Raising guinea fowl keets under a Pekin bantam - help !!

[PuddleEndChicken]

I've hatched out 2 guinea fowl keets in the incubator (rest didn't make it due to power cut, long story). They are 2 days old.
I've got a broody Pekin bantam (she's been broody for about a week).

So last night I put the 2 keets and about 3 of the unhatched eggs (just in case) under the bantam.

This morning the keets are still alive so she has let them be under her all night and kept them warm and didn't reject them.

The keets are running around and feeding and then going back under her but she still seems to be very broody. When I've hatched clutches under a hen normally the hen gets up and shows the chicks what to do etc. But due to the "adoption" she is just sitting still in a daze and I think she's still broody.

So the keets are going under her and then coming out to eat and then going under her again but she's just not reacting. I took away the other eggs in case she was waiting for more to hatch but she's still sitting there. Not rejecting or attacking the keets but also not really doing anything, although I have seen her clucking at them a bit.

Should I carry on and hope that she will eventually stop being broody or are they at risk and should I put them back in the brooder ?

I want to keep her with them if I can because a friend said in her experience that guinea fowl will only grow up "civilised" and knowing how to behave if brought up with a mother rather than in the brooder (not sure how true that is !!!!) plus it's easier under the hen if possible.

Any advice ?

Many thanks

 

[sourland]

I'd give her time to adjust to the keets. It sounds as if they are doing fine, and she is not being aggressive towards them.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

I'd give her time to adjust to the keets. It sounds as if they are doing fine, and she is not being aggressive towards them.

@sourland thank you, I'll leave them with the hen and keep an eye on them.....

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

@sourland So everything was going OK until today both the keets made it to the 2 week mark and looked good and the bantam stopped brooding and seemed to be looking after them.

I did notice that one of the keets didn't seem to eat quite as much, sort of holding back when the bantam called them to food etc.

Anyway yesterday we moved them to a larger pen (inside) just the bantam and the 2 keets. This morning they were fine.

Then this afternoon one of the keets was lying on her side dead. Looked like one of her wings was slightly out of place but not sure if that's just when she died.

Was she sick (she seemed quite thin) ? Did the bantam attack her (hence the bent wing) ? Did she get cold because the bantam rejected her and doesn't want to let them under her wings now ? Was it something to do with the change of cage ?

I removed the body of the dead keet and then the bantam seemed quite disturbed and was pacing the pen and squawking. She's not settling and i haven't seen the remaining keet get under her as she's not keeping still. That keet is only 2 weeks old and will be cold if she doesn't take her under her wing (our home is about 20C and they need to be about 28C at 2 weeks old).

How long should I risk the keet staying with her or should I put her back in the brooder where she would be alone and I'm not sure that would be good either.

Thank you.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

Just thinking that this is the time when the bantam would naturally have stopped brooding (ie around 3 weeks after she started) so maybe she's now not broody she's not allowing the keets under her anymore and they are dying of cold ? She doesn't seem very interested in the remaining one.....

 

[sourland]

I'd monitor closely and be prepared to move the keet if necessary. If you have to do so, provide the keet a mirror for company. Good luck.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

I'd monitor closely and be prepared to move the keet if necessary. If you have to do so, provide the keet a mirror for company. Good luck.

@sourland thank you. I've noticed this evening that the bantam seems to want to roost up rather than sit with the keet - there's no roosting bar so she's just standing up rather than spreading out for the keet to get under her. The keet keeps trying to get on her back (as it can't get under her ?)but she just keeps preening herself and it falls off...

My only other idea is that I've got another broody Pekin Bantam that's coming to the end of 3 weeks of brooding. She's a proven mother having reared chicks and ducks in the past. I wonder whether I could put her in the pen and at least the keet could go under her ?

If she could keep it under her for a week or two then the keet would be at the stage where it would be warm enough on it's own ?

And if I did that should I leave this other Pekin Bantam in the pen with the keet and the newly introduced broody bantam or should I then take the previous bantam out ?