Making introductions

[EarlJ]

Keets will be 7 weeks this Friday.
For about the last week, this has been going on:

There used to be more adults. I was down to 3, and last week one disappeared during the day. I guess the dominant male finally chased the other one off for good. Now those two - who are actually the parents of those keets - spend a big chunk of the day circling their enclosure, and the keets follow around on the inside.

The keets have only been outside in that coop for about 3 weeks, so I don't really want to start letting one or two out yet.

And I have no idea how aggressive the adults might be. I have 8 week old Jersey Giants I've been trying to introduce to the chicken flock but whenever the Guineas notice them, they start crowding them and eventually peck. When they peck, they keep walking, like if a human tapped you on the shoulder and pretended not to. So I don't know if they're being aggressive or just trolling. I get the feeling they'd be less likely to haze their own kind, but I don't know... The adults have been aware of the keets being there since they went out, but their interest has gone way up lately.

The adults I have were all raised together, and this is the first bunch of keets we've hatched, so I've never had to introduce before.

 

[My2butterflies]

How much longer till you start letting some out?
My keets are only a week old right now, so I’m a ways away from starting introductions. I’ll be following to see how everything goes!

 

[EarlJ]

I managed to let only two out.
The adults took to them right away... I saw two pecks from one of the adults, but nothing malicious or harmful. They were just hanging around the keets coop and behaving, so I went off to feed the pigs and have dinner myself.

An hour later now, and the keets have followed the adults to the area around the adult coop. The keets are keeping in constant vocal contact with their still confined siblings. As a result of the chatter, I know at least two are female - getting buckwheat calls from one outside and one inside the coop.

Everyone seems calmer now that they've been able to interact. I think the little ones like having big ones around for security, and the big ones like having the little ones around because just having each other wasn't enough. Or it could just be getting later in the day - last couple hours of sun here.

 

[EarlJ]

The keets were pretty easy to corral back in, too. I was afraid I'd get the two back in and the other four would get out, but no. The adults made a few more circles then drifted back toward their own home and eventually put themselves in. They don't do that every night, so that was a nice bonus.

 

[EarlJ]

Had a couple out again this morning. They were more difficult to get back in this time. The two went back in, and three came out... then the three went back in and the two adults followed.

The adults poked around the coop, tilting heads curiously. The keets all sat down then. I was able to coax the adults out eventually. Everyone is very well mannered so far : D

 

[My2butterflies]

Glad to hear that things are going well

 

[EarlJ]

Thank you : )
I'm glad my guineas are doing so well together. Another reminder that guineas and chickens are NOT alike - in my experience, chickens go out of their way to haze newcomers.

Had another pair out in the afternoon, but I got called away for something else. I quickly tried to get them back in and succeeded... but also got one of the adults in and didn't have time to wrangle it out.

I forgot about it until the evening when my kid was like "I only saw one guinea..." I quickly went to check, and the lot of them were all hanging out just fine. The lone loose adult had put itself away in it's own coop. In getting the other adult out, ALL of the keets followed it. Fortunately it was dusk and the keets were easy to herd back in.

I feel like I could let them all lose together and the keets would follow / be able to keep up with the adults. But I don't want to risk it yet. And I'm not sure when I should transition the keets to an All Flock feed... I was going to keep them on gamebird starter a bit longer (currently all of the adult poultry is on a layer feed, so everyone would be transitioning to All Flock + optional oyster shell)

 

[R2elk]

Thank you : )
I'm glad my guineas are doing so well together. Another reminder that guineas and chickens are NOT alike - in my experience, chickens go out of their way to haze newcomers.

Had another pair out in the afternoon, but I got called away for something else. I quickly tried to get them back in and succeeded... but also got one of the adults in and didn't have time to wrangle it out.

I forgot about it until the evening when my kid was like "I only saw one guinea..." I quickly went to check, and the lot of them were all hanging out just fine. The lone loose adult had put itself away in it's own coop. In getting the other adult out, ALL of the keets followed it. Fortunately it was dusk and the keets were easy to herd back in.

I feel like I could let them all lose together and the keets would follow / be able to keep up with the adults. But I don't want to risk it yet. And I'm not sure when I should transition the keets to an All Flock feed... I was going to keep them on gamebird starter a bit longer (currently all of the adult poultry is on a layer feed, so everyone would be transitioning to All Flock + optional oyster shell)

Personally since the adults are accepting the keets, I would just let them all be together.

It is recommended that the keets get a high protein turkey or game bird starter for the first 6 to8 weeks. At that point it is recommended to put the keets on a turkey or game bird grower for the next 6 weeks before transitioning them to an adult feed.

You can put all of them together and the starter or grower will be fine for the adults too. Just keep free choice oyster shell available for any laying adult hens.

 

[EarlJ]

I let them all out together this morning.
Eventually they all wandered into the cornfield behind the house. I figured that was fine because it offers plenty of cover and they all stay close to each other and call pretty often.

Seems like they managed to lose one anyway. I played Guinea calls on YouTube and walked up and down the field... the guineas followed me calling back, but I couldn't find the lost keet.

 

[My2butterflies]

It might still show up. I had one of my keets last year that got scared off in the woods. By dusk it came back around the coop and I was able to get it inside with the rest.

How many keets do you have?