Raising keets & chicks with no electric, need advice

[C Siena]

I am incubating 5 guinea eggs and 6 banty eggs for our Mennonite farmer. As I am doing this favor I am reading about keets. Many questions.
1) they have no electric, can keets/chicks possibly survive if the brooder (probably a cardboard box) is kept by a wood stove? If not cardboard, we have 1 maybe 2 small animal carriers, we could lend.
2) bedding sand? what type of sand? how deep? I read that one can use dried grass clippings But with small/tiny grit.
3) feed-high protein turkey or game bird starter Not chick starter

The temps in 2 weeks when they are due, will be mid 70's- lo 80s with lows mid 50s-mid 60s.
Depending on if anything hatches, I will set up 2 separate brooder/boxes for keets and chicks.

I was going to give her the keets/chicks on day 3 but I think I will wait until the 8th day, when they should be ok with 85 degrees.

Do you think this "could" work? Our first chicks are integrating in the run with one adult flock. Our second clutch will hopefully be in the coop, see no touch in a week. I am ready to not be taking care of a third batch.

I will go over this with them tomorrow evening when I go to their home. They can buy the game starter and sand(?). We have plenty of chick grit and starter crumbles.
I was trying to help and just thought...what about heat at their farm.

 

[R2elk]

I am incubating 5 guinea eggs and 6 banty eggs for our Mennonite farmer. As I am doing this favor I am reading about keets. Many questions.
1) they have no electric, can keets/chicks possibly survive if the brooder (probably a cardboard box) is kept by a wood stove? If not cardboard, we have 1 maybe 2 small animal carriers, we could lend.
2) bedding sand? what type of sand? how deep? I read that one can use dried grass clippings But with small/tiny grit.
3) feed-high protein turkey or game bird starter Not chick starter

The temps in 2 weeks when they are due, will be mid 70's- lo 80s with lows mid 50s-mid 60s.
Depending on if anything hatches, I will set up 2 separate brooder/boxes for keets and chicks.

I was going to give her the keets/chicks on day 3 but I think I will wait until the 8th day, when they should be ok with 85 degrees.

Do you think this "could" work? Our first chicks are integrating in the run with one adult flock. Our second clutch will hopefully be in the coop, see no touch in a week. I am ready to not be taking care of a third batch.

I will go over this with them tomorrow evening when I go to their home. They can buy the game starter and sand(?). We have plenty of chick grit and starter crumbles.
I was trying to help and just thought...what about heat at their farm.

They will have to find some method to keep the little ones warm enough or they will lose them all.

I am sure that over the centuries people have managed to figure out ways to do so since electric heat has not always been available.

Good luck.

My only suggestion is to keep them two weeks before handing them over. At two weeks old, my keets are flying out of the brooder.

 

[C Siena]

They will have to find some method to keep the little ones warm enough or they will loose them all.

I am sure that over the centuries people have managed to figure out ways to do so since electric heat has not always been available.

Good luck.

My only suggestion is to keep them two weeks before handing them over. At two weeks old, my keets are flying out of the brooder.

Thank you. I understand the time frame of age. I really wanted to take them to her on day 3. I'm almost over taking care of the second brooder...but do not want them to die for lack of heat. I'm not sure how long they will keep them inside the house.

Do you think sand or grass clippings w/grit will work for bedding?

 

[MGG]

Thank you. I understand the time frame of age. I really wanted to take them to her on day 3. I'm almost over taking care of the second brooder...but do not want them to die for lack of heat. I'm not sure how long they will keep them inside the house.

Do you think sand or grass clippings w/grit will work for bedding?

I wouldn't use sand. They're not very smart little birds and I'd worry about them eating it and getting an impacted crop. I'd just use wood chips or hay. I like using puppy pads a lot for my birds the first few days so they can learn what food is before being exposed to bedding.

 

[C Siena]

I wouldn't use sand. They're not very smart little birds and I'd worry about them eating it and getting an impacted crop. I'd just use wood chips or hay. I like using puppy pads a lot for my birds the first few days so they can learn what food is before being exposed to bedding.

I thought they would eat anything that was on the bottom and that sand may be like grit somewhat. We have always used shavings shortly after hatch with chicks. I've read not to use shavings with keets. We do have wood chips.

 

[MGG]

I thought they would eat anything that was on the bottom and that sand may be like grit somewhat. We have always used shavings shortly after hatch with chicks. I've read not to use shavings with keets. We do have wood chips.

