Five week old guineas & feed/housing ?s

[clacasse88]

I have 2 - 5 week old guineas that I've been told to feed gamebird feed.

Here's my question: They are currently being housed in a 6 x 8 coop and now I desperately need the space for my 5 week old chicks who are being fed 'medicated' chick starter. Can I put them together in the same coop, if so, can they eat the medicated chick feed?
If not, my other possibility is to add the baby guineas with my older chickens which are being fed layer feed (which I don't think would be best as they may be too rough with them). Which option do you think would be best?

Should I have my DH make temporary housing for them? What type of housing for 2 guineas could I make that would be easy & best for them at this point? What size could I get away with for them, being it's just the 2 of them. I had started with 4, but I lost 2 of them.

Thanks for your help.

 

[flgardengirl]

Yes you can feed them together. I mix 1/2 medicated chick starter with 1/2 game bird because I keep mine together with the chicks. The guineas need higher protein than the chicks so thats why I do half and half.

 

[clacasse88]

I'm glad you responded. Thank You! I have been reading books, posts, etc. and it seems like there are a lot of different views on it. I have already lost 2 and didn't want to lose anymore with giving incorrect food. I will definitely mix the feed & join them together.

 

[Finn's Mom]

Mine are also on half chick starter and half gamebird feed right now, (at 7 weeks old) working their way over the next few weeks to being on game bird feed only for the same reason. I am using medicated chick starter (because I couldn't get any other kind besides organic) and that does not seem to have presented a problem.

Since you would have your husband build something would it be feasible for him to section off a part of your coop for the guineas? I am unsure about combining guineas and keets at this age so I will leave that for someone else though I am pretty sure putting the keets in with your bigger chickens would be the less desireable of the two options. Guineas need more coop sq. footage than chickens and like a higher roost. This much I do know!

Someone else is sure to come a long with more information. Good luck!

 

[christy's chicks]

Finn's Mom :

Mine are also on half chick starter and half gamebird feed right now, (at 7 weeks old) working their way over the next few weeks to being on game bird feed only for the same reason. I am using medicated chick starter (because I couldn't get any other kind besides organic) and that does not seem to have presented a problem.

Since you would have your husband build something would it be feasible for him to section off a part of your coop for the guineas? I am unsure about combining guineas and keets at this age so I will leave that for someone else though I am pretty sure putting the keets in with your bigger chickens would be the less desireable of the two options. Guineas need more coop sq. footage than chickens and like a higher roost. This much I do know!

Someone else is sure to come a long with more information. Good luck!

Thanks for your input. I agree with not adding the little keets with my very-soon-to-start laying hens.

I have chicks that I was going to join together, not other guineas. I had tried to add younger keets together with the 5 week old ones and it didn't work. Bigger ones wouldn't let them under the brooder light.

I actually had suggested to my husband to divide the coop up but then thought he would be able to just make something quicker from scratch which I may end up doing sooner than later.

Thanks!​

 

[rwwjsw]

I keep my keets and chicks in the same brooder cage and have never had any problems and then I mix game bird, med chick and cracked corn for feed they seem to do good with it my chicks are larger than the others I have raised at the same age I think it is the feed. I took out my chicks yesterday and put them in a bigger pen and my keets looked like they miss them they just sang for hours like they were trying to find them.