Introducing half grown Keats to rest of flock?

[dfarmann]

We have had a great year incubating eggs and hatching Keats.

We have split the Guinea house in two so the adults and Keats have been seeing each other, plus the Keats have access to an enclosed outside area.

The only other time we tried this the adults chased the Keats till they ran themselves to death.

So what do we need to do to successfully commingle these two groups? We have 30 Keats to group with 9 adults and one flower bed raised Keat.

TIA, Dave.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

We have had a great year incubating eggs and hatching Keats.

We have split the Guinea house in two so the adults and Keats have been seeing each other, plus the Keats have access to an enclosed outside area.

The only other time we tried this the adults chased the Keats till they ran themselves to death.

So what do we need to do to successfully commingle these two groups? We have 30 Keats to group with 9 adults and one flower bed raised Keat.

TIA, Dave.

Sounds like you are well on your way to successful integration since you’ve already set up a “look but don’t touch” zone. How old are the keets? I really don’t like integrating poultry and have not always had the best success myself. If you look through some of the guinea forum, you’ll find numerous posters who have been happy with their integration efforts, using the look don’t touch method. @R2elk has reported success by watching for signs that the older guineas are accepting the young ones by no longer attempting it to attack through the wire partition.

I have myself introduced juvenile keets last fall using similar methods, but mine didn’t integrate as well as I’d hoped: they remained separate flocks with some aggression between them. Then last spring, the younger guineas got way to adventurous and led the older guineas off property and into roads.... Now that those younger guineas are entering their second fall, the whole flock is finally spending most of their time as a single group; it just took a very long time (a year) to get to that point, amd there are still divisions. Best of luck with your integration!

 

[My2butterflies]

Are the adults free ranged?

I’ve integrated two groups of keets to my adults this year. The first was a group of 13 keets and the second was 4 I hatched from my adults eggs.
I use the “see no touch” method by setting up a pen in the main coop.
My first group of keets went the smoothest because they were almost evenly matched with the adults. 13 keets to 12 adults.
The second group took a little bit of a beating once let out, but with plenty of obstacles in the coop they managed fine while they were all closed up together.
30 keets to 9 adults sounds like the little ones should do fine just based on numbers alone.
In the past how many keets/juveniles have you introduced to the flock when they chased them to death?

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

I haven't had much luck integrating except for the latest bunch of Guinea parent raised keets and they are still not enclosed with everyone else, just free ranging togther.

Free ranging together was always the first step for me to integrate, so that the weakers ones could escape attacks.

Lots of hiding places (open on more than one side, so someone could not get trapped) and roosting bars and feeder and waterers - new platforms and roosting bars when you lock them up together also help

most important is to observe, I found, for more than 30 min. to see how things are going and seperate, if needed

I would not break down the old enclosures - you may need to use them to back up a step when/if things don't work out

 

[dfarmann]

Are the adults free ranged?

I’ve integrated two groups of keets to my adults this year. The first was a group of 13 keets and the second was 4 I hatched from my adults eggs.
I use the “see no touch” method by setting up a pen in the main coop.
My first group of keets went the smoothest because they were almost evenly matched with the adults. 13 keets to 12 adults.
The second group took a little bit of a beating once let out, but with plenty of obstacles in the coop they managed fine while they were all closed up together.
30 keets to 9 adults sounds like the little ones should do fine just based on numbers alone.
In the past how many keets/juveniles have you introduced to the flock when they chased them to death?

Are the adults free ranged?

I’ve integrated two groups of keets to my adults this year. The first was a group of 13 keets and the second was 4 I hatched from my adults eggs.
I use the “see no touch” method by setting up a pen in the main coop.
My first group of keets went the smoothest because they were almost evenly matched with the adults. 13 keets to 12 adults.
The second group took a little bit of a beating once let out, but with plenty of obstacles in the coop they managed fine while they were all closed up together.
30 keets to 9 adults sounds like the little ones should do fine just based on numbers alone.
In the past how many keets/juveniles have you introduced to the flock when they chased them to death?

Are the adults free ranged? Yes the 9 three year old adults are free range, with a barnyard hatched keet.

In the past how many keets/juveniles have you introduced to the flock when they chased them to death? We tried integrating two into a flock of about twenty adults.

Are the adults free ranged?

I’ve integrated two groups of keets to my adults this year. The first was a group of 13 keets and the second was 4 I hatched from my adults eggs.
I use the “see no touch” method by setting up a pen in the main coop.
My first group of keets went the smoothest because they were almost evenly matched with the adults. 13 keets to 12 adults.
The second group took a little bit of a beating once let out, but with plenty of obstacles in the coop they managed fine while they were all closed up together.
30 keets to 9 adults sounds like the little ones should do fine just based on numbers alone.
In the past how many keets/juveniles have you introduced to the flock when they chased them to death?

Yes the adults are free range.

We tried introducing two into a group of about twenty.

 

[My2butterflies]

Are the adults free ranged? Yes the 9 three year old adults are free range, with a barnyard hatched keet.

In the past how many keets/juveniles have you introduced to the flock when they chased them to death? We tried integrating two into a flock of about twenty adults.

Yes the adults are free range.

We tried introducing two into a group of about twenty.

That would make sense on why they were able to run them to death.
Integrating is never fool proof, but I think you’ll be fine this time around. With so many little ones the adults won’t have as easy of a time running specific ones down. It spreads out the chasing if there is any.
Add extra water and food stations and hiding spots with an opening and exit points. Boards leaned up against walls, upside down box with two holes, ect. Anything the little ones can hide in but still get out of easily without getting pinned inside.