The dusty shavings are not great, coarse wood chips are fine. I use hay a lot because I can get it free, but it does get stinky quick since poop just sits on top. They wouldn't need grit until they're eating bugs and stuff outside, and they'll get it just being outside anyway. I've used sand a couple times and never liked it at all. Besides them eating it, it sticks to the poop on their feet like crazy and gets caked on in hard little balls you have to constantly pick off. I love my guineas, but they're the dumbest birds I've ever had. And I've had a lot. When I go outside my hen just comes up to me and pecks my boots. Nonstop until I move. She's like obsessed. I don't know if she just likes the sound or if she really thinks eventually she'll be able to eat them, but just really not smart. If I took my boot off and sat it in the yard she would stand their and peck it all day. She can't figure out how to get out of the run because I sit the water bucket in the doorway, if I don't move it she'll pace all day and never figure out how to leave the run by just going around it. So if they can eat sand and eat enough to impact their crop and die, they 100% will. You have to completely baby proof everything. I always joke they love to die. It's their life's mission. I've raised many keets and even if it's the safest brooder in the world you'll still lose some. One gets a little damp, dead. Gets bullied away from the feed, dead. Too chilly, dead. Too hot, dead. Etc. etc. etc.

Edited to add -

 

[R2elk]

Do you think sand or grass clippings w/grit will work for bedding?

I use sand. They will definitely eat the grass clippings.

 

[R2elk]

I wouldn't use sand. They're not very smart little birds and I'd worry about them eating it and getting an impacted crop. I'd just use wood chips or hay. I like using puppy pads a lot for my birds the first few days so they can learn what food is before being exposed to bedding.

Bad advice.

Do not use wood chips with guineas for at least the first two weeks. They will eat the chips and without appropriate sized grit they will become blocked up internally and die.

 

[R2elk]

The dusty shavings are not great, coarse wood chips are fine. I use hay a lot because I can get it free, but it does get stinky quick since poop just sits on top. They wouldn't need grit until they're eating bugs and stuff outside, and they'll get it just being outside anyway. I've used sand a couple times and never liked it at all. Besides them eating it, it sticks to the poop on their feet like crazy and gets caked on in hard little balls you have to constantly pick off. I love my guineas, but they're the dumbest birds I've ever had. And I've had a lot. When I go outside my hen just comes up to me and pecks my boots. Nonstop until I move. She's like obsessed. I don't know if she just likes the sound or if she really thinks eventually she'll be able to eat them, but just really not smart. If I took my boot off and sat it in the yard she would stand their and peck it all day. She can't figure out how to get out of the run because I sit the water bucket in the doorway, if I don't move it she'll pace all day and never figure out how to leave the run by just going around it. So if they can eat sand and eat enough to impact their crop and die, they 100% will. You have to completely baby proof everything. I always joke they love to die. It's their life's mission. I've raised many keets and even if it's the safest brooder in the world you'll still lose some. One gets a little damp, dead. Gets bullied away from the feed, dead. Too chilly, dead. Too hot, dead. Etc. etc. etc.

Edited to add -

Do not mistake instincts for intelligence. Guineas have different instincts than any other poultry.

Their ability to learn indicates they are not stupid.

Pacing back and forth along a fence line is a bird thing and not exclusive to guineas. I've even seen robins do it.

 

[C Siena]

The dusty shavings are not great, coarse wood chips are fine. I use hay a lot because I can get it free, but it does get stinky quick since poop just sits on top. They wouldn't need grit until they're eating bugs and stuff outside, and they'll get it just being outside anyway. I've used sand a couple times and never liked it at all. Besides them eating it, it sticks to the poop on their feet like crazy and gets caked on in hard little balls you have to constantly pick off. I love my guineas, but they're the dumbest birds I've ever had. And I've had a lot. When I go outside my hen just comes up to me and pecks my boots. Nonstop until I move. She's like obsessed. I don't know if she just likes the sound or if she really thinks eventually she'll be able to eat them, but just really not smart. If I took my boot off and sat it in the yard she would stand their and peck it all day. She can't figure out how to get out of the run because I sit the water bucket in the doorway, if I don't move it she'll pace all day and never figure out how to leave the run by just going around it. So if they can eat sand and eat enough to impact their crop and die, they 100% will. You have to completely baby proof everything. I always joke they love to die. It's their life's mission. I've raised many keets and even if it's the safest brooder in the world you'll still lose some. One gets a little damp, dead. Gets bullied away from the feed, dead. Too chilly, dead. Too hot, dead. Etc. etc. etc.

Edited to add -

The story is great, thank you.