Guinea info needed

[Buckhorn Farm]

I just ordered 30 Guineas, I have never had them before soooo any info would be a great help. Thanks so much, look forward to hearing from you all.

 

[only one lay]

Order ear muffs soon.

 

[rooster0209]

What age?

Keets will need to be kept at 95F until they start to feather out, then slowly reduce temps by 5F each week or there about. Other than that I raise mine exactly how I do my chicks.

Good luck on "taming" them. I tried and tried but they remain wild. I can walk near them and be around them but as for touching or picking up, no way, unless I catch them on the roost.

Any more questions?

 

[Buckhorn Farm]

Thanks for the input.....I ordered from Cackle Hatchery so I guess they will be a day old. What about food, do I use chick starter or something else? At what age can you let them free range?

 

[feathersgalore]

Keets need a higher protein level than chicks. Try either game fowl or turkey starter.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

We use a 28% protien game bird starter for guineas.

Steve in NC

 

[rooster0209]

I always feed mine chick starter but all the people/books say to use a higher protein food.

I started mine free ranging when they were about 15 weeks old or when they get about full size, cant remember exactly when they get full sized.

 

[froggie71]

We got our guineas at about 2 weeks of age. Never had a heat lamp on them. Our guineas (we have 4) are housed with our ducks. They were started on gamebird starter also. Now they just eat what the ducks do. We free range them when we are outside. They are easily herded back to coop when time to go inside. They belong to my middle son. The just love him. They don't run from people, and are more intrigued by them then the ducks. Normally guinea lay eggs in places they can hide, but since ours are in the coop, they lay egg there in the same nest that the ducks use. They love to look at themselves. They like to come up on the deck to look in the siding glass doors to see themselves. We have also put a mirror in the coop and they don't come up on the deck as much. We have a lot of wild turkey that come through the yard, and they hide in the coop when they come. They don't like the rain, but don't mind the snow, which I was surprised to find out. Once they are outside in their coop, you should keep them in the coop for at least a week, so they will know where to come home to. If you don't want them to fly over your fence (if you have one) you can clip their wings. We don't do that, but our friends do. Good luck, they are really funny birds. We love ours!

 

[KareyABohr]

Non medicated chick starter is good. Mine forage for 90% of their own food and really only eat the kitchen scraps and cracked corn I throw out. (they aren't fans of the layer mix unless they are not finding enough bugs.) Make sure you clip their wings and don't let them out for a few months because they are "feral" for lack of a better term. They are AMAZING to have around if you can stand the fact they are loud!

Good LUCK!

 

[Buckhorn Farm]

Thank you all......sounds like I am going to have a good time