guinea keets in a tree????* pics*

[bensteph821]

We have four guinea keets about 3 weeks old and we started transitioning them to the their outdoor coop last night. Well this morning we let all the chickens out like we always do, they came out and before we knew it they were climbing the tree.....just like a woodpecker!! Strannnnge!

they are all hanging out in the tree flying from limb to limb..had no idea that guineas did this, especially at that age. Is this normal behavior in the daylight?

 

[PeepsCA]

Keets exploring is normal, but I've never seen any climbing up into trees like lil woodpeckers, lol. IMO 3 wks old is really young to let keets out, they are super easy predator snacks (even to cats and dogs) and they do not know where home is yet. If you want them to return to the coop to roost each night with your chickens then you might want to break that tree habit real fast and keep them in the coop until they are older. I work with and train my Guineas to go in at night to prevent predators from taking any of them, then start letting them out to free range at 12 wks old when they are a little more self sufficient and have a little more brain matter upstairs. It has helped me keep predator loss to a minimum. Once a predator takes one Guinea, it will typically keep returning for a free meal until your Guineas are gone, then it will start going after your chickens.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I figure they are so little that they had to go up a tree like a woodpecker. Flapping their wings probably helps balance them and get them the short distance from one limb to another but I would not think they could fly well at that age.

I would not let mine out at that age either. Mine are 7 weeks old and I have a hard time just getting them to go back in the brooder if they escape into the coop. I sure hope you can get these babies back before something gets them.