I'm not going to survive through raising these babies

[R2elk]

My keets have been very interactive with me so far. They all eat out of my hands and climb on them and the runt tries to burrow and rubs it's little face and beak all over my hand when I cover it with my hand for warmth. My chicks are the first out to see me when I come in, but they definitely all come out pretty quickly.View attachment 3867330View attachment 3867331

I do not recommend brooding keets with chicks. It causes the keets to be imprinted by the chicks. When the keets grow up they will not understand that chickens are not guineas. Guineas have entirely different mannerisms and instincts than any other poultry. They will treat the chickens the same as they treat each other. Chickens don't understand the races and chases or the attacks from behind with the feather pulling and feather breaking.

Chickens don't know how to show submission in a manner that guineas understand so the guineas keep on attacking.

The problems usually start when the first breeding season starts.

 

[R2elk]

Cocci is usually an issue with build up in your actual brooder. Letting your chicks/keets out will help spread their droppings away from concentrate within your brooder. It's fine as long as it's a secure pen that is predator proof and where you can catch the babies again if needed, and has both sunny and shady parts. People don't say it much here, but you don't really need heat past like 2 weeks if it's summer and you have 15+ chicks. Heat plates are also better and more natural. Apple cider vinegar into the water will help with pasty butt. Like 4 tablespoons per gal.

Apple cider vinegar in their water will not help with pasty butt. I did my own experiments with this and proved that the ACV if anything made matters worse. It also interferes with the proper absorption of calcium.

If cocci is a problem, amprolium will not help with it at all. Corid and amprolium will work on coccidia. Cocci and coccidia are two different things.

Just a friendly reminder on coccidiosis vs cocci

 

[R2elk]

Coccidiosis in Poultry

"Coccidia are species specific, so cross infection is not seen."

The keets will not get the same kind of coccidia that your chickens get.

 

[Gill-b]

People don't say it much here, but you don't really need heat past like 2 weeks if it's summer

[I was in a totally different situation when I rescued a keet, so please don't anyone take what I am about to type as advise in any form - I am simply responding and adding to what Whittni has written:
When I rescued the keet when it was at a day old, I was unprepared and so I never had any heat source for it. During the days that followed we spent much of the day time outside, free ranging, in the garden. At night I placed it inside a wollen beanie hat, that was layed flat on its side like a sleeping bag, where it snuggled down as if it were snuggling under a wing. It stayed in the beanie until it heard me in the morning and then it would rush out to greet me (and it never had poop on its feet or feathers). The factors to consider are that: - here in South Africa the keet was in its natural environment; - it was summer time; and therefore it was warm at night.
The beanie made it very easy to clean away the poop the keet had made during the night - I just tipped it inside out each morning into my compost heap. Fortunately the keet never made a cecal poop during the night. (Boy was it a surprise to me to learn about cecal poop!)
After about two weeks, which is the same time frame that Whittni mentioned, the keet no longer wanted to sleep inside the beany anymore.]

 

[SamLockwood]

Keets are literally HORRIBLE to raise. They always make chicks raised with them spooky and bad with human keepers. Don't sweat it too bad. Chickens are 1000% better than guineas, especially when rearing chicks.

Most of that is contrary to my own experience. Guinea keets are bit more high maintenance the first couple of weeks, but I've never noticed that it makes chickens raised with them being "spooky and bad with human keepers."

 

[SamLockwood]

As far as the OP goes, guinea keets are a more high-maintenance than chicks the first week to 10 days. They like to get pasty butt, spraddle leg, and they're very vulnerable to chills. The last includes making sure their water is room temperature to slightly warm before giving it to them.

As R2Elk said, I wouldn't worry about vaccines or dirty feet. Unless you've got a mesh-floor brooder they're messy little twerps.

As far as taking them outside, when it comes to chicks and keets I move them to an outside brooder as early as 2 weeks as long as the weather is mild. If it's spring or fall I leave a heat plate out there until they're 5 to 6 weeks old.

The brooder has a raised design with a mini-run below it, and after they have a week or two to get used to their new home I drop the ramp that gives them access to "outside." Among other things, it aids in integrating them with my adults as they get a look-see with each other.

If you don't have a secure run for them outdoors, the biggest dangers with young keets (or chicks) is going to be the adult birds and predators as long as they can't get wet.

I don't start any sort of "free range" time until they're much older: 6 to 8 weeks old.

 

[SplendidDogFeet]

As far as the OP goes, guinea keets are a more high-maintenance than chicks the first week to 10 days. They like to get pasty butt, spraddle leg, and they'r

As R2Elk said, I wouldn't worry about vaccines or dirty feet. Unless you've got a mesh-floor brooder they're messy little twerps.

Thank you so much for your response! I don't get to ignore the dirty feet- it gets so caked that it splays their feet and toes and they can't walk properly. I bought sand and built a small sand box for the brooder plate and now I just have to hope for the best, I guess.

 

[SplendidDogFeet]

I can't thank y'all enough for all this invaluable information. I am learning a lot and feeling a bit more hopeful.

 

[Some Old Guy]

Lawn clippings seemed to help with my keets. I used a "deep litter" method with my brooder*, I tossed about six inches of biodegradables in the bottom, and turned droppings under each day. At the first sign of pasty butt, I went out and collected a bunch of green stuff from around the property. Not knowing what they would like to eat, I snipped a few things here, a few more there, from the regularly mowed lawn as well as the undergrowth among the trees. The keets went nuts over it, and the pasty butt went away. Daily routine, I turned poop under, added some fresh green clippings, then fed the little monsters their game bird mix.

*I learned quickly that a "deep litter" brooder doesn't work for ducks, LOL!!

 

[GuineaMania]

That sounds really tough... I do remember when I raised my keets it was difficult at the beginning and it was super messy. Once mine grew up and were old enough to get out of the brooder things got more manageable. Good luck!

Ps. My guinea fowl are 12 weeks and still like me.