Guinea fowl?

[Mt. Baker Quail]

How long does it take for the keets to get to full size, and when will they start to lay?

 

[PeepsCA]

They can breed and lay eggs as early as 16 weeks of age, but they have a laying season, they don't lay all year. Most lay from spring until late summer/early fall depending on the weather. But considering their age, and the time of year already, I wouldn't expect to see eggs until next spring from the Hens in your batch of keets.

 

[birdboy508]

noise is not that bad and you can put them with ducks.

 

[Mt. Baker Quail]

Do you think the guineas will fly up to their house at night? At what age can I feed them chicken feed?

This is my duck house which will be the guineas' house. The ducks go up and down the ramp, but it is hard on their feet, so I think I will put the ducks in a dog house.

 

[PeepsCA]

In order to teach them to roost in that coop, (once they no longer need a heat source) you will need to lock them in there for at least several weeks (6 weeks is recommended) so that they learn where home is/where to roost. Once you start letting them out you will need to herd them back in every night and establish a routine of going in at night, or they will probably establish their own routine of roosting in that tree behind the coop, or on top pf the coop or the roof of your house, garage etc. Once they start roosting outdoors it's only a matter of time until they start getting picked off by predators one by one, and then that will be drawing the predators in to go after your other poultry.

With the coop being that high it might be kind of difficult to get them in there each night, so it may not work out as planned. Guineas aren't as easy going as ducks are... and I think they have about half the brain mass, lol.

One other thing to keep in mind is that adult Guineas need at least 4 sq ft of floor space per bird in the coop, and plenty of roosts, over crowding never turns out too well...

 

[Mt. Baker Quail]

Could I train them to go up the ramp?

 

[Mt. Baker Quail]

What kind of house do you keep your guineas in?

 

[PeepsCA]

Since the winters aren't too harsh here I just have several "covered pens" in assorted sizes, heights and shapes... all with 2 feeders, 2 waterers, grit, oystershell and lots of perches/roosting space in each one that my birds roost in (I have 4 separate flocks), but I only have one pen that I actually consider a "coop", which is built inside my goat's shed. There is a large brooder at the end of the coop for integrating the younger keets, and my 2 Peachicks. It's about 8.5'x20' of bird floor space. My goats lounge and eat in the other half of the shed, and the ends of the whole shed will be closed in during the winter with the metal siding (sliding door on one end, window on the opposite end). But for now, it has been and will be 100 degrees or hotter for another month or so the ends will stay off so everybody gets plenty of air flow. I have young birds (keets from this year's hatches) in this coop and they have not been confined to it for 6 weeks yet, so I have not let them out to free range yet.

Edit:
Before somebody points it out... In these pics there's only one feeder and one waterer because that's all I had at the time and these pics were taken the day I put birds in it. I have sense switched out the plastic feeder for 2 hanging metal feeders and 2 double wall metal water founts, lol. I also finished the front and sides with the horse panels (livestock panels, but made specifically for horses with 2"x4" openings) all the way to the roof, so it's completely predator proof.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Very nice very very nice. Is this the one you had the contractor come out and build? I tried to buy a structure like you have for the main part.... For my horse..... sigh.

 

[Mt. Baker Quail]

So if it won't work to keep the guineas in the duck house, do you have any suggestions for a house that would work up here in cold Washington?