She did it!

[Keeter]

I'm a newbie, but I'll share my observations, and maybe more experienced keepers will correct as necessary.

1) Your brooder has solid sides, which is why she jumped in, and MIGHT fly in and out, as you suggest. But as you want more room for them, if you ever attempt a bigger containment that has wire instead of solid sides, the momma guinea won't fly or jump in. She will instead pace outside the wire endlessly. If they can see through, they don't seem to get that they can go over.

2) There isn't much "care" that momma gives the keets, other than aggressive protection against intruders, and a warm body to clamber under for warmth. Otherwise, she mostly steps on them. They will rush to eat where momma is eating, so I suppose she is providing a lesson in how to eat. But if they're already eating and drinking, which I know they are, and you have a brooder light for warmth, there's not much she's going to give them that you can't.

So, to give her access does two things: (1) lets her have some motherly satisfaction, and (2) keeps the keets more wild rather than human friendly. I think you need to choose whether you want a happy mother, or friendly adult guineas when these grow up. The less mom is around, and the more you handle the keets, the friendlier they're going to be towards humans.

 

[PeepsCA]

If having those keets survive is important to you, take them away. She's already proven her worth as a mother, and that worth is zero. The keets will be flying out of the open top brooder in a week and if you allow her to wander out of the coop with them (even on accident), you'll lose those keets too.

Don't take her bullying, use a broom and chase her away if you have to get the point across to her. She knows you are intimidated by her, so it's time to turn the tables. YOU provide the feed and the shelter, SHE is potential dinner. Remind her of that.

 

[Keeter]

Peeps, your comments remind me of the day my wife brought home four-week old keets. To accommodate them, I built a partition in the chicken coop, and put up a chicken wire fabric about six feet high. It was nearing dark, so I said that should be good for tonight, and we'll finish to the ceiling tomorrow. We let the keets out. Those little buggers, using their wings as an assist, ran right up those six foot netting sides to their tops! They didn't hesitate a second! So out came the flashlights, and we finished it to the ceiling to be able to contain them.

 

[PeepsCA]

LOL, that's funny Keeter. And yah, those lil buggers are determined to get where they wanna go... and once one goes they all go, lol.

 

[flowergirl60]

They are so cute.

 

[fledgling]

The brooder top is closed and if I put it in our chicken coop and opened the top, she and the keets would be contained within. That is, if it had come to that.

Instead, she thumped around in there and decided she'd rather have her freedom then be a mama, so out she flew when I opened the top just now. She rejoined the boys and seems to be over the keets now. However, hubby and I are still planning on moving the brooder inside the henhouse if she holds another keet vigil. This a is a tough neighborhood for a keet in the open. They are much better off in the brooder. They will be going home with our vet in three weeks. She wants them as free range, not as pets, so no worries on them not being very friendly. They'll know where the food comes from, just like our free range guineas.

If mama makes another nest, I'm stealing ALL the babies.

 

[PeepsCA]

Hard lesson learned huh fledg, lol. If she starts another nest... I'd collect the eggs and incubate them instead of having to deal with her grumpy butt again, lol.

I would just keep her out of the brooder, period. She runs the risk of trampling/killing the remaining keets if she starts wigging out about being confined and you aren't there to open the brooder for her.

I'd be sure to have the keets on a high protein game bird starter medicated with Amprolium, to protect them from Coccidiosis since you are keeping the brooder in your existing coop. The keets have no immunity to it yet like your older birds do, and the organisms can be present in the coop and soil. It can wipe out the entire clutch of keets in a matter of days.

 

[fledgling]

Yep, we have them on medicated feed. Thanks for the pointers!

No, she is evicted. No plans to let her back in. She was actually really calm in there. I was worried about her but she was quiet in the brooder. She was actually thumping on the lid with her beak to tell me her desire to leave.

I guess I gave her so many chances because she tried so hard. I think she would have been able to raise them in a better situation (enclosure, less wildlife, etc...). Poor thing was fighting crows, hawks, snakes, cats and just about anything else bigger than a baby keet.

Just too much for her.

 

[Keeter]

I'll admit one of my biggest concerns about these guineas...as naive as it will reveal me to be. I knew they could have 20 to 40 babies at a time. I've worried about introducing a feral population around my farmer's community here. Kind of like introducing noxious, invasive plants, while only intending to create a pretty garden. And like the feral chickens that now populate the New Orleans area after Katrina freed so many. I've even asked a few times if anyone ever heard of a feral population of guineas.

Well, now I realize I have nothing to fear. The risks to the babies are so much greater here than their native areas that the chance of any chick coming to age when left wild is next to zero. And even when adults, Great Horned owls and coyotes will clean them out so that we have to keep raising or buying more of our own just to keep some around.

So feral guineas around here would be about like hoping Italian Cypress trees suddenly spring up wild and survive here in Kansas. Ah, but if only it could be.

 

[fledgling]

Well, I have to fend off the mother guinea with a water hose whenever I feed or check on the babies, so their new owner is going to pick them up early. Mama guinea is learning, but I have to be careful.