Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[Chaneys Ranch]

Noticed this post and was surprised that the guineas attached the mink. Raised older flock for years, then had a night raid on my flock (after St Patty's Day, in 2011) that I night housed in a modified round corn crib that was reinforced with chicken wire. The mink found a whole on the floor line and pulled one neck through before I got out there when I heard the ruckus. Took a shot at one and another had found a second mink rusted whole in the wire and was doing its best to stretch a second guinea through a second hole;(but, I got a nice hand warmer from their attempt! Trying not to waste anything on our farm...)
Now I have a flock of over 25 keets that are still in a small pen at six weeks. I am going to put them in the new barn in a nearly built coop and will start letting half of them into the paddock areas in about another 6 wks to 2 months. Not sure how to only let out half? Hoping that the numbers will make a difference on predators thinking they can get into the flock.
And really hoping the guineas knock out the crawling insects (i.e., ticks) that I am not winning the battle fighting off in other ways.

and congrats on your new guineas! If you train them to come with a bell, or your voice using treats.. It will make everything much easier!

 

[potagergirl]

Hello,
I've read many posts my eyes are popping out of my head. I'm looking for information about
new keets with 1 month old chicks.

We got the chicks the 21st of May they are white crested black polish and splash cochin a total
of 20. Don't know if that info is important.

My question is can I place the keets we will be getting about June 20th with the chicks?
The keets will be coming from a hatchery and only a couple days old when I get them.

This is the first time we have had chicks and keets. I'm worried the chicks might be to big for the
little keets? Also with reading posts the bedding should be different for the keets as well as marbles
added to water to keep them from drowning.

If I can't put them in with the chicks when and how should I go about introducing them in with the chicks?

thank you for all your help,

 

[Kim Z]

Hello,
I've read many posts my eyes are popping out of my head. I'm looking for information about
new keets with 1 month old chicks.

We got the chicks the 21st of May they are white crested black polish and splash cochin a total
of 20. Don't know if that info is important.

My question is can I place the keets we will be getting about June 20th with the chicks?
The keets will be coming from a hatchery and only a couple days old when I get them.

This is the first time we have had chicks and keets. I'm worried the chicks might be to big for the
little keets? Also with reading posts the bedding should be different for the keets as well as marbles
added to water to keep them from drowning.

If I can't put them in with the chicks when and how should I go about introducing them in with the chicks?

thank you for all your help,

The keets will be itsy-bitsy, teeny-tiny compared to the month old chicks and will need a separate space for quite a while, up to a month or even more. Below is a size comparison of an olive egger chick on the left and a keet on the right. They are both 9 days old.


You can use nubby paper towels as their first bedding and switch to shavings in a few weeks.

I'm not sure exactly the right way to introduce the two groups. Anybody?

 

[nailladi]

Wow! I would have fainted if I saw a bird that big! but I bet it was beautiful!!

 

[potagergirl]

The keets will be itsy-bitsy, teeny-tiny compared to the month old chicks and will need a separate space for quite a while, up to a month or even more. Below is a size comparison of an olive egger chick on the left and a keet on the right. They are both 9 days old.


You can use nubby paper towels as their first bedding and switch to shavings in a few weeks.

I'm not sure exactly the right way to introduce the two groups. Anybody?

Wow huge difference.
Paper towels for a few weeks? I can do that but would those pet pads work better or not?

thank you,

 

[nailladi]

Your keets will need a very shallow water dish and older birds will be drinking well. New keets will drown themselves if they are given a chance. That is the only problem I see other that the obvious heat difference. I think you could put a divider in the same brooder with more heat for keets and marbles in the water for a while then change it to small wire (hardware cloth) as they get older. I guess it all depends on your set-up and how you have the chicks brooding.

 

[potagergirl]

Your keets will need a very shallow water dish and older birds will be drinking well. New keets will drown themselves if they are given a chance. That is the only problem I see other that the obvious heat difference. I think you could put a divider in the same brooder with more heat for keets and marbles in the water for a while then change it to small wire (hardware cloth) as they get older. I guess it all depends on your set-up and how you have the chicks brooding.

Thank you for the information.
Hubby and I were talking about the situation just a few minutes ago. He's going to make another brooder like we did for the chicks. It's just a large kiddy pool with hardware cloth around it to keep them from flying out. I'm just now starting to get the items I will need for the guineas and I have marble pebbles on my list for their water dish I don't want to lose any to drowning that would be awful.

Will the guineas be as skittish as the chicks were when we first got them? It took us 2 weeks to get the chicks to come touch our hands and let us pick them up. I found the magic treat that allowed us to sucker our way into their little ring lol.

