Adding three 2wk old keets to four 10 wk old keets?

[Paradisewife]

My 10wk old micro-flock of 4-Guineas-who-bonded-with-an-ancona-cockerel, are doing great ,

but somehow 'we' rescued three 1-2 wk old keets. (Said rescue included 4 Turkens.) Can we integrate the new guineas into the existing flock?


When? How? They're maybe 2 weeks old - wait until they're older and do the see-no-touch type intro like with chickens?

I'm sure Mr Britches (The roo) will either simplify or complicate the situation.

Any tips?

 

[R2elk]

My 10wk old micro-flock of 4-Guineas-who-bonded-with-an-ancona-cockerel, are doing great ,

but somehow 'we' rescued three 1-2 wk old keets. (Said rescue included 4 Turkens.) Can we integrate the new guineas into the existing flock?

When? How? They're maybe 2 weeks old - wait until they're older and do the see-no-touch type intro like with chickens?

I'm sure Mr Britches (The roo) will either simplify or complicate the situation.

Any tips?

I would wait until the new keets are off of supplemental heat before trying to integrate them.

Personally, I will not brood keets and chicks together because of the problems caused by the imprinting when they are older.

Everything can seem great right up until the first breeding season. Guineas have entirely different instincts than any other poultry.

 

[Paradisewife]

Thank you @R2elk, I've certainly been reading and learning a LOT. Enough that when we separated the original 4 keets from the 8 chicks, I wasn't particularly happy when it was decided that 'that crazy Ancona is going in with them'. But, Pick your battles.
We coop the guineas at night in a coop with a small netted run, until after morning feeding and then free range them with: the other 7 hatch-mates (1 cockerel & 6 pullets) and 11 other hens of varying ages (5-8). We lost our last rooster in March, thus the 10 wk olds. Zero issues so far, regarding the guineas, anyway.
I know. they're still young....no hormones, yet.
I'll probably be back for more advice - thanks again.