Feed Question!

[CYGChickies]

Can keets have medicated chick starter? I know it's lower protein but I plan to supplement with meal worms and boiled egg yolks when they're old enough. There is NO medicated game bird starter anywhere near me--I've been to every feed store and farm supply place! I really don't want to feed unmedicated because we lost two of our three New Zealand red junior rabbits to cocci. I'm paranoid now that the chicks and keets could get it! (Not from the rabbits but on their own.)

My main question is will the keets overdose on medicine from the chick starter or not? I already know about the protein thing I just want to know if the medicine will be safe. Thanks everybody!

CYG

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote:
It's very possible they may over medicate since they will have to consume more chick starter to compensate for the lack of protein. Keets need higher protein from the get-go, they have way different growth rates and growth spurts than chicks do, therefore need the higher protein starter feed from hatch all the way up to at the very least 6 weeks old. They can have scrambled or boiled eggs from day 1 on, but I doubt that adding egg will get the protein level high enough without dropping the Amprolium level at the same time (which obviously at a lower level basically does nothing to prevent Coccidiosis!).

Coccidia is supposedly species-specific (but I still wouldn't risk them not getting it). It's usually picked up in contaminated soil and from un-sanitized feeders, waterers and brooders etc... so if you can, I'd opt to keep the keets in a really really REALLY clean/dry brooder, away from all other animals/livestock, wash your hands before and after handling/feeding etc, and start them on the higher protein un-medicated starter feed. You're Guineas will live longer and be much healthier/heartier if fed the right amount of protein from the time they hatch.

Some recommend adding Corrid (there's other brands too) to the water as a preventative, but you can very easily overdose them, especially in hot weather since they will drink a lot more than normal, so I personally do not recommend this method of prevention.

 

[robin416]

Then look for Corid or amprollium to add to their water. That allows better control over the amount of protein they're getting.

 

[racuda]

My first few batches of keets I fed gamebird starter to and I am feeding gamebird starter now. But last year there I had a lot of chicks and some keets at the same time so I fed everyone medicated chick starter. I couldn't tell the difference in those keets and the ones that had gamebird starter. Maybe it worked for me because all of my keets were brooded by chicken mothers free range, and they ate plenty of bugs.

 

[CYGChickies]

Thanks everybody. After an hour-long drive I found some medicated game starter. I guess I'll separate the keets and chicks. I'm kind of discouraged as I'd hoped to raise them together to avoid future problems. Oh well live and learn.

CYG

 

[robin416]

Quote:
If you're referring to keeping chickens and Guineas in the same coop raising them together means nothing. Once hormones kick in in the Spring all bets are off and unless you have sufficient numbers of Guineas your chickens are going to be targets.

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote:
IMO, there's no real need to separate them now, unless you just want to save money on not feeding them all the game bird starter. You may be one of the lucky few that ends up with a peaceful co-mingled flock. Just because a few have issues with their flocks doesn't mean everyone will. All you can do is try it... raise them together if you want, (because some may bond), keep a close eye on them come breeding season, then step in and separate everybody if needed at that time. Breeding season may be the only time there are issues in your flock. Don't be discouraged by little bits of negativity! Besides, you may not even have enough male Guineas for aggression to even be an issue, so it's really too soon to tell. THINK POSITIVE

 

[cracking up]

I've brooded them together and never had a problem. The keets peep like crazy if you take their chicken away but later they don't seem to care about the chickens one way or the other.

They don't bond like when you brood a duck with geese or even a duck and chickens.

 

[robin416]

Quote:
IMO, there's no real need to separate them now, unless you just want to save money on not feeding them all the game bird starter. You may be one of the lucky few that ends up with a peaceful co-mingled flock. Just because a few have issues with their flocks doesn't mean everyone will. All you can do is try it... raise them together if you want, (because some may bond), keep a close eye on them come breeding season, then step in and separate everybody if needed at that time. Breeding season may be the only time there are issues in your flock. Don't be discouraged by little bits of negativity! Besides, you may not even have enough male Guineas for aggression to even be an issue, so it's really too soon to tell. THINK POSITIVE

Facts are facts. It has nothing to do with negativity. How many this year decided to give co-habitation a try just to have it explode on them? Those that try to raise Guineas and chickens together had better have a fall back position or the chickens will bear the brunt of the faster, stronger Guineas. For me my responsibility to make certain all of my birds are safe, unharmed. I'm not going to recommend someone try housing them together when its the chickens that pay the price.

I no longer have problems since my flock is ten times bigger than it was and free ranging together is possible. But don't let a Guinea get in the chicken coop or it starts in on the chickens.

Raising them together doesn't mean a thing, mine were. Mine went berserk on the chickens as soon as they began to mature. Cynthia had to rehome her Guineas because they relentlessly went after her chickens.

And chicks should not be on 26/28% protein for the same reason keets should be on it. Chicks do not have the huge amount of growth that keets do and the extra protein can cause muscle skeletal issues.

 

[speckledhen]

Yes, mine were with the chickens from the time they were 4 weeks old (the chickens were a few months older). When they were a bit older, they had their own high roost bar inside the coop. They were fine until about mating age when the alpha male began attacking one RIR hen. He was relentless. She ended up hiding in the nests most of the time. Then, all four began attacking the three RIR hens and only those hens. The other hens could chase the guineas and break up fights, but the RIRs were hounded constantly. I moved them into their own coop fashioned from part of a storage shed. When a BR rooster joined the flock, guineas were on lockdown inside their coop for two weeks; when they finally were allowed back out, the same male began testing the new rooster. Eventually, they ran him into the woods and he'd just stay there and wait for me to come rescue him. In the end I was forced to make a choice between chickens and guineas.

Guineas body slam their victims in coordinated attacks. Chickens do not fight that way and have no defense against it. They've been known to kill chickens, especially roosters. And mine were free ranging daily on wooded acreage when the attacks were happening so it wasn't a space issue. Even when the chickens were penned up, the guineas had a landing bar so they could fly in and out at will.


My guineas were fed game bird starter till they were older in their own special area. I never feed chicks that super high protein. Guineas rarely grow to their full body size potential if they are fed the much lower protein chick starter, especially most brands today that have removed the animal protein. Most game birds starters have animal protein they need to develop properly.


Raising them together won't necessarily help you avoid problems. Guineas are nothing like chickens and you can't fool them into thinking they're chickens. They are what they are.