HELP--keets are hatching now!

Youknowmyname57

Chirping
7 Years
Jul 25, 2013
33
3
87
My d'uccle went broody on a dozen guinea eggs 26 days ago. She is brooding in a private corner of the coop behind an old upturned drawer. Today when I got home from work I checked and 4 have hatched--all fluffy and seem healthy, and more eggs are pipping. I'm not sure how many because I didn't want to bother her.) Although I have raised babies before I've never hatched them out so,naturally, I have questions:

Are the keets okay to stay their with their surrogate mom? The coop is large and multi-leveled and during the day they have access to a large enclosed pen. It is shared with 3 other guineas (mom, dad, and uncle), my silkie roo, 2 juvenile roos and pullet, and 2 other hens. They don't seem to be bothering the babies at all right now but I want to make sure they stay safe. I don't want to pull the babies from Mom and want her to raise them--will that be okay? Will she keep them warm enough? The nights here are getting down to the 50's and 60's. When I went down today two were already out from under her so I built the edges of the nest up more. I don't want them to fall out and freeze to death.

How long before I put out food and water for the keets?

How long before the keets can go to their new homes?

Any other advice will be appreciated!

Thanks!!!
 
Seven fluffy healthy keets, one zipping, one tapping, but 2 eggs have been too quiet---and a very happy hen! Thanks for asking!
 
I have 2 female guinea. They have been laying on there eggs for almost a month now. I think there are babies in them. I think I am hearing little peeps from inside them. But how do I know if they are duds?
 
I don't have Guineas, just chickens, ducks and 1 turkey. So take what I say with a grain of salt. I usually let my broody hens hatch their in the coop, but I remove her and the chicks (and sometimes the daddy) to there own pen. I just worry the other animals may step on a baby by accident. I put food in very shallow containers when they are all hatched.
With chicks you can sell them right after they hatch. I have a Silkie with two babies right now. They are nearly 3 weeks old, but I don't want to sell them, so they can stay with mom.
I hope this helps some. Let us know how they do...
 
Hi...I have been raising Guineas for a long time and have had successful hatches with incubator and Mother Nature doing her thing.

Keep the mom and keets separated from the others in the beginning. If mom doesn't have too many she will be able to take care of the warmth but it wouldn't hurt to hang a heat lamp for the times mom may need to move about. It is similar to raising chicks from the hatch. I will say that if mom stays with them until they are old enough to wander away from her, the keets will not be easy to handle and the mom will not welcome your approaching them! She will be very protective! I like to get her away from them when the keets are fully feathered. Mom will protest but in a day or so she will welcome her freedom! At about 3 months you can let them mingle without much worry...you will have to watch the actions towards the keets. sometimes the adults can get a bit aggressive. but by then they are big enough to run. Give them someplace to hide under like a board propped up against a wall. I hope by now they are drinking & eating! Do the same as with chicks...dip beak in water. Crumbles for food. Also, get the book "Gardening With Guineas". lots of info. Good luck!
 
Thanks for the great info! Mom has 8 healthy keets that are eating, drinking, and playing. Two eggs were duds and two keets are in the house with me as they aren't doing well; their eggs rolled into the water dish as they were hatching and the membrane soaked some of the water up THEN the dog grabbed one of the eggs while I was reaching for the other and took the shell off-hurt the keet's head too. One eye is swollen shut and he was bleeding. Anyways, I put a rabbit cage next to the nesting box and rigged it so the keets can run and they are. I did also hook up a heat lamp today but so far Mom is doing a great job! Question: the hen has been cooped up in there with no break since the first one hatched Wednesday. I was thinking about taking her out in the run with the other adults for a short time. The keets have the heat lamp and I'm taking chopped egg down to them so I know they'll be okay. Is that a good idea or not? She seems happy but I feel bad for her sitting there for all this time.
 
As long as Mom can get out of the nesting area, and the babies can't, she will leave when she is ready. But you can push her out and see how she reacts. Keep keets in the house for at least 6 weeks so they know where home is.
 
Vick the Hen is in a rabbit cage and brooder box with her chicks and she can't get out. They're in the big coop so the other chickens and guineas can get used to them. I did take her out twice yesterday and once today and she wanted no part of it. She ran right back into the coop to the babies and waited for me to put her back in with them. She is a wonderful mom. Today I gave her bread (her favorite treat) and she would bite off a piece and put it in front of the keets.
 
She sure is a good mom! Just give her the opportunity each day to get out if you can... My last hen only hatched ONE egg! She and he were very attached. One night I went in to check on them. He was maybe 8 weeks. They both had taken to perching at night. I panicked when I didn't see him next to mom! After I calmed down and focused on her I realized he was sleeping on her back! So sweet... Sadly, I only have 3 males left and the chickens...what a combo! The baby guin is now about 5 and he hate the chickens. HE was there first and he really lets them know
 

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