moving keets to coop

[Pecknscratch]

Raising two keets for the neighbor and figured I'd move them out in the chicken coop/yard when they got to be as big as the young banties out there, but don't know if I can.

banties are 9 weeks and keets are one week. by the time the keets get to be at least close to the chicks' size approx. how old will they be? and am I right in figuring that when they are fully feathered they no longer need a heat lamp? though this far into the summer I'm thinking they wouldn't anyway, heck I could put them out there now if they weren't so small. it's hitting the century mark during the day.

 

[PeepsCA]

I don't raise chickens, so I can't comment on the size/age comparison for integrating them together. As far as integrating goes I'd wait until the keets are at least 4 wks old until you move them out to the coop, and even at that point I'd have them in a separate section or large cage for several weeks before letting them all mingle. I agree the keets won't need any heat provided during the day, but they may need a low watt bulb in their brooder lamp for a couple weeks at night still. They are close to being fully feathered at 6 wks, but technically they aren't fully feathered until they turn 8 wks old.

Keep in mind the keets need to be on a high protein starter feed (Turkey, Pheasant or Game Bird starter) medicated with Amprolium until they are 6 wks old and then weened over to a high protein grower feed until they are 12 wks old (like Purina Flock Raiser). Chick starters and chick growers do not have enough protein in them for the keets' bones, muscles, organs and feathers etc to develop/grow at the proper rates. The chicks can eat the higher protein feeds, they will just pass the extra protein without any issues.

 

[crazy cat lady]

I honestly don't know how to answer your question. I have at least a bakers dozen of keets and when they are at least 4 wks old I am going to move them out to our barn. We have a pen set up with a brooder house in it and then we are going to put bird netting over the top to keep out other critters. There is a gate too so the pen is pretty much enclosed.

I have a male guinea who is just over a year old and he pretty much bosses the turkeys around. There is also a female the same age as the male but she is under a crimper somewhere setting on eggs. I have no way to know if she has hatchedthe eggs or if they are any good. She chases the cats away when they come around.

I hope this helped a little.


Eva