Do guineas have a special treat I need to find for them?

The other problem I am having is the feed. The game bird starter feed available is only 22% protein and I read on a couple posts that 25-28% is optimal for their health. I will have to start calling around outside of town tomorrow to see if I can find something I don't think I have time to order anything in.

I have been growing fodder using alfalfa, oats and black oil sunflower seeds I sub in small amounts for the chicks so they get used to it. How long do I need to wait to do this for the guineas?

thank you all for your help I'm still reading past posts and hope to find my answers and more info in the knowledge already left here. These are just things I keep thinking about.

 

[Tikkijane]

[COLOR=008000]Your keets will need a very shallow water dish and older birds will be drinking well. New keets will drown themselves if they are given a chance. That is the only problem I see other that the obvious heat difference. I think you could put a divider in the same brooder with more heat for keets and marbles in the water for a while then change it to small wire (hardware cloth) as they get older. I guess it all depends on your set-up and how you have the chicks brooding.[/COLOR]

Chicks will drown, too. I'd suggest rocks. I like to use a quail waterer for the first few weeks for both chicks and keets. Then I don't have to worry about rocks getting shuffled.

 

[Tikkijane]

Thank you for the information.
Hubby and I were talking about the situation just a few minutes ago. He's going to make another brooder like we did for the chicks. It's just a large kiddy pool with hardware cloth around it to keep them from flying out. I'm just now starting to get the items I will need for the guineas and I have marble pebbles on my list for their water dish I don't want to lose any to drowning that would be awful.

Will the guineas be as skittish as the chicks were when we first got them? It took us 2 weeks to get the chicks to come touch our hands and let us pick them up. I found the magic treat that allowed us to sucker our way into their little ring lol.

Do guineas have a special treat I need to find for them?

The other problem I am having is the feed. The game bird starter feed available is only 22% protein and I read on a couple posts that 25-28% is optimal for their health. I will have to start calling around outside of town tomorrow to see if I can find something I don't think I have time to order anything in.

I have been growing fodder using alfalfa, oats and black oil sunflower seeds I sub in small amounts for the chicks so they get used to it. How long do I need to wait to do this for the guineas?

thank you all for your help I'm still reading past posts and hope to find my answers and more info in the knowledge already left here. These are just things I keep thinking about.

They are considerably more skittish than chicks. The suggestion is to handle each one for 15 minutes x2 a day. They also flt pretty well within a few weeks, so whatever you use needs a lid. I like deep brooders, personally....

See if you can find game bird feed- should have at least 24% protein. They really do need the extra. Good luck!

 

[Kim Z]

Thank you for the information.
Hubby and I were talking about the situation just a few minutes ago. He's going to make another brooder like we did for the chicks. It's just a large kiddy pool with hardware cloth around it to keep them from flying out. I'm just now starting to get the items I will need for the guineas and I have marble pebbles on my list for their water dish I don't want to lose any to drowning that would be awful.

Will the guineas be as skittish as the chicks were when we first got them? It took us 2 weeks to get the chicks to come touch our hands and let us pick them up. I found the magic treat that allowed us to sucker our way into their little ring lol.

Do guineas have a special treat I need to find for them?

The other problem I am having is the feed. The game bird starter feed available is only 22% protein and I read on a couple posts that 25-28% is optimal for their health. I will have to start calling around outside of town tomorrow to see if I can find something I don't think I have time to order anything in.

I have been growing fodder using alfalfa, oats and black oil sunflower seeds I sub in small amounts for the chicks so they get used to it. How long do I need to wait to do this for the guineas?

thank you all for your help I'm still reading past posts and hope to find my answers and more info in the knowledge already left here. These are just things I keep thinking about.

You had asked about pet pads… I use these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005X0U43K/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Much less expensive and they work quite well. I switch to shavings at three weeks.

Guineas favorite treat by far is white millet. It is a super motivator for them. Use it sparingly when you really need them to learn commands and perform tasks like entering the coop at night.

I grow duckweed in my green house and dry it for storage. The keets love it and so do the guineas when I add it to their food in the winter.

Tikkijane is right about the brooder. The higher the side the better and a window screen or some other cap on it as well. They will start jumping surprisingly high by two weeks and flying by three. A rubbermaid tote (or larger box, depending on how many keets you have) is good for the first two weeks.




After that I use twin wall corrugated plastic panels:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/COROSPLA...-in-Twinwall-Plastic-Sheet-COR-3672/202771364

They are cobbled together with packing tape and have deer netting over the top. The deer netting is stapled on. I hinged a door at one end for access. Afterward, just disassemble, scrub clean and store flat until you need to tape it back together for the next batch of babies.