Let the noise begin!

[Sundial]

No, really; they're so tiny but I can clearly hear them across the house when it's completely silent! Anyway, my dad and I are pretty new to this so we'd like any feedback that can be offered. The temperature seems right and we've got marbles in their water, but Dad set this up while I was away so I wanted to post here and make sure we're doing this right.

• I found a ziplock bag nearby marked "flock starter", is this okay for the moment since they're probably about a day old? I understand we'll probably want to get some game bird feed soon-ish.
• Their food dish is temporary until we can find something better, they tend to slip on it.
• When can we start handling them safely and how should they be handled?
• When can we give them treats and what kind? Millet is definitely on the "to-get" list when they reach the right age for millet training.
• Best age to let them free-roam?

I figure these have been asked a million times, sorry!

 

[silkiechicken]

Edit: The following words here are for chickens, not guinea fowl!

If flock starter is the same as "chick starter" then that is fine. Most feed a "chick starter" which is usually over 20% protein for the first 16-20 weeks of life or until point of lay. Treats can be scratch, grain, oats, millet, bird seed. Feeders and water bottles can be found at the feed store. At this age you can teach them to drink from rabbit water bottles. You can handle now, just be mindful of them staying warm enough. They can free roam as early as you feel they are safe to do so. Just remember, everything will want to eat your chicks. Secure enclosures and older birds decrease the risk of predation.

 

[PeepsCA]

Flock starter may be Purina Flock Raiser (and only 20% protein)... but I'd get them on a high protein Game Bird, Turkey or Pheasant starter feed ASAP. Keets require a higher protein than chick starter, their nutritional needs are closer to Turkeys or Pheasants.

Handling them now as much as possible may or may not help tame them, but it doesn't hurt to try. They are wild by nature and most Guineas do not like being handled/held/touched...so do not be offended if they scream bloody murder when you catch and hold them... it's just the way they are.

Scrambled or crumbled up hard boiled eggs, plain unsweetened yogurt and super finely minced soft greens (like spinach or romaine lettuce) are fine to give them as treats now. But unless you want to deal with crop and or gizzard impactions, I'd wait to give them any solid treats (like any type of grain) until they are at least 10 days old, and then be sure to provide chick grit for them. And I'd give small amounts of treats (and grit) only for a while until you see they are handling it all well... you want them to get the bulk of their diet from the high protein starter feed tho.

Keets are a little more fragile than most baby chicks are, but once you get them over the 2 week mark they are pretty hearty. If fed correctly (high protein) they will be fully feathered and able to regulate their own body temp by 6 wks old. I start the brooder temp off (at one end only so they can get away from it) at 90-95ish, measured under the glow of the lamp on the brooder floor, then I raise it up (or use a lower watt bulb) to lower the temp 5 degrees each week until their brooder temp is equal to the ambient temps. After they are done with the brooder and heat stage they can go out to the coop (you may want to confine them to a small area in the coop for a while at first), but if you want them to return to the coop to roost each night you should keep them confined to their coop (and hopefully an attached covered run) for at least 6 wks before you let them free range so that they imprint on their coop as home/safety/where to roost and sleep... plus they get time to acclimate to the sights and sounds of your land before you start letting them free range. IMO, 12 wks old is a good time to start free ranging them... at that age they are agile, alert and more leery of danger, so they stand a better chance of surviving.

And yes your questions have been asked a lot... but not always answered correctly

Welcome to the world of Guineas

 

[silkiechicken]

Flock starter may be Purina Flock Raiser (and only 20% protein)... but I'd get them on a high protein Game Bird, Turkey or Pheasant starter feed ASAP. Keets require a higher protein than chick starter, their nutritional needs are closer to Turkeys or Pheasants.

Handling them now as much as possible may or may not help tame them, but it doesn't hurt to try. They are wild by nature and most Guineas do not like being handled/held/touched...so do not be offended if they scream bloody murder when you catch and hold them... it's just the way they are.

Scrambled or crumbled up hard boiled eggs, plain unsweetened yogurt and super finely minced soft greens (like spinach or romaine lettuce) are fine to give them as treats now. But unless you want to deal with crop and or gizzard impactions, I'd wait to give them any solid treats (like any type of grain) until they are at least 10 days old, and then be sure to provide chick grit for them. And I'd give small amounts of treats (and grit) only for a while until you see they are handling it all well... you want them to get the bulk of their diet from the high protein starter feed tho.

Keets are a little more fragile than most baby chicks are, but once you get them over the 2 week mark they are pretty hearty. If fed correctly (high protein) they will be fully feathered and able to regulate their own body temp by 6 wks old. I start the brooder temp off (at one end only so they can get away from it) at 90-95ish, measured under the glow of the lamp on the brooder floor, then I raise it up (or use a lower watt bulb) to lower the temp 5 degrees each week until their brooder temp is equal to the ambient temps. After they are done with the brooder and heat stage they can go out to the coop (you may want to confine them to a small area in the coop for a while at first), but if you want them to return to the coop to roost each night you should keep them confined to their coop (and hopefully an attached covered run) for at least 6 wks before you let them free range so that they imprint on their coop as home/safety/where to roost and sleep... plus they get time to acclimate to the sights and sounds of your land before you start letting them free range. IMO, 12 wks old is a good time to start free ranging them... at that age they are agile, alert and more leery of danger, so they stand a better chance of surviving.

And yes your questions have been asked a lot... but not always answered correctly

Welcome to the world of Guineas

LOL Listen to PeepsCA! I thought these were Chicken Chicks. Guinea fowl have different requirements and I have zero experience with them!

 

[PeepsCA]

LOL silkiechicken, I thought the fact that these are keets might have slipped by ya...

 

[silkiechicken]

LOL. That's what I get for just clicking through the generic "unanswered" posts without looking at where they are posted.

 

[Sundial]

Sorry, guess I should have mentioned what they were! We decided to get a few more royal purple keets since we have a lot of acreage for them to roam and therefore a lot of bugs for them to eat when they're bigger. You can easily tell who's older even a couple of days apart! And yes, they often scream bloody murder when I pick them up! Since they're so squirmy (awfully strong for such little things too) I make a cage with my hands so they don't squirm away from me and only let them go back when they stop squirming. Is this a good idea or am I just making it worse?

 

[silkiechicken]

You did post in the right section! Some day I might try some of these little guys. I hear they are little monsters, and by the sounds of it, they are beastly as chicks!

 

[Sundial]

I think the sound of a scared keet should be on that list of "Things that will make you go deaf if you listen for too long", yikes! Oddly enough it seems to be just the lavenders that get scared, the royal purples kick up a much less noisy fuss. We've got some 24% protein food now too.

 

[PeepsCA]

Keep handling them like you are, as much as you can. It may or may not pay off in the long run.

Your starter feed needs to be higher than 24% tho... 28-30% is better for keets.