Introducing eight week old keets to their parents having hatched them in an incubator

[Pollmadoll]

I am facing reintroducing two eight week old guinea keets to their parents although they were hatched in an incubator. Any tips?

 

[R2elk]

I am facing reintroducing two eight week old guinea keets to their parents although they were hatched in an incubator. Any tips?

I have a cage that I set up in the coop. I put the keets in it with food and water. When the other guineas stop trying to attack the cage, I will let one keet out and see what happens. If everything goes well I keep releasing one keet a day until they are all released.

The see but no touch gives them time to get acquainted with each other.

 

[Pollmadoll]

I have a cage that I set up in the coop. I put the keets in it with food and water. When the other guineas stop trying to attack the cage, I will let one keet out and see what happens. If everything goes well I keep releasing one keet a day until they are all released.

The see but no touch gives them time to get acquainted with each other.

I have a cage that I set up in the coop. I put the keets in it with food and water. When the other guineas stop trying to attack the cage, I will let one keet out and see what happens. If everything goes well I keep releasing one keet a day until they are all released.

The see but no touch gives them time to get acquainted with each other.

I am intending to put the keets in a separate run for a bit so that the adults will get to know they are in there and their noise. But I am very nervous of when to release them together could there be territorial issues

 

[R2elk]

I am intending to put the keets in a separate run for a bit so that the adults will get to know they are in there and their noise. But I am very nervous of when to release them together could there be territorial issues

That should work. Just wait until the attacks at the separating wire stop. It is usually easier to introduce more guineas to a small flock than it is with a larger flock.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I am intending to put the keets in a separate run for a bit so that the adults will get to know they are in there and their noise. But I am very nervous of when to release them together could there be territorial issues

That’s how I merged mine too. It took forever but they eventually accepted them.

 

[Sydney65]

That’s how I merged mine too. It took forever but they eventually accepted them.

This is just a theoretical curiosity- not something I've tried, but wonder abt. I didn't put young keets in w/adults, but last yr I took them out & stood next to the run w/them. It was Rosie's reaction that made me wonder:
She had a nest in the coop, -or a depository?- but wasn't broody. When she would hear the keets chirping, she instantly ran inside to her nest & then come back out a few minutes later, as if checking to confirm it wasn't any of hers hatching.
She did not, as the males did, come to the fence to investigate, but repeated the action of going inside to check every time the keets chirped.
Her behavior made me wonder if a hen cld be fooled into thinking her eggs were hatching even though she wasn't broody, if anyone has ever tried moving pipping eggs to a nest to hatch, & if so, were those keets better integrated to flock.
Possibly/probably a foolish question that has been tried or wld be done if it worked, but I'm curious.

 

[R2elk]

This is just a theoretical curiosity- not something I've tried, but wonder abt. I didn't put young keets in w/adults, but last yr I took them out & stood next to the run w/them. It was Rosie's reaction that made me wonder:
She had a nest in the coop, -or a depository?- but wasn't broody. When she would hear the keets chirping, she instantly ran inside to her nest & then come back out a few minutes later, as if checking to confirm it wasn't any of hers hatching.
She did not, as the males did, come to the fence to investigate, but repeated the action of going inside to check every time the keets chirped.
Her behavior made me wonder if a hen cld be fooled into thinking her eggs were hatching even though she wasn't broody, if anyone has ever tried moving pipping eggs to a nest to hatch, & if so, were those keets better integrated to flock.
Possibly/probably a foolish question that has been tried or wld be done if it worked, but I'm curious.

It would definitely depend on the human friendliness of the flock. I would not attempt it with my flock because they are not human friendly. The only time that my guineas come near me is when I am knocking millers off of the door jamb. At that point their desire for the millers overcomes there desire to stay away from me.

I would not give pipped eggs to a guinea hen that is not broody. It would very likely result in dead keets from not being sat on. You could try it with a broody hen. If you could get the hen to accept the eggs, and they survived long enough to become part of the flock, they would be readily accepted by the flock.

In my case, any messing with their nests in their sight results in abandonment of the nest. I also don't trust them to successfully raise the keets.

 

[Tre3hugger]

I agree with some see no touch time. I am currently integrating 4 keets with my existing flock of 5. It has been very hot here so when the keets were 4 weeks I removed them from the brooder and sectioned off a bit of the guinea coop for them to live. They will stay in there for four weeks, integrating with the flock and hopefully homing themselves to the coop. At 8 weeks they will be released with the flock to range in the day and hopefully coop up at night.

 

[Sydney65]

I agree with some see no touch time. I am currently integrating 4 keets with my existing flock of 5. It has been very hot here so when the keets were 4 weeks I removed them from the brooder and sectioned off a bit of the guinea coop for them to live. They will stay in there for four weeks, integrating with the flock and hopefully homing themselves to the coop. At 8 weeks they will be released with the flock to range in the day and hopefully coop up at night.

Yes, that's how I moved mine out last yr, sort of. Their "brooder" was a lg clear tote, so I slid the tote under the drop board. The tote had a screen on top and drilled holes, so they got air, and were seen & able to see, but not reach. When they got older, I used a saudering iron to cut an opening in the side just big enough for the keets to move in & out of, but not the adults. That way when they ventured out, they cld easily escape if needed. During free range time, the keets were in the covered kennel, the adults free. The the adult males stayed near the kennel at all times. It was comical, bc the keets were actually small enough to slip between the bars of kennel & escape, but I didn't have to worry much bc no matter which side they exited, there was a male to thunk them on the head & nudge them back in the kennel. Rosie was near by, but I think only bc the males were. She wld side step the keets, not interact at all.

 

[Sydney65]

It would definitely depend on the human friendliness of the flock. I would not attempt it with my flock because they are not human friendly. The only time that my guineas come near me is when I am knocking millers off of the door jamb. At that point their desire for the millers overcomes there desire to stay away from me.

I would not give pipped eggs to a guinea hen that is not broody. It would very likely result in dead keets from not being sat on. You could try it with a broody hen. If you could get the hen to accept the eggs, and they survived long enough to become part of the flock, they would be readily accepted by the flock.

In my case, any messing with their nests in their sight results in abandonment of the nest. I also don't trust them to successfully raise the keets.

I thought of you this a.m. & chuckled; wished I'd had my phone to get a pic for you.
I decided it was time to trim nails so headed out w/the clippers & a towel to lay on my lap.
It's a gorgeous day, sunny, cool. I sat at the patio & got Rosie's nails done, and then we sat & enjoyed the morning, her on my lap, unrestrained, contently cocoing.
The chuckling came as I thought R2Elk is never going to believe this...