Baby guineas questions

[shelleyd2008]

I have 3 3-week-old guineas. I have them in a large cardboard box with a brooder lamp over them. I am using paper towels to line the bottom of the box. It seems like they are eating it?? It gets torn up quite a bit, but doesn't seem like there is as much left when I take it out as when I put it in.
Will what they have already probably eaten hurt them?
What kind of bedding can I put in there instead?
How long do they need a light? It is getting in the 50's at night right now.
How old should they be before free ranging with the chickens?
Will my adult guineas hurt them when I let them out?
Is there a way to tame them so I can catch them easier, when I do start letting them roam?
Sorry there a so many questions! Thanks.

 

[SterlingAcres]

Quote:
Use shavings instead. They may or may not be eating the papertowels, I think they'll be fine.
My guineas were in the barn with a heatlamp on at about 2 weeks old. They're about 4-5 weeks now and lampless.
Again, mine are out with my chickens now. Once they hit 4-5 months, I'll let them free range alone. They're my bug control.
Guineas are skittish. Good luck taming them.

 

[Wildsky]

Mine were hatched by a chicken, so have been out with them all along.

I'm going to guess and say they're digging and scratching up those paper towels, give them shavings or even better, build a little enclosure outside so they can dig in the dirt during the day (inside at night)

 

[shelleyd2008]

I have been putting them in a medium sized cage during the day so they can get some sunshine. I have a tractor with a total of 11 chicks in it. Some are silkies, around 2 months old, some are BTW japs, also around 2 months old, and some are OEGB pullets that are probably between 3&4 months old. I let them out during the day, but was thinking of putting the baby guineas in with them,and leaving them penned for a few days. Only one of the OEGB's goes on the roost, the rest sleep on the ground. Would the guineas still need a light if they were put in with them? And would the guineas go back in the tractor at night with the chicks? Sorry about all the q's, but these are very pretty lavender guineas, and I don't want anything to happen to them!
Also, still wondering if the adult guineas will harm the young ones?

 

[Wildsky]

You can try putting them together in a LARGE area, and keep an eye on them.

Put their cages right next to each other for a few days.

I can't answer on the heat/light question - It will depend on how cold it is at night, how tightly shut the coop is etc.

Mine have been in the coop since mom chicken hatched them, and out and about since day 3 - we're getting chilly at night now, but they're fully feathered and sleeping on the roost with the chickens.

 

[feathersgalore]

I use paper towels for the first 2 weeks, then switch to wood chips. If done earlier they think the chips are food. I wouldn't recommend placing 3 week old keets with the adults. Guineas can be very aggressive with each other and may kill the keets. I don't place young guineas in with the group until they are at least 12 weeks old. While there is still some picking they are a better size to withstand it.

 

[kinnip]

Mine eat the bedding regardless of what it is. I just put some grit in there, so they can digest it.
I got my 6 m.o. guineas at 2 m.o. They are wild, wild, wild. The two day olds I got later were handled a couple of times a day and would roost on my hand. I put them in the big guinea's house inside of a dog training cage at about 1 m.o. They wanted out so badly they made it happen. Not only did the big guineas not hurt them, they seem to have adopted them and now the little ones are wild too.

I had let the big ones out for two days. On day two, the lavender slept in a tree, so now they're back in the house for more homing. I've got to let them out sometime, but I don't want the littles out with them, so it's back in the cage with them.

I read somewhere on this site not to let them out until they're the size of a football. I think that's wise.