I bought some guinea keets.... How can I keep them home?

[hennypenny99]

I first tried to hatch my own guinea keets in my little giant incubator. Well I had humidity issues but I did manage to hatch 3 out of 12 guineas. Only one ended up making it because I think my kids tried to play with them and they got away. I have learned that guinea keets are much, much faster than baby chicks. When I was moving them to a larger brooder I learned that when one of them jumped out of my hands. I thought we would never catch it. Anyways I couldn't have one lone guinea so I found a local lady selling newborn keets and she also had some 4 week olds. I bought th 4 week old keets (8 of them). Well I have a chicken coop with my 4 month old standard sized chickens in it. I leave their gate open and they put themselves to bed and get up early in the morning to free range. I don't shut the gate and so far (knock on wood) I haven't had any trouble with predators getting them at night. This is what I want my guineas to do eventually. Free range and then come to roost with my chickens in the coop. I was afraid to put them with my big chickens right off because they would have picked on them.

I put the guineas in my chicken tractor with my silkies. The silkies are so calm and docile that they don't pick on the young guineas at all. I have had the guineas for a week now in the silkie pen. How should I do this? Do I need to build a small pen inside of my large chicken coop and move the guineas over there? I read that you have to keep them penned up for at least 6 weeks on your property or they will leave. I can't leave them in with my silkies for 6 weeks because there is not enough room and I want them to think of the big coop as home. So I am thinking build a temporary pen in the corner of the chicken coop and let them become accustomed to that spot for 6 weeks. Then what do I do? Just open the door to their small pen and let them start exploring? Someone told me they did that and they all ran away. I really want to have guineas. I have a variety of colors too. Pearl, Pied, and brown. I hope they won't leave. Also, I have one pied guinea that "sings" I was told that only the females do that (ka chonk, ka chonk, ka chonk). So does this mean that I only have ONE Female? I hope not! Any guinea advise would be appreciated.

 

[AlienChick]

I recently purchased guineas (5-week-olds) and I put them in a large dog crate inside my chicken coop.

I'm keeping them in the crate and outside in an enclosed run for a while until they can understand that this is "home."

I have a small run attached to the coop that I put the guineas in so they can be outside while the other chickens are free ranging.

On occasion, I'll put some chickens inside the run with the little guineas (supervised only).

I'm really hoping they don't all run away when it's time to let them out with the chickens.

 

[mamawolf544]

Just let a couple out at a time. The one's left behind will make so much racket the other's will come back to roost. Do that everyday for about a week, letting a few more go. And usually they figure it out that way.
I have a bunch that free range, and they go far away from my property, hunting grasshoppers I'm sure, but they are back every evening. I have keets lose in my barn, the big Guineas keep coming after them but they are too afraid to go.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
I would do the separate pen thing. As the Guineas get bigger they will get more active I wouldn't let them free range till they are a much much older. I plan on waiting till they are at least three months. When I had chickens and guineas together before I provided extra feed stations so that everyone had easy access to food it kept down squabbles at feed time. Same went for water. I have Eleven Keets now that are six weeks old and they are going in their own coop. I have 33 more one week olds that will be brooding for at least four weeks before I take them up to the house. None will be allowed free range outside without supervision and not before they are 12 weeks and even then I am not certain. (I have a huge run that can accomodate everyone without trouble.