How delicate are guinea keets?

[Anish]

Ok, so I went down to my local feed store to talk to them about ordering some guinea keets and runner ducks. I was talking to the guy about the guineas and he was warning me about how fragile the keets were and that sometimes if you so much as walk into the room you are keeping them in, they will die from fright. Now, I have never had guineas of any size before, but that doesnt seem quite right. Could someone please tell me how fragile these little guys are going to be and is there anything I need to do, not do, or look out for?
Thanks in advance .

 

[Lollipop]

That isn't quite right. Keets are just like chicks, except for one important feature. That being that they are quite fragile for the first 2 weeks when hatched by a guinea hen. Seems that if the hen takes off through wet grass, as guines do, the keets will get cold and die. If you are gonna order them, just raise them like chicks. They should have game bird starter with protien up to around 30%, but chick starter will work, except the keets will grow slower and may be smaller as adults. Waterfowl starter, like you will use for your ducklings will work also. Noisey little buggers, but they seem to quiet down some as they mature. Ya gotta love'm. They are the clowns of the yard......Pop

 

[PeepsCA]

Keets are definitely flighty/skittish, and will scatter like cockroaches any time you get close, but I've never had a keet die from fright. Not sure why Feed store guy would say that, I think it's safe to assume he's never owned any tho lol.


The main concerns with raising young keets are keeping them warm enough (but not too hot), feeding them free choice high protein starter feed, making sure they can't fall in their waterer and drown or get soakin' wet and you also want to use some type of bedding that they can't/won't eat and fill up on that can cause them to get impacted.

 

[Anish]

Thank you soooo much! Kinda what I was thinking. This guy is kinda a dingle-berry on several levels. Oh well. fortunately I found a different place to order birds from that seems like a good place. Both feed stores get their birds from the same hatchery, but the one charges 3.50 for a pullet and the other place charges 1.80. Hmmmmm? Profit anyone? Not to mention these new folks seem like pretty good people where this other guy is just a squirrel.

So, my next question is, compared to peacocks, how loud are guineas? I personally think obnoxious birds are a riot, but I'm wondering what I'm in for with my neighbors, lol!

 

[Lollipop]

That's hilarious!! How loud are guineas? LOL. Well, depends on how many you have. All of them are LOUD, but never having pea's, not sure how they compare. Guinea hens are loud and obnoxious, because they never shut up, at least not until they mature, then they shut up......sometimes, ha, ha. They are so much fun, though. They will keep you amused. Enjoy...........Pop

 

[User105877]

Some are more vocal than others, just like any birds. I have one hen that sounds off ALL day, the other is pretty quiet. However when they see ANYTHING out of the ordinary, they all go off!!!

Peeps you have some awesome colors in your flock.

 

[PeepsCA]

Thanks eric, took me quite a while and lots of hatching to get my color variety going!

I really need to make a recording of my Guineas for people that ask if Guineas are loud... I have 45 buck-wheaters that are pretty much squawking all day... and when all 85 of my Guineas sound the alarm... holy cow lol, my 5 dogs howl, the donkey brays and the goats get into the chorus too... it's ridiculous

I have one flock that's been really ticked off at me ever since I removed some dead vegetation from one side of the outside of their pen, I guess they feel that I took away their safety/security blanket or something (I was trying to give them more sunlight so the Hens would start laying, geeze!). They give me heck any time they see me now, wether they are in the pen or out free ranging... lol

 

[Anish]

Thanks for the replies!
I have been watching youtube vidoes of guineas and I have no doubt that I would have a blast with them. My husband however, is not a big noise person.
Soooo, not sure if I can get him to go for the guineas.

 

[WalkingWolf1]

Guineas are a hoot -- you'll love them. You husband on the other hand -- they'll grow on him. We had guineas when I was growing up and they were awesome alarms. I, personally, have not had guineas in many years and a friend of mine called me up last week with his first egg clutch discovery of 2012. Here is a pic of the 48 eggs he brought over. He called me up this afternoon to say the same nest now has another dozen eggs.

 

[Anish]

I think that if I'm going to do this then I am going to have to start small and see how it goes. Originally I had planned on 6 until I showed my husband a video on youtube of a bunch of em hollering. My comment was "aren't they cool?" and my husband's comment was "I don't know if I can deal with that". So, I think if this is going to happen at all, I am going to have to start with two of em. Oh well, maybe he will get used to them and we can add to the flock (of two, lol) next year.
Thanks for the responses .