Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[poultry bro]

That's why I said usually because some guinea fowl will even mate with chickens so its obvious that they don't always I just know that wild guinea fowl do.

 

[dstinett]

Can the chicks safely be fed the 24% protein? I want to raise my meets and chicks together until guineas can free range.

 

[R2elk]

Can the chicks safely be fed the 24% protein? I want to raise my meets and chicks together until guineas can free range.

I have raised keets and chicks and turkey poults together. When I do, they all get the high protein turkey/game bird starter. I have never seen any problem with the chicks that have been raised on the higher protein.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Guinea Keets can NOT survive without a high protein diet. If you go down to 20 percent protein it will be OK, but 15 percent can be asking for poor growth and a weak Keet.

Guinea adults can survive on poultry grain, but they MUST be feed some sort of protein along with the scratch. They will lose weight and eat poultry grain until you get sick of buying lots of 50 pound bags.

I mix 75 percent poultry and 25 percent of the 20 percent conditioner wild game feed.

The Adult Guinea seem to be good with this, but I also put in a vitamin and mineral supplement in the drinking water.
It is cheap and very effective.

I also throw diatoms (food grade) on the floor of the pen about once a month for worming and mites.

You can tell when a particular Adult Guinea is not doing very well when the others start to peck on them.

I watch for this on a continual bases and pull the weak ones out and put them in a separate small pen down with the chickens.

I feed them only high protein and put chick saver in their drinking water.

In a few weeks they are back to health and I let any damage done by pecking heal completely.

They then get put back in with the Guinea flock and looked after until I feel they are good to go.

You may ask why I just go ahead and feed a high protein diet to the adults in the first place.

Well, in the spring they all go out to play and eat as many ticks and seeds as they like.

Their diet keeps them active and hungry for protein.

There are some days I withhold feed all together for a few days. Then they are out in force from dawn to dusk feeding.

I always have clean and fresh water all year long. It can be a pain, but this I feel is the most important aspect of owning any

type of animal.

Guinea Goonie

 

[freejpony]

Anyone getting any eggs from their guineas yet? Mine free-range and I'm wondering when I need to start going on serious nest hunts. I have a bunch of broody cochins and I'm hoping to hatch out as many keets as I can this year.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Mine usually start in late april, I think it just depends where you are. I pen my breeders so I don't have egg hunting. I have a large flock that free ranges too, but want to be sure I have more keets next year.
ETA I feed high protein in the winter, they get plenty of bugs and rarely visit the food dish in the warm months here.

 

[chickincrazy]

Is it true that keets must stay warm at 95 degrees until fully feathered or they die?

 

[R2elk]

Is it true that keets must stay warm at 95 degrees until fully feathered or they die?

No, for the first week the temperature should be 90°-95°F at ground level and the keets should have an area where they can move in and out of the heat as they feel the need. The temperature should be lowered by 5°F each week until they are acclimated to the ambient temperature. At all times they should be able to freely move into and away from the heat as needed.

 

[mommaguinea]

No, for the first week the temperature should be 90°-95°F at ground level and the keets should have an area where they can move in and out of the heat as they feel the need. The temperature should be lowered by 5°F each week until they are acclimated to the ambient temperature. At all times they should be able to freely move into and away from the heat as needed.

I agree! Watch for "donuts" If the keets are in a circle around the light with a hole in the middle, the light is too close, if huddles in a solid circle - it is not close enough. A standard thermometer under the light before placing keets in the area will help set the light appropriately. If you use a std light bulb it must be very close as apposed to a heat lamp, but a heat lamp is very powerful.

 

[PeacocksAust]

Great info here! I am writing it down so I can try and raise my first Guinea fowl chickens this year