Should I raise the keets with chicks?

[kyflock]

I have a bunch of guinea eggs that are set to hatch early February... I was going to get at least a handful of new chicks com March. I sort of had this realization that it would be both easier, and maybe better for the guineas, if I raised them all together. I thought maybe teh guineas would be more used to the chickens then? What do ya'll think? I need to decide quick so I can see if I can get my hands on some chicks in time.

 

[PeepsCA]

They should do fine being raised together, as long as the chicks are the same size or even a little bigger. I would not put larger keets in with smaller chicks tho... keets are way more active and hyper than baby chicks, and the chicks can end up trampled, stressed and not able to get enough feed or water. Watch for aggression or cannibalism (sometimes keets can be attracted to pecking at the ceres/nostrils on other baby poultry), and I'd feed them a starter feed that's high in protein for the keets (no less than 25%... preferably 28%-30% if possible). And make sure they're not ever over crowded, Guineas need lots of space from the very get-go. You may have aggression issues when everybody gets older from the male Guineas (or started by the males, with the rest of the flock following suit) towards the chickens starting up late this Summer or early Fall when Guinea hormones start kicking in (hormones typically rage Spring thru Fall). Plenty of free range time/space as soon as every body is old enough can help with that. I'd have a plan B tho, someplace else to move the chickens to if that starts happening.

Good luck with your hatch. Going by your user name, if you are in KY that's pretty early in the year for eggs/fertile eggs. Congrats!

 

[De Wet]

I agree with peeps never put a smaller chick with a keet it is like watching a jason x movie in a fowl version

 

[kyflock]

Thanks!! That info helps a lot. They'll all have lots of room to roam once they get old enough.

 

[mkeawsh]

So, if I hatch out the chickens and wait for them to grow some, I could purchase some guinea chicks that are about the same size to brood with them?

 

[De Wet]

So, if I hatch out the chickens and wait for them to grow some, I could purchase some guinea chicks that are about the same size to brood with them?

you will not have problems when it is the same size only on size difference

 

[Dean W]

Good advice...I followed this with my new keets received days ago.