Keenagers in Early Winter

[Beccatrix]

We'll get our 29 keets in early September, they'll go outside to their shed and run in early November, and will be free range age around the time WI starts getting hit with significant cold and snow. Any input on fall keets in cold places would be appreciated!

 

[R2elk]

We'll get our 29 keets in early September, they'll go outside to their shed and run in early November, and will be free range age around the time WI starts getting hit with significant cold and snow. Any input on fall keets in cold places would be appreciated!

Be very wary with their first snow. Mine took to the trees and refused to come down. When I chased them they flew from tree to tree. They were not going to get down on that nasty white stuff.

I made a landing area by spreading hay on the snow leading into the coop. That worked.

 

[southwind00]

We'll get our 29 keets in early September, they'll go outside to their shed and run in early November, and will be free range age around the time WI starts getting hit with significant cold and snow. Any input on fall keets in cold places would be appreciated!

At 12 or so weeks old they will be quite timid and probably not wanting to range very far. Which is good, because they will be pretty stupid while learning the lay of the land and very vulnerable to what ever winged and ground predators you have around. I'd limit their time and make sure you have given them a bunch of training so they have a secure coop they want to return to every night. It only takes a few stragglers to attract the unwanted. Good luck.

 

[Sydney65]

Last yr I had a single November hatcher who overwintered inside. When she was 12 weeks we were into March when the weather is all over the place. I was just starting to take her outside for short supervised excursions.
Meanwhile there were 3 out in the coop, a 3 yr old female and 2 less than a year males who were as big as the female. I opted to provide radiant heat for them when it was really cold bc w/only 3, there wasn't much body heat going on.
There are assumptions made in these answers:
Assuming all 29 keets survive the 1st 4-6 wks
Assuming that your shed provides adequate shelter w/enough ventilation but free from drafts,moisture and predators.

If your shed is close enough to the house that you can keep an eye on it and the weather is still mild, you can move them to the coop at 4-6 weeks -October. That gives them the chance to better acclimate to changing temps. They'll still be small, but learning to fly and graze.
At 12 weeks, they'll be abt the length of a full grown guinea, but lean. Since you know the weather will be chancey and you are providing a secure run, my suggestion would be that that you leave until early spring before introducing free ranging.
You can in the meantime be taking them out under your supervision when there isn't snow on the ground, but providing security of run when you aren't around.
If you're going for tick control, they hibernate once it hits freezing,& there's not going to be much else to forage, so you'll have to feed them anyway, and you'll be establishing the coop as the home they need to return to before nightfall.
One theory I've read is that overcast days with snow on the ground confuses them bc the sky and ground are both white. My 3 were picking through the snow last year when they saw a coyote. It was the next day before I convinced 2 of them to come out of tree. One stayed another night through freezing rain.
The sleet pelting him couldn't have been fun but I was more concerned that an owl would come along.
We always stress locking guineas up before dark bc they can't see in the dark. If the inside of the coop is dark, they won't go in. If they're in the tree when it gets dark, they won't move. The flight of an owl is silent, so basically goons are sitting ducks at night.
By 6 months they're considered grown, but 3 months in the dead of winter with no foliage to conceal them, I'm afraid you'd not have many left by spring.