Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[Victoria-nola]

Report on keets:

All 25 keets happy and thriving in new, temporary coop. We moved the brooder inside the new coop and propped open the door. They started coming out 10-15 minutes later. First night they slept in the hay next to brooder, second night we had removed the brooder and they slept with most of them under the remaining (unplugged) MamaHeatingPad and a row of them outside it on the hay. Third night the higher perch (about 30 inches high) is filled with keets and remaining are on green grass below (which means they are in the part of the coop with no tarp on the ceiling, open to the sky except the hardware cloth). We got a heavy rain today but the earth drained pretty fast, though I am worried they might take a chill.

Will add more high perches. Wow, so interesting.

Further report: I was worried last night that they would get wet and cold. But when I got up it was barely light outside and the keets were back to being under the MHP or arrayed just outside it-- sometime in the night, they moved themselves. So despite what some people say, they are sensible enough to come in out of the rain (been drippy here for days).

As per so many other situations, it would seem that humans' assessment of guinea intelligence will vary with the ability of the human to empathize with the guineas' ecological niche, or not. I happen to think that every creature is a genius in its own niche.

 

[guineapeeps]

So I have 5 adult guineas and 27 keets (when I say keets I mean 14+ weeks old). The keets are getting big and some of the oldest are going bald on their heads, so I'm trying to introduce them to the adul guineas, they have been in a run writhin the Guinea aviary for 2 weeks and get along fine but as soon as I let them all mix the adults turn evil, how long will it be before they accept the little ones as flock members??

How many adults do you have? If you have a big flock, you may want to put only a few adults in at a time with the younger ones, especially if the common space is small. Also, make sure the little ones have a safe place to escape to, if needed. Eventually, they will find their pecking order, but it will take some time, maybe weeks. This is one of the main reasons I try to let my hens hatch their own keets..it's hard to integrate otherwise, especially at first. Don't worry, though; they will eventually settle in, be accepted, and find their place in the flock......it will just take some time!

 

[charid]

oh Charid, I'm so sorry to hear about his decline. please keep us updated after you get back from the vet. 

Ok so yesterday the siblings had a very closely supervised play date, almost 2 hrs, mostly cause I figured vet visit would be all bad news. Babys moral shot through the roof immediately. I put his siblings back in their pen and held baby. He slings his neck over my finger like a goose and chillaxes. I opened the window and all the birds were chirping and his head cocked to the side. He calls out to any bird. Put him in his box... lights out.

Before vet I checked his legs all the swelling had gone down. Perfect timing cause it made his situation look dire with all that swelling. I thought he was starting to deform. Instead both legs looked great. The hock joints looked supple and healthy. We did some stretches and vet said good news. Still treatable. Tendon went in and has a real splint on it. He was testing the leg last time I checked so we will update in 2 wks when it comes off.

 

[guineapeeps]

Further report:  I was worried last night that they would get wet and cold.  But when I got up it was barely light outside and the keets were back to being under the MHP or arrayed just outside it-- sometime in the night, they moved themselves.  So despite what some people say, they are sensible enough to come in out of the rain (been drippy here for days).

As per so many other situations, it would seem that humans' assessment of guinea intelligence will vary with the ability of the human to empathize with the guineas' ecological niche, or not.  I happen to think that every creature is a genius in its own niche.

I agree! There are times when I wonder about mine, but they also do things all the time that pleasantly surprise me. Things like <1 week old keets hiding when the mother makes a warning/predator call, and then not coming out until she resumes her normal "buckwheat" call to them, the whole flock helping to care for the keets, a hen that calls back and comes when I call her name, etc. I'm sure much of it is instinct, but some of it is definitely learned. Either way, it's still smart!

 

[charid]

Further report:  I was worried last night that they would get wet and cold.  But when I got up it was barely light outside and the keets were back to being under the MHP or arrayed just outside it-- sometime in the night, they moved themselves.  So despite what some people say, they are sensible enough to come in out of the rain (been drippy here for days).

