New keets-squee!

[Possum trot]

Just got new keets. They are LOUD!!! My husband impulse bought them. Please tell me all the things.. I have chickens and turkeys. How are they different? The same?

 

[Quarterhorses1]

Just got new keets. They are LOUD!!! My husband impulse bought them. Please tell me all the things.. I have chickens and turkeys. How are they different? The same?

Congrats on your new birdies!! I have no experience with keets

 

[R2elk]

Just got new keets. They are LOUD!!! My husband impulse bought them. Please tell me all the things.. I have chickens and turkeys. How are they different? The same?

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

They are the same in that they are birds and have feathers. They are different in that the hens and cocks have the same plumage. They pair up normally with one hen and one cock. Some cocks will take an additional mate but not all will do so.

The only way to get sexed guineas is by buying sexed adults. Keets are only sold straight run.

They are like turkeys in that they both need a high protein turkey or game bird starter in the beginning.

They are unlike any other fowl in their instincts and can cause severe stress to other fowl by their races, chases and attacks from behind with the associated feather pulling and breaking. They can attack other fowl in a concentrated group effort rather than just a single bird attacking others.

They are also like turkeys in that they are seasonal layers and like to have hidden nests. They are like themselves in that they often have shared communal nests.

 

[StinkyAcres]

A few things to prepare for:

• The females yell almost nonstop, but both sexes are VERY loud; they will let you know when there is a predator nearby, but there will also be many false alarms!
• They'll walk right into the mouths of predators if given the chance
• The males can attack humans as well as other poultry and will fight each other
• They are more difficult to train to go into the coop at night than chickens and prefer to roost in the trees
• They wander (sometimes out in the middle of roads!)

In other words: they are stupid, but very entertaining!
Oh, and their eggs are delicious!