Guinea Keets In the Wild

[WildGuineaNymph]

I woke up this morning to a guinea fowl that disappeared into the woods 25 days ago and she brought back 3 baby keets with her! They are one day old and tiny.

My 13 guinea fowl free roam on my 17 acres, but they always stay within about 2 acres around the house.

Should I let the female raise them in the wild or try to catch them and put them with my 2 silkie roosters and 3 silkie hens? I could put just the keets and see if the chickens take better care of them, or I could put the mom in with them and hope they all get along.

Thoughts? Or just let nature take its course? I work 60 plus hours a week and am not home to monitor them at all.

 

[Pigeony]

I woke up this morning to a guinea fowl that disappeared into the woods 25 days ago and she brought back 3 baby keets with her! They are one day old and tiny.

My 13 guinea fowl free roam on my 17 acres, but they always stay within about 2 acres around the house.

Should I let the female raise them in the wild or try to catch them and put them with my 2 silkie roosters and 3 silkie hens? I could put just the keets and see if the chickens take better care of them, or I could put the mom in with them and hope they all get along.

Thoughts? Or just let nature take its course? I work 60 plus hours a week and am not home to monitor them at all.

I think you should just let nature take its course. She's already managed to hatch them, which means she has some idea of what she's doing. It's possible the Silkies would bully them, or they'd be distressed by being taken from their mom. And if you put the mom in there, guinea broodies are notoriously aggressive and she'd probably terrorize your poor silkies. You could always put out extra food/water to help her and the babies out.

 

[WildGuineaNymph]

Thank you for that answer. She seems to be doing a great job and when I approached her male mate attacked me lol. They are paired off and she is keeping up with the chicks. Should I put some small feeders and waterers out for them? I have some for my adult guineas but they free range all day also, along with having a small creek they drink from. They normally sleep on the fence gate together at night, do I need to make any adjustments for the babies?

I am thinking that they are wild animals and know how to fend for themselves, but I also view them as pets.

 

[Pigeony]

Thank you for that answer. She seems to be doing a great job and when I approached her male mate attacked me lol. They are paired off and she is keeping up with the chicks. Should I put some small feeders and waterers out for them? I have some for my adult guineas but they free range all day also, along with having a small creek they drink from. They normally sleep on the fence gate together at night, do I need to make any adjustments for the babies?

I am thinking that they are wild animals and know how to fend for themselves, but I also view them as pets.

Adding extra food/water sources will help the chicks out. The babies will sleep on the ground with her until they get a bit bigger, so you can also try to set up somewhere secure for her to nest near the other guineas sleeping spot, but she may or may not use it.