Guinea Brooder

[chickenmadness7]

I have my 2 week old guinea keets in a makeshift brooder - a kind of "chick coral." I have 5 of them and they're getting really big fast and have just started to fly. I would love to give them more room over the coming weeks before I move them to their coop outdoors. I was thinking of maybe using a dog exercise pen with some sort of top, but wanted to ask for suggestions here first. I'm not sure what I would use for the floor except for maybe a tarp to keep pine shavings in. What did you do with your growing keets?

 

[perchie.girl]

What ever you do make sure they cannot get OUT. At two weeks they can shoot up about six feet if startled. My next brooding project will be all on wire. Just a tub with shavings where the heat lamp is. Nice BIG box with wood sides and a Hardware cloth framed lid. Food and water set on the hardware cloth so when they make a MESS and they will It doesnt pollute their bedding. IT falls through ON a tarp that can be pulled out and dumped.

I was raising forty though. ...

I also made them roosts out of PVC for the littles and they used them.

here is a sketch of how its constructed 1/2 inch PVC and corner fittings... No glue at all.


Have fun with the little Jack booters.... I love guineas dont have any right now... very long story... but will be getting them again.

deb

 

[chickenmadness7]

That's a very cool roosting perch idea, Deb. Thank you. What's the quickest thing I could make NOW for a larger brooder for my now 2 week old keets? I have dog expens..I'm worried they are too cramped at this point.

 

[tridentk9]

I have my 2 week old guinea keets in a makeshift brooder - a kind of "chick coral."  I have 5 of them and they're getting really big fast and have just started to fly.  I would love to give them more room over the coming weeks before I move them to their coop outdoors.  I was thinking of maybe using a dog exercise pen with some sort of top, but wanted to ask for suggestions here first.  I'm not sure what I would use for the floor except for maybe a tarp to keep pine shavings in.  What did you do with your growing keets?

I have my chicks in a wading pool surrounded by an ex-pen. A whelping box would work too. Cochins aren't great at flying up and they're too umm broad, yeah, that's it, broad to fit through the bars. One of the crevecoeurs however can still get through plus the cc's are a lighter, flightier bird. I'm thinking of weaving cloth through the ex-pen bars to solve that problem. Ex-pen tops or a shade cloth over the top will be used when they can reach that high. Heat lamp is on an adjustable stand made for heat lamps.

Shavings are easy to change out by rotating pool to get all sides, I scoop them out using a dustpan. Feed and water are placed on rubber mat to minimize shavings in there, though I don't fill either and just change water 3-4 times daily.

Repurposing dog stuff is working for me ;-)

 

[perchie.girl]

That's a very cool roosting perch idea, Deb. Thank you. What's the quickest thing I could make NOW for a larger brooder for my now 2 week old keets? I have dog expens..I'm worried they are too cramped at this point.

you can do a lid for the exercise pens out of PVC just make a square or oblong frame and cover it with plastic netting.... same for the bottom. make it bigger than the exercise pen. But secure it top and bottom so no one gets out. I made an access door in the plastic by simply cutting a hole and forming a flap to cover it. Then use either clothes pins to shut it or binder clips

I like the black plastic netting that looks like galvanized with square mesh. Be aware though as you use the door opening it will be subject to ripping. Zip ties fix that really well.

Again when making frames like this you dont need to glue just stretch the mesh snug with zip ties and that will hold the whole thing to gether. This way you can reuse the "parts" when you dont need it any more.

deb

 

[chickenmadness7]

Thank you for all of the thoughtful replies. I may very well do the dog pen thing. But I also came up with the idea of putting together my Formex Snap Lock Chicken Coop in the house and using it as a brooder first and then moving it outdoors. What do you think? Here's a link to the coop I'm referring to....http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=8s_JKuHLsOU

 

[ChickenPox]

So 2 week old guineas can hop up 6 feet? O.O

I suppose my chicken brooders need lids. LOL!

 

[chickenmadness7]

I don't think they can hop 6 feet. Mine are flying now and can get several feet high. Here's a picture of what I've done for them right now. Baby pool, dog expen, and window screens on top. Lol

 

[ChickenPox]

Cuties! I have a big horse water trough I use for my brooding inside, will just have to find a lid. LOL!

 

[tridentk9]

I don't think they can hop 6 feet. Mine are flying now and can get several feet high. Here's a picture of what I've done for them right now. Baby pool, dog expen, and window screens on top. Lol

How did you sneak in my house!! I had to look twice- your set-up is just like mine. Same color pool even.