Mixed flock questions

[skrlis]

I’ve placed and order for 6 keets, 3 turkeys and 6 Easter eggers. I hope to raise them all together, but have decided it might be best to split the game birds from the chicks do to feed requirements. I also plan on making two coops with a shared run for all three. All will be able to free range and I plan to cull the turkeys. My question is, does anyone see major problems with set up? I know guineas can get aggressive but would having separate coops help?

 

[R2elk]

I’ve placed and order for 6 keets, 3 turkeys and 6 Easter eggers. I hope to raise them all together, but have decided it might be best to split the game birds from the chicks do to feed requirements. I also plan on making two coops with a shared run for all three. All will be able to free range and I plan to cull the turkeys. My question is, does anyone see major problems with set up? I know guineas can get aggressive but would having separate coops help?

I would not brood guinea keets with anything but guinea keets. The imprinting problems caused by brooding with other poultry can cause problems when they are adults particularly during breeding season. Guineas have entirely different behaviors than any other poultry. Their behaviors can cause other poultry extreme stress.

 

[red horse ranch]

Since they will be using a shared run you will probably find them checking out each other's coops pretty often. And they will be mingling. I would advise keeping them inside their own coops until they know that that is where they are supposed to live. Once they are 5 or 6 weeks old it would probably be safe to let them mingle.

As far as conflicts during breeding season, you said the turkeys will be harvested before then. If the chickens and guineas are raised in separate coops there should be very little conflict when grown since they will all be free ranging during the day. My guineas and chickens actually live together but I've had very few conflicts between them. But most of them were raised separately for the 1st few months.

 

[Elmbrooker]

I raised chicks and keets separately. The chicks were a few weeks older so they were in the coop first. I hoped that would help with establishing a pecking order. They are sharing a coop and run now about a year later, but the mature guineas will be transferred soon so they can take up tick control and my chickens can be in tractors. There is a guinea or two that hangs out with the hens more than the others do, but for the most part the guineas stick together. I have eight of them and often find that if they are not together, there are two groups of four. I have some chickens that have been picked and others that have been left alone and can't figure out if it's a chicken issue, guinea issue, or flock issue. I would think having a shared run and separate coops you would have birds that go where they want so maybe just one large coop would be worth considering.