I've had them in a brooder in a spare room for 3 weeks.
We had a cool run of weather at night so I delayed putting them outside until they were completely feathered out .
Brooder plan A failed miserably...I tried to use a puppy play pen I bought at a yard sale.
Who would have thought they could fly at 2 weeks old!
As fast as I put them in, they flew out! It was like they jumped on a trampoline and bounced out!
I caught two in mid-air (no harm done) and the third ended up on the floor running around peeping.
I relaxed and let it come to the flock and scooped it up.
I quickly came up with Plan B...a 20" x 34" Rubber maid tote, then made a cover with plastic netting.
Some things I learned:
Have your brooder planned out to every detail, from little keets to big enough to go out to the coop.
They grow like weeds! They doubled their size in two weeks! More than tripled their size in 3 weeks!!
Also, have a plan to bring them outside!
My tote just fit through the door! Plan B would have been stressful, using a puppy transport box..a few at a time.
If you use a large feeder for larger birds, they will quickly scratch out half the food!
Also, if you use the little chick feeders, (long narrow, with multiple holes) remember to trade up to the normal, large bird feeder in a week or so.
I wondered why two of the larger birds had no neck feathers,the day I was to move them outside, I found one with its head stuck in the feeder hole! I had to cut the feeder to get the birds head out!
I used a box of puppy diapers in about a week! They're poop machines! Be ready for it!
I tried to use Tymothy hay (to help kill the smell)...they ate it as fast as I put it in!!
Speaking of the smell...they stink! I didn't think i was possible, but they smelt worse than when my brother stayed in that room!!
Be prepared for a layer of dust coating everything within 6 feet of the brooder!
NEVER turn on the ceiling fan!! They freaked out!!
They are creatures of habit, break the rule and you'll have to train them all over again!
I had most trained to come when called using dried meal worms as a treat, I would open half the cover and one would climb up my arm, a couple of others would fly out and land on my arm waiting for treats.
Once in the coop, stick my hand in there with meal worms and instead of running up to me, they run away.
They've been in the coop for 3 days and are just starting to eat out of my hand again. Only a couple of the braver ones eat from my hand, Geronimo and Pecker, the others would wait until I dropped the worms.
I had to evict a couple of baby lizards that took residence in the coop.
The brooder going mobile!
The brooder with 11 five+ week old guinea was heavy!
In less than a minute they were making themselves at home, chirp-ping, weed eating, scratching.
We had a cool run of weather at night so I delayed putting them outside until they were completely feathered out .
Brooder plan A failed miserably...I tried to use a puppy play pen I bought at a yard sale.
Who would have thought they could fly at 2 weeks old!
As fast as I put them in, they flew out! It was like they jumped on a trampoline and bounced out!
I caught two in mid-air (no harm done) and the third ended up on the floor running around peeping.
I relaxed and let it come to the flock and scooped it up.
I quickly came up with Plan B...a 20" x 34" Rubber maid tote, then made a cover with plastic netting.
Some things I learned:
Have your brooder planned out to every detail, from little keets to big enough to go out to the coop.
They grow like weeds! They doubled their size in two weeks! More than tripled their size in 3 weeks!!
Also, have a plan to bring them outside!
My tote just fit through the door! Plan B would have been stressful, using a puppy transport box..a few at a time.
If you use a large feeder for larger birds, they will quickly scratch out half the food!
Also, if you use the little chick feeders, (long narrow, with multiple holes) remember to trade up to the normal, large bird feeder in a week or so.
I wondered why two of the larger birds had no neck feathers,the day I was to move them outside, I found one with its head stuck in the feeder hole! I had to cut the feeder to get the birds head out!
I used a box of puppy diapers in about a week! They're poop machines! Be ready for it!
I tried to use Tymothy hay (to help kill the smell)...they ate it as fast as I put it in!!
Speaking of the smell...they stink! I didn't think i was possible, but they smelt worse than when my brother stayed in that room!!
Be prepared for a layer of dust coating everything within 6 feet of the brooder!
NEVER turn on the ceiling fan!! They freaked out!!
They are creatures of habit, break the rule and you'll have to train them all over again!
I had most trained to come when called using dried meal worms as a treat, I would open half the cover and one would climb up my arm, a couple of others would fly out and land on my arm waiting for treats.
Once in the coop, stick my hand in there with meal worms and instead of running up to me, they run away.
They've been in the coop for 3 days and are just starting to eat out of my hand again. Only a couple of the braver ones eat from my hand, Geronimo and Pecker, the others would wait until I dropped the worms.
I had to evict a couple of baby lizards that took residence in the coop.
The brooder going mobile!
The brooder with 11 five+ week old guinea was heavy!
In less than a minute they were making themselves at home, chirp-ping, weed eating, scratching.
