Guinea question

[R2elk]

I’m at a loss on what to do. I can see if I can order day old keets from ideal (the only place I can find that is selling them at this time) and drive to pick them up, but they aren’t available until the 25th, and they would be al lot younger than my current guinea. Like I said, I don’t know what to do.

Your current guinea will appreciate the company even though they are younger.

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

They can.

She is safe in my temporary chicken tractor with some of my 8-9 week old chicks. She got bullied at first, but is a little better now. Any recommendations on what to do with her until I can get keets? If I keep her with my chicks for 2 weeks can I move her in with the new keets just like that or…
What would you do?

 

[R2elk]

She is safe in my temporary chicken tractor with some of my 8-9 week old chicks. She got bullied at first, but is a little better now. Any recommendations on what to do with her until I can get keets? If I keep her with my chicks for 2 weeks can I move her in with the new keets just like that or…
What would you do?

You should be able to move her in with the new keets as long as the brooder is big enough that she can get away from the heat that they will need. The brooder will also need to be covered to keep her from flying out.

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

At what age can the keets move out to grass? My mini chicken tractor will be empty then, so I can brood outdoors if possible. It’s 95+ during the day and around 80 at night.

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

You should be able to move her in with the new keets as long as the brooder is big enough that she can get away from the heat that they will need. The brooder will also need to be covered to keep her from flying out.

Thank you.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Do the rat snakes eat keets?

How old are your keets? I’ve had too much experience with Western rat snakes! I’m posting a pic of one that had just consumed two week old keets plus a pile of eggs. My moms were so brave - they were locked in the coop with the snake, but they didn’t abandon the last keet. They were terrified of the snake and could have gone up to the roosts, but still hunkered down on the floor, shielding her with their bodies. In the pics below, the snake is burrowed in shavings just a foot behind these hens, contently digesting it’s huge meal so it could eat again… I didn’t even know that the snake was there but took a pic because the position and attitude of the hens was so odd. Then I found the snake when trying to figure out where the keets went.

Western rat snakes have completely consumed my eggs and two week old keets. I also had one kill 2 mo old keets, but it was unable to actually swallow them. If the snake keeps returning, then it’s probably interested in your keets and will kill chicks too. My neighbor had one kill an adult mallard duck in the coop, though once again it was unable to swallow it. I catch and relocate them by hand as my minnow trap has been a dismal failure. You might want to keep some heavy gardening gloves near your coop and immediately grab the snake if you see it again. If they are wary of people, they can indeed be very fast! I am mostly able to catch them because they are busy eating a pile of eggs when I find them… They will still leave quickly but not as fast with an egg half way down their throat!

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

They are about 8 weeks old

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I see that you are in Texas, so I don’t think that your native snakes (similar to our Oklahoma snakes) are able to swallow a two month old juvenile. Maybe a game camera will better help you to figure out what’s going on?

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

I see that you are in Texas, so I don’t think that your native snakes (similar to our Oklahoma snakes) are able to swallow a two month old juvenile. Maybe a game camera will better help you to figure out what’s going on?

I hope to put one out there soon.

 

[Sydney65]

I have a hen sitting on 20+ eggs, if you're really into driving. Otherwise -
when I received my 1st batch, all but 3 died w/i hrs. So they shipped me more, and some of those were or did die,too. That's when I came to this forum. Needless to say, @R2elk & @Mixed flock enthusiast put a lot of effort into teaching me abt goonies.
The 3 that survived the 1st time ended up being my jumbo guineas. The new keets were "standard" size. Nuggie was a runt from the get go.
The bigger/older keets not only got along fine w/the younger ones, but I even commented here at the time that they seemed to be more protective of Nug, making sure he wasn't picked on or shoved out from the food. So your one will probably not only be glad for the company but get along w/them fine. Side note- @R2elk told me at the time that they tend to protect the weaker ones at 1st but only for so long. This was valid insight. Nug became such a brat that it was common to see the entire flock chasing him around the house when they were older. -but it was his own doing.
Likewise- I read an article last week that got sent from this forum abt younger keets being better accepted by the current confusion. I decided to test the theory bc I had another hatch coming. So I moved the (3) 3 wk olds into the coop w/the two adult males. I have one hen on a nest and one hen flew the coop.
I put another brooder in the coop so that they could have a safe place and get warmer if needed. I'm pretty sure they're still sleeping in it bc they are in it every a.m. when I go out. But, I also still put starter feed in it just for them, too.
The males have turned out to be excellent babysitters. It's not unusual to see them walking side by side w/the 3 keets between them.