How do you feed your guineas when they are part of a mixed flock?

[JLeigh]

30% protein is fine for keets, or so I thought. I feed mine 30% until they're about 8 weeks old, then I start bringing the protein down. Am I wrong to do that?

 

[Kilsharion]

30% protein is fine for keets, or so I thought. I feed mine 30% until they're about 8 weeks old, then I start bringing the protein down. Am I wrong to do that?

 


It's not the keets that have an issue with 30% protein, hon. She has a mixed brooder, like I do. The 30% is about 10% higher than chicks need. So, you can sometimes split the difference and have it ok - depending on how you go about doing it. That's all we're talking about. 30% should be fine in a non-mixed brooder. Peeps is the one in the know if anyone is - I'm sure she'll say for certain. :yiipchick

Kilsharion, you're worse than I am if you're checking on your keets in the middle of the night! My husband teases me for checking on them all through the day.  I really like the idea of the soaked/fermented grains. I've been using soaked grains for our human food so it makes sense that soaking poultry feed would be similarly beneficial. I had never heard of that for poultry before- I'll have to do some more reading.

I bought a 50lb bag of wild game starter at the feed store today. It is 30% protein so I plan to mix it with the 20% chick starter I already have to make a 25-27% protein mix for the guineas.

So we're only on day 2 with the keets and they are so adorable and SO active. They are smaller than the chicks and ducklings, of course, but more active and "wild". They are French guineas so I would imagine they are slightly bigger than the normal keets. They remind me quite a bit of some Japanese banty chicks we had last spring.

 


The ones in that video are French Guineas, also. They grow fast. I couldn't believe how fast they feathered out. In no time at all (much quicker than my chicks) I had to put a lid on the brooder to keep them in. We were slow about the lid on the new brooder....fun times chasing keets around the room trying to catch them!!

Edit: Makingshift, I just now noticed you are right down the road from me. How funny is that. You should come join us on the Texas thread.

 

[makingshift]

I separated the keets and put them in a second brooder so I could totally feed them that 30% protein feed if that is good for them. The chicks and ducklings are in the first box and they are getting 20%. If PeepsCA okays the 30% then I'm gonna go for it!

I can already tell that those keets are gonna need a lid on the brooder soon! They are so lively.

Quote: Thanks! I will do that.

 

[PeepsCA]

Oops, sorry I didn't know you were looking for input on your game bird starter... yes the 30% protein is fine for the keets, and lots of people use it (I feed Purina Startena that has 30% protein in it to my quail, mixed with wild bird seed mixes). They will grow very fast on it. If it's not medicated (not sure of your chick starter is medicated or not) just be sure to keep an eye out for any signs of coccidiosis. (Fluffed up, depressed keets with droopy wings can indicate an cocci overload). And if your keets start growing frizzled looking feathers while on the 30%, it may just be from the extra protein but they will molt them out in a few weeks.

And yes, by 2 weeks old they will be all over the place or even up in the rafters if the brooder doesn't have a top on it, lol. In the wild they normally feather out really fast in order to be able to fly at a young age and get off the ground away from predators.

 

[PeepsCA]

30% protein is fine for keets, or so I thought. I feed mine 30% until they're about 8 weeks old, then I start bringing the protein down. Am I wrong to do that?

Nope, you're not wrong... I just prefer to raise my keets on Amprolium medicated feeds for the first 6-8 wks since I hatch/raise/sell a million keets each season (ok not quite that many but it seems like it's that many come September each season, lol). I definitely do NOT need a cocci outbreak in my brooder system, nor do I want to send any keets out of here with a borderline cocci overload that may end up taking them out shortly after they are sold with the added stress of being caught, handled, and transported to a new home. The only starter feeds I can get here that are medicacted are only 27 or 28% tho, otherwise I would go for the 30% if I could.

 

[makingshift]

Thanks, everyone. This has been super helpful!

 

[JLeigh]

Peeps, I've never used feed with Amprolium. Am I asking for trouble? I read (somewhere) that coccidiosis usually occurs when they're on the ground and not in a brooder. I know you keep your brooders immaculately clean, and so do I. Maybe I should feed them a lower protein with Amprolium? Your opinion will be appreciated. .

 

[chickadee101]

guineas aren't very picky! i have two guineas and 27 chickens, and they eat the chicken feed. but, i feed my chickens layer pellets which is maybe a little different, (but actually works better!

) i don't have ducks or quails so i can't help you there...

 

[chickadee101]

i know some people feed their ducks duck feed and their chickens chicken feed, yet their ducks would just end up eating the chicken feed. i say it's fine but if you are seriously concerned do some research online!

 

[PeepsCA]

Peeps, I've never used feed with Amprolium. Am I asking for trouble? I read (somewhere) that coccidiosis usually occurs when they're on the ground and not in a brooder. I know you keep your brooders immaculately clean, and so do I. Maybe I should feed them a lower protein with Amprolium? Your opinion will be appreciated. .

Probably not, a lot of people do not feed medicated starter feed and have no issues. It's mostly preventative on my part because I hatch and sell so many, but really even medicated feed won't do much to help stop a cocci outbreak if it's going to happen.

My brooders are not kept immaculate by any means... that's kind of impossible, keets are insane little poop machines, lol but I try to keep them clean as I can and always disinfect brooders, feeders and waterers between every batch of keets as I move them to larger brooders or sell them etc.