they don't get enough! They get along great with the chickens, and learned to roost from them.

 

[kees]

Hi,
Mine were all the same stage but I remember feeding them all the same starter food, don't even remember what it was...and then they just started eating bugs and grass like crazy. All that I had to do was give them water and clean up after their poop (twice a day).
Suzy

 

[MissPrissy]

I do not mix fowl. I feed guineas gamebird feed for about 4 month. Then I let them free range. I put out a small amount of feed each evening at the barn door to keep them coming back and knowing home.

A guinea will mate your hens if mixed in your flock. If those eggs hatch they are UGLY creatures. Many people have had troubles with aggressive guineas. If they decide one day they dislike a chicken they will not relent until they kill it.