Hello I'm new

[agedog1]

Hi fellow Guinea enthusiast

I purchased a house near Ellijay, GA (in the mountains) and will be living here full time with my Service dog = Ms. Stella, Sun Conure = Heshe bird, and now I have two Guinea keets = approximately 4 - 6 weeks old - not named yet. My girlfriends son is building a mobile coop for them. Currently they are in my Heshe Birds travel cage. I am changing papers their 2 - 3 times a day - they poop everywhere. At first I thought it was them that smelled so bad - nope it's there high protein baby feed. Any advice appreciated.

Chere at the Creek House

 

[Lazy Farmer]

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[R2elk]

Hi fellow Guinea enthusiast

I purchased a house near Ellijay, GA (in the mountains) and will be living here full time with my Service dog = Ms. Stella, Sun Conure = Heshe bird, and now I have two Guinea keets = approximately 4 - 6 weeks old - not named yet. My girlfriends son is building a mobile coop for them. Currently they are in my Heshe Birds travel cage. I am changing papers their 2 - 3 times a day - they poop everywhere. At first I thought it was them that smelled so bad - nope it's there high protein baby feed. Any advice appreciated.

Chere at the Creek House

Read Raising Guinea Fowl 101 and pay particular attention to posts made by @PeepsCA

I never recommend having fewer than 10 guineas as they are a flock bird and do best in large groups. I do not recommend raising them with chicks because of the imprinting removing their ability to distinguish that the chickens are not guineas.

Do a search for the old thread where the OP explains why a chicken tractor did not work for her guineas.

 

[agedog1]

Will be getting two more Guineas, meanwhile a question. Should I let the baby guineas feed all day or should I take their feed box out every couple of hours? Let me know as I am unable to find post on babies and their eating. The feed store gave me a high quality protein baby food for them. Thus far I have cleaned their indoor cage 6 times today. Maybe letting them have their feed available is a bad idea? Please let me know

 

[MatthewsHomestead]

Welcome to the BYC!!!!! Congrats on your babies!!!!!

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC - provide feed ad lib. Advice : get them outside as soon as is possible. Good luck with your Guinea flock.

 

[SimplyLivinthatFarmLife]

Hello and Welcome to BYC ! We are so glad you joined us. We moved our guinea keets outside as soon as possible because of the smell, unlike when we had baby chicks. Good luck with your housing decision for them.

 

[R2elk]

Will be getting two more Guineas, meanwhile a question. Should I let the baby guineas feed all day or should I take their feed box out every couple of hours? Let me know as I am unable to find post on babies and their eating. The feed store gave me a high quality protein baby food for them. Thus far I have cleaned their indoor cage 6 times today. Maybe letting them have their feed available is a bad idea? Please let me know

I keep feed in front of all my poultry including the keets all of the time. Keets have a very high metabolism.

I do not know what your feed store considers a high quality baby food but keets need a high protein turkey or gamebird starter. It isn't just about the high protein but also the higher amounts of lysine, methionine and niacin that a proper turkey or gamebird starter has. Chick starter is not appropriate for guinea keets.

 

[Ghosty]

Ya, put some bedding in their cage like pine flake. You shouldn't have to replace it more than once a week. Fluff the pine flakes and turn it over once a day. The pine will also counter the bad odor.

 

[R2elk]

Ya, put some bedding in their cage like pine flake. You shouldn't have to replace it more than once a week. Fluff the pine flakes and turn it over once a day. The pine will also counter the bad odor.

Guinea keets should not be on flakes until they are at least 2 weeks old and are also getting grit. They can eat the flakes and become impacted because without grit they cannot digest it.