New Guinea keets!

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

I just picked up 10 French pearl guinea keets (3 are for my neighbor). I know the basics, but is there anything in particular that I should know? I’ll be building them a hoop coop (hope I can finish it in 8 weeks before they go outside). And they will have a 30x10 run that will be covered with netting. hiw long will they need to be contained until they can free range?

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I've never raised guinea's but they are sure cute!

 

[R2elk]

I just picked up 10 French pearl guinea keets (3 are for my neighbor). I know the basics, but is there anything in particular that I should know? I’ll be building them a hoop coop (hope I can finish it in 8 weeks before they go outside). And they will have a 30x10 run that will be covered with netting. hiw long will they need to be contained until they can free range?View attachment 2190079View attachment 2190080View attachment 2190081View attachment 2190082

Read the thread Raising Guinea Fowl 101 and pay particular attention to posts made by @PeepsCA .

Keets should not be on wood chips for the first couple of weeks and when they are on wood chips they need to be provided with the appropriate sized grit. Keets will eat the chips. They cannot digest the wood chips without grit in their gizzards. If they eat the wood chips, they will plug up and die.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

Read the thread Raising Guinea Fowl 101 and pay particular attention to posts made by @PeepsCA .

Keets should not be on wood chips for the first couple of weeks and when they are on wood chips they need to be provided with the appropriate sized grit. Keets will eat the chips. They cannot digest the wood chips without grit in their gizzards. If they eat the wood chips, they will plug up and die.

Normally I do extensive research when getting new animals, but this was kinda a spur of the moment thing. I called every feed store within a 100 mile radius looking for turkeys or guineas and not a single one had turkeys but 1 had guineas, so I went there as fast as possible because they are very rare around here. But I just took out the shavings and put paper down, and I put a little pile of chick grit down. They definetly don’t know what to think of the paper and are sliding all over the place! They are way more calm than I thought, but when they get excited they run and spin around and it’s super cute.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

well after reading further into that thread @PeepsCA said never use paper because it can cause splayed legso that’s what I was thinking, but I thought there legs were a little stronger and if you can’t raise them on shavings then what do you raise them on?
well I just laid down a drop cloth.
@PeepsCA said a couple days to a week and once they learn what their food is they can go back on shavings.

 

[R2elk]

well after reading further into that thread @PeepsCA said never use paper because it can cause splayed legso that’s what I was thinking, but I thought there legs were a little stronger and if you can’t raise them on shavings then what do you raise them on?
well I just laid down a drop cloth.
@PeepsCA said a couple days to a week and once they learn what their food is they can go back on shavings.

Guineas have weak legs even as adults which is why it is recommended that you never grab a guinea by its legs.

Some people start their keets on textured paper towels. I live on a sand dune so I use the free sand as my brooder bedding.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

I’m reading more And more and it appears that chick starter is not okay for them (ive Heard it was okay for them from several members) but is startena 30% protein too much? It’s either that or a 24% chick starter.

 

[R2elk]

I’m reading more And more and it appears that chick starter is not okay for them (ive Heard it was okay for them from several members) but is startena 30% protein too much? It’s either that or a 24% chick starter.

The Purina 30% protein Startena is perfect. Chick starters don't contain the levels of lysine, methionine, niacin or protein that keets need for proper development. You should have already seen just how fast they can zoom around before they drop.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

The Purina 30% protein Startena is perfect. Chick starters don't contain the levels of lysine, methionine, niacin or protein that keets need for proper development. You should have already seen just how fast they can zoom around before they drop.

So apparently they don’t carry it in store and I can’t get it shipped to store.
i can easily get the 24% starter, but I’m worried about lysine, niacin, and methionine, is there a way I can supplement this?
i tried looking at every store near me and none carry what I need.

 

[R2elk]

So apparently they don’t carry it in store and I can’t get it shipped to store.
i can easily get the 24% starter, but I’m worried about lysine, niacin, and methionine, is there a way I can supplement this?
i tried looking at every store near me and none carry what I need.

The niacin is easy to supplement by using vitamin B complex. Dissolve 1/2 of a capsule or tablet of vitamin B complex in one gallon of water. Make it the only source of water and do not add anything else to the water. It should be the only source of water and should be made fresh daily.

As far as the others, sorry, I don't know an easy answer. The chain feed stores are really stupid and cannot understand the concept of a guaranteed sale. I am fortunate that a chain lumberyard carries feed and were willing to add a proper turkey or game bird starter to their feed assortment when I asked them to order it for me.

If they had refused I would have resorted to my back up option and become my own feed store. There is a market for proper feed.

Good luck.