As per so many other situations, it would seem that humans' assessment of guinea intelligence will vary with the ability of the human to empathize with the guineas' ecological niche, or not.  I happen to think that every creature is a genius in its own niche.

I believe this is true. Humans judge animal behaviour according to human behaviour and so the birds seem senseless. Somedays I just sit with the birds in my yard and watch them. They express themselves to each other and once familiar you recognize behaviour patterns - when they found really good food, when they feel safe, when a bird crossed the line in the pecking order, when the mate strays too far... but having said all that one day after 299 days of exiting the coop through the same door umpteen times a day one of your birds is going to get stuck because he cant find the door. I chock it up to panic because the flock will seem to leave him and then he freaks. Always always Tink would run back to save him, with a wave in tow. He would run into the coop, circle the bird and head back out door. After which lost bird is found and everyone is happy again.

Crazy birds, gotta love'm..

 

[guineapeeps]

Ok so yesterday the siblings had a very closely supervised play date, almost 2 hrs, mostly cause I figured vet visit would be all bad news. Babys moral shot through the roof immediately. I put his siblings back in their pen and held baby. He slings his neck over my finger like a goose and chillaxes. I opened the window and all the birds were chirping and his head cocked to the side. He calls out to any bird. Put him in his box... lights out.

Before vet I checked his legs all the swelling had gone down. Perfect timing cause it made his situation look dire with all that swelling. I thought he was starting to deform. Instead both legs looked great. The hock joints looked supple and healthy. We did some stretches and vet said good news. Still treatable. Tendon went in and has a real splint on it. He was testing the leg last time I checked so we will update in 2 wks when it comes off.

Yay! That's great news! I'm so happy to hear that he is doing good and hopefully on the mend! Please continue to let us know how he does. (By the way, your situation, although very hard at times, has been very helpful to others who may find themselves in a similar situation, so thanks for sharing your experience with us).

 

[Victoria-nola]

Quote:
x2!!

 

[duluthralphie]

So I have 5 adult guineas and 27 keets (when I say keets I mean 14+ weeks old). The keets are getting big and some of the oldest are going bald on their heads, so I'm trying to introduce them to the adul guineas, they have been in a run writhin the Guinea aviary for 2 weeks and get along fine but as soon as I let them all mix the adults turn evil, how long will it be before they accept the little ones as flock members??

The young ones will be required to commit a major felony before the old ones truly trust them,... A little known fact, the outlaw biker clubs model themselves after Guinea flocks.

 

[harley587]

So this weekend was filled with great hullabaloo! My 3000sq ft home with 2-500sq ft coops and a 3000sq ft pole barn on an acre of land was featured in an activist's story about the hidden invisible people of poverty in our town, to my great dismay! The activist refused to remove a picture of my home, so I went completely public with his article on our town facebook site. Not only was my house featured, but so were my guinea hens!!! I now have famous thug guineas!!! Not only have our guineas become famous, but the whole neighborhood has gone to the birds!! We now have random chickens running all over the streets and no-one is claiming them!! What fun!

 

[harley587]

Ok so yesterday the siblings had a very closely supervised play date, almost 2 hrs, mostly cause I figured vet visit would be all bad news. Babys moral shot through the roof immediately. I put his siblings back in their pen and held baby. He slings his neck over my finger like a goose and chillaxes. I opened the window and all the birds were chirping and his head cocked to the side. He calls out to any bird. Put him in his box... lights out.

Before vet I checked his legs all the swelling had gone down. Perfect timing cause it made his situation look dire with all that swelling. I thought he was starting to deform. Instead both legs looked great. The hock joints looked supple and healthy. We did some stretches and vet said good news. Still treatable. Tendon went in and has a real splint on it. He was testing the leg last time I checked so we will update in 2 wks when it comes off.

yeeeaaah!! keep us posted on his little leg!