Should I add my keets in with my chicks or keep separated?

[Poohb10454]

I have brand new baby chicks (15) and another 15 arriving in 2 weeks. I also have 7 guinea keets that are about 3 weeks old. The guineas are in a completely separate brooder than the chicks. Am I better off to raise them together for a better chance of co habitation later on? or just continue to keep them separate and introduce them later.

 

[PeepsCA]

3-4wk old keets are substantially bigger than newly hatched baby chicks, and keets at any age are much more active than baby chicks are... so the chicks may get trampled or piled on, they may get kept from the feed and water, and they may get picked on right from the start, especially if you are planning on adding the chicks to the brooder the Guineas are already in. The Guineas may have already become territorial and protective of their own space and might not like the new additions, even tho the keets are just 3-4 wks old...

Brooding the keets and chicks side by side in the same brooder but separated by wire where they can constantly see each other but not get to each other until the chicks are older and bigger would be a better choice, IMO. And when/if you do integrate them all, I would put them into a completely new brooder or out in a wired off section in the coop that the keets haven't already become territorial/possessive of.

Hopefully you have a really big coop and pen for them all when everybody is older, or a 2nd coop and pen in the works because you may end up having to separate the Guineas from the chickens. Whether you have only laying hens without any roosters or a mix of hens and roosters... just 7 Guineas have a major potential to cause a lot of problems in the coop/pen, especially early Spring when breeding/laying season starts to kick in for the Guineas.

Best of luck.

 

[Poohb10454]

The baby chicks are so fragile at this age, I hate to do anything potentially harmful to them. I don't really have any option to make them side by side. I may look into my other options as far as housing the guineas separate. The chicken coop is 12x24' inside and 12x24' outside. I may get my husband to add on an addition for the guineas.

Thank you for your input

 

[jend013]

I had the opposite as you, very little keets and chickens a few weeks older. The keets were too fragile to be with the chickens. I waited until the keets were old enough to go into a little enclosure in the coop (no heat lamp), with wire separating so they could see the chickens. After a week or two I turned them out. The chickens pecked them if they got too close, but as the keets are getting bigger it is not an issue. So far so good. I would think you could do similar with your little chickens. I would definitely figure out a way to let them see each other and get used to each other as they grow.

 

[Logan99]

I don't know much about guineas but chickens can be quite aggressive to younger birds id be careful and give a cage that only they can get into

 

[Poohb10454]

I did not end up putting them together