Guinea Mum raising chicks

[HamsHen50]

I need some advice. I have a Guinea mum who has just hatched over a dozen eggs and has her keets with her. I am torn about whether a let her keep them and raise them or if we intervene and take them. She defends them from us, but she’s a Guinea…. Not very smart. I am worried about predators and people I know have had all their babies killed and picked off by hawks. I’m in Australia. Again, do I let her raise them? Do I take half? Do I take them all???

 

[HamsHen50]

And she disappeared for over a month so I thought she died from a fox, but she came back today with loads of keets. I’m umlaut about how many as I cant get close enough to count them.

 

[HamsHen50]

Unsure***

 

[tranquiliti]

Although it is true that keets raised “in the wild” are at great risk of predator attacks (and drowning, etc.)—in my own experience, this latest season of keets (June 2024 hatch) for me were raised by a broody guinea hen. Those that survived beyond 1 week (sigh) have grown to be the most astute & aware of any keets that I’ve raised (2021, 2023, 2024).

 

[HamsHen50]

Thank you for the reply! My mum and I have just moved some chooks into another pen so she can be in a chicken coop and run! Her and her 18 keets are happy and feeding.

 

[SamLockwood]

I have both guineas and chickens and I don't have direct experince with letting them raise their own keets, but I have let chickens raise their own chicks.

The good side of having them raise their own young is that flock integration is practically seamless. In fact, in my mixed flock it's pretty common for the guineas to bully the chickens when it comes to who gets first access to a feeder or the best roosting spots. While the guineas would still push the "moms" around, they'd let the chicks alone.

The down side is, you'll probably lose at least half the keets if you let them get raised wild, especially if where you are has cool, dewey mornings. Keets are even more vulnerable to chills than chicks the first couple weeks they're alive.

You also may have some difficulty getting the keets away from mama. Guinea hens get super-aggressive defending a nest of eggs or keets.

 

[HamsHen50]

I have both guineas and chickens and I don't have direct experince with letting them raise their own keets, but I have let chickens raise their own chicks.

The good side of having them raise their own young is that flock integration is practically seamless. In fact, in my mixed flock it's pretty common for the guineas to bully the chickens when it comes to who gets first access to a feeder or the best roosting spots. While the guineas would still push the "moms" around, they'd let the chicks alone.

The down side is, you'll probably lose at least half the keets if you let them get raised wild, especially if where you are has cool, dewey mornings. Keets are even more vulnerable to chills than chicks the first couple weeks they're alive.

You also may have some difficulty getting the keets away from mama. Guinea hens get super-aggressive defending a nest of eggs or keets.

Yes, she is very aggressive to me. She has given me quite the bloody arm . She is in a predator proof chicken coop and run. She has plenty of ro to raise the babies. We just had to scare her into the coop and all the keets followed. I think I will release them at 4-5weeks. So they can fly around with the flock. We have a lot of males and not many girls (but I’m not worried about them being aggressive, they were protecting the keets from us before we got them in the coop). When do you let keets out with the adult flock?

 

[R2elk]

When do you let keets out with the adult flock?

Your plans of 4 to 5 weeks is good.

 

[Mike Allen]

A bit late for your last brood but I have been breeding them for a while. Two years ago one experienced mum had 14 babies and raised them herself and had 13 survive to adulthood. She was an experienced mum and led them well. This year a new mum had all 13 or so die within a week.

Mostly over the years I have grabbed some as they get left behind (your hear them calling in the garden) and I have grabbed some with special colours. If you want to have some survive I think a 50/50 approach is a good one which ensures you have some survive and keys the mum have a go.

I need some advice. I have a Guinea mum who has just hatched over a dozen eggs and has her keets with her. I am torn about whether a let her keep them and raise them or if we intervene and take them. She defends them from us, but she’s a Guinea…. Not very smart. I am worried about predators and people I know have had all their babies killed and picked off by hawks. I’m in Australia. Again, do I let her raise them? Do I take half? Do I take them all???

 

[HamsHen50]

They have all died now. And the mum has been released. Magpies got the last 10 babies