Just ordered my first keets!

[Tre3hugger]

Just ordered my first guineas! Got 15 french guinea keets from JM Hatchery, set to arrive end of next week. I plan on having a divided vrooder with keets in one side and chicks in the other. I am so excited! Cannot wait for the entertainment and pest control that I am sure will come with these birds. I plan to free range them on my unfenced five acres, but hope to coop train them for night time. Should be a fun and interesting challenge! Anyone have any experience with JM Hatchery? Advice or anecdotes for a first time owner? Pictures of your guineas guineaing?

Hurrayay!!!

 

[CaloosaBirds]

I'm excited for you! Let us know how the shipping goes. I'm still looking for where to order from, so I'm VERY interested!

 

[hysop]

I had 18 keets once but when they got to around 2 months old my dog got a few of them while free ranging.

So I decided that next time I get keets I will wait til they’re 6+ months before letting them free range.

I have 6 adult males now and just yesterday they got close to the road even though I have 35+ acres they could have gone anywhere BUT the road, silly guineas!

The good news is they are coop trained, technically pen trained since they enter their pen a little before the sun goes down, but they’ve also seen some of their friends get taken by hawks so I think they know their pen is safe.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Just ordered my first guineas! Got 15 french guinea keets from JM Hatchery, set to arrive end of next week. I plan on having a divided vrooder with keets in one side and chicks in the other. I am so excited! Cannot wait for the entertainment and pest control that I am sure will come with these birds. I plan to free range them on my unfenced five acres, but hope to coop train them for night time. Should be a fun and interesting challenge! Anyone have any experience with JM Hatchery? Advice or anecdotes for a first time owner? Pictures of your guineas guineaing?

Hurrayay!!!

Sounds like a fun chapter of poultry keeping! I’m sure you’ll get lots of responses as you have questions... Do you have a plan for where you’ll be keeping the keets as juveniles and adults? I’m posting some pics of our babies from keets to juveniles from last summer. My DD says she is amazed that such adorable babies grow to be such ugly birds, though I love the adults too!

 

[Tre3hugger]

Do you have a plan for where you’ll be keeping the keets as juveniles and adults?

Right now plans is all I have. I'm working on a mobile tractor for the juvie keets and chicks. Then the male chickens will go in the freezer and the pullets integrated as layers. The guineas will be introduced to the pallet coop i'm building them. Kinda basing it off R2elk's design, but trying to scavenge all materials.