Guineas and chickens

[Pamela Warfield]

i have 4 young hens and would like to add a couple Keets. I'm not sure if I can add the Keets to the same coop. Any ideals.
Thanks

 

[R2elk]

i have 4 young hens and would like to add a couple Keets. I'm not sure if I can add the Keets to the same coop. Any ideals.
Thanks

I don't recommend housing guineas and chickens together. Everything can go extremely well right up to the first guinea breeding season. Guineas that are imprinted by chickens when they are keets will not be able to distinguish the difference between guineas and chicken once they mature. Guinea habits and manners freak out other poultry because they are not capable of understanding the kinds of behavior that guineas exhibit.

I also never recommend getting a couple of keets. Guineas are a flock bird and do best in large groups. My recommendation is a minimum of 10 keets to start with.

 

[Pamela Warfield]

I don't recommend housing guineas and chickens together. Everything can go extremely well right up to the first guinea breeding season. Guineas that are imprinted by chickens when they are keets will not be able to distinguish the difference between guineas and chicken once they mature. Guinea habits and manners freak out other poultry because they are not capable of understanding the kinds of behavior that guineas exhibit.

I also never recommend getting a couple of keets. Guineas are a flock bird and do best in large groups. My recommendation is a minimum of 10 keets to start with.

Wow I had no idea. I wanted the guineas for tick control. I don't have room for a flock right now maybe next year I can build a new coop for the Keets away from the chickens. Thanks so much for the info.

 

[BlueShadow]

R2elk gave you excellent advice. In my experience, guineas and chickens don't get along particularly well after they get older. (They can free range together just fine, they tend to ignore each other, but problems with housing together). And guineas do like to be in large groups. Most of my hens are sitting on nests right now and the 7 guineas that are left are wandering the place quietly, not very happy. The other girls are around, but not coming out to play.

 

[Dmontgomery]

• Dmontgomery
• Aug 28, 2016

I have 2 guineas in with my flock. They all roost together fairly peacefully at night. Once the guineas wake up and hit the run floor in the morning, trouble starts. Especially right now, the guineas are trying to start a new brood.
All my flock freeranges sunup to sundown and get along pretty well.

• Dmontgomery
• Oct 9, 2016

I don't think I could keep them all locked up together without significant problems though.

P.S. I need to add that my guineas came here as adults. We got them from a local breeder who raised them in a separate guinea flock but around other chickens. I agree with both previous posters comments.