Momma guinea smothered first keet

[wskline]

Finally had egg hatch and a light colored one(been hoping for one) found under Mom dead. I had this issue last year with babies smothing under Mom. Does anyone else have this issue. What can I do to keep this from happening?

 

[DesertLab]

We incubate our eggs or let the chickens hatch them. May be it is just our guineas.. But our guinea hens are aweful parents. Even after the babies hatch .. They are terrible. Today we found one keet just wandering around the coop by himself while the guineas all ignored him. No one was keeping him warm or paying any attention to him. We have most of the eggs in the incubators but, when we are not setting a hatch in the incubators we let the birds sit on the eggs. We very, very, very seldom have anything hatch in the coop.

All the best b

All the best.

 

[wskline]

Last year we let Mommas lay on the eggs and we had maybe 35 hatch. I was trying to take babies from Momma as they hatch but I lost a lot because I didn't get to them in time and Momma's sat on them. I swore this year I would just let Mommas go and whatever happened happen but I hate seeing babies die like that so trying keep eye on them. I will probably just get babies out as soon as I can. Thanks DesertLab.

 

[kntrybumpkin]

4 week old keets they have been on medicated chick starter/grower bag almost gone what feed do they need next there are so many options wandering what everyone has had best luck with I also have chickens so something that both can have my hens all have layer but v heard so much about higher protein for keets

 

[wskline]

kntrybumpkin
Does it tell you on the bag what to feed next? I feed mine the DuMor chick starter/grower from Tractor Supply and on back of bag, it tells you the age to feed and what next feed to use.

 

[kntrybumpkin]

kntrybumpkin
Does it tell you on the bag what to feed next? I feed mine the DuMor chick starter/grower from Tractor Supply and on back of bag, it tells you the age to feed and what next feed to use. 

no we get our feed from the local mfa here in town and they dont have much to choose from could they stay on the chixk starter/grower until they start layer crumbles but what age can they really start layer because my 50# bag has not lasted 4 weeks they eat it like crazy I dont want to get too much of it andd have leftover is my worry because I wont need it after they are done

 

[nailladi]

Turkey crumbles, 3 grain scratch and rolled oats, grass clippings, worms... Cooped birds. The extra male free rangers just get a hand full of scratch now and then, want them hungry so they will eat bugs, ticks ants ect. If you over feed the free rangers they get lazy and you wasted your money getting bug eaters.

 

[kntrybumpkin]

[COLOR=006400]Turkey crumbles, 3 grain scratch and rolled oats, grass clippings, worms...   Cooped birds.  The extra male free rangers just get a hand full of scratch now and then, want them hungry so they will eat bugs, ticks ants ect. If you over feed the free rangers they get lazy and you wasted your money getting bug eaters.[/COLOR]

what would be the best for both chickens and guines to share

 

[nailladi]

Any and all

 

[nailladi]

Always remember anything you feed new to any animal do it gradually. Start out with a little bit then monitor the effects. Do not suddenly change a birds diet, this can be devastating.