Too Many Keets

[June2013]

I am a are retired ER physician living in NWA (Northwest Arkansas). My home is in a medium sized city, however I am surrounded by a large amount of wooded acreage. My only family consists of two mutts, a younger Golden Lab Cattle Dog mix and much older Parson Russell mix. My birds are recent edition.

I have 12 guineas and 5 chickens that free range during the day. They are housed in separate coops. Currently I have a guinea hen setting on a clutch of 18 eggs inside the coop with no apparent male participation. To add I just found a hen outside with a clutch of 12. From a square footage stand point I can only handle 4-5 new keets. This is my first year with any type fowl. I need some advice on how to handle a few things related to dealing with the inside hen. I’ve researched forums and books without much info on this issue. If anyone could pass on some info or experience, these are my concerns.

1) 1) Warmth-The barn averages 70-85 degrees during the day. If I let the hen do the initial care, will I need any added heat?

2) 2) The location of her nest is within 2 feet of the pop hole, hence a very trafficked area. Everyone seems to be respectful of her nesting area. How best is it to handle the hen and the keets as they begin pipping? Should I move the hen and all eggs once the hatching/pipping begins, or wait for completion of the hatching event?

3) 3) When should I give up on eggs that are likely not to hatch?

4) 4) My plan is to keep 4-5 keets but do have someone to take the remainder. As each keet is hatched should I immediately move it to a brooder, or wait for it to dry? Or let them all stay with the hen until the new owner arrives?

5) 5) Now for my most insufficient knowledge base. How to arrange a place for confinement for the hen and the new 4-5 keets?
a) Bedding for the hen with the keets?
b) What type of containment if any for the new family?
c) If I need no type of separation from the adult Guineas, do I need to put landscape cloth over the 2x4 inch horse panels used for the coop walls?
d) If I do confine the hen and new keets, how/when do I let mom out or if at all?
e) Do I let the hen take the lead when she wants to take them out side?

The potential hatch date is between July 7th and the 11th. I've been enjoying the whole new experience of being a bird mom. I had almost given up on any guinea nests developing due to my larger mutt enjoying eggs as a snack. Still not sure if the outside nest will survive, but I have been working with Symmi, the Golden mix, on preventive measures.

Look forward to your info

 

[dirtychick]

Lots of questions -My 2 cents worth actually advice is sometimes worth what you pay for it -this is free-1 the heat the hen will take care of if any thing is going to hatch so no more heat.
2 I'd leave her alone or she might quit the clutch.
3 She should set until all she thinks are going to hatch -so I'd leave her alone.
4 I'd either put her and the keets in a pin a day after she started moving them around -when see leaves the nest or brood the babys
after she leaves the nest .
5 a---- they need to be DRY -straw,dirt.saw dust,shavings-DRY
b---a pin don'thave to be real big at first..
c ---snakes ,coons owls dogs cats every thing will try to eat or kill them that the main reason to pen them up ,I'd pen them by their self. and with smaller wire than 2x4 and coverd top.
d+e If I was letting her out and going to let her raise them then I'd let her take them. note:: when she starts taking them out I'd expect to lose some .Might keep that in mind when you give some away . I'd keep them pined for 5-6 weeks. she should know best if she is going to raise them ----------BUT I would brood them my self. as soon as she hatchs them and leaves nest. also if she didn't hatch within a week after 28 days then and was stil setting on them I'd proably toss the eggs. good luck and bless to yyou and her.

 

[dirtychick]

I'm also in nwa.

 

[dirtychick]

I inubate some and kinda new to guineas so.

 

[Percheron chick]

If there was no male guinea participation, than she is sitting on infertile eggs. They will become smelly exploding time bombs.

If you just meant that the cock wasn't helping, that's pretty normal. He's got more important things to do. I do have a male that sits with his mate while she lays but the others don't. All 18 eggs will not hatch and live until they are out of the brooder. If you have 50% success, that's a respectable #. Let the hen try to hatch and raise them first. The keets will stay under her and stay plenty warm. I had a broody with chicks when it was getting down into the high 30's at night. They lived. I would have a brooder set up ready to go in case she rejects them. If she's a first timer, you really don't know what she might do. Incubation is 28 days. If they start pipping at 28 days, she will usually abandon the nest about the time they need to eat at 2-3 days. If she does, you can remove the eggs but check them and see if anything is alive in them. They might just need a few more hours or maybe a day. You can put the eggs under the hen or put them in an incubator and try to finish them up. You can try to give them back to her at night but be ready to need to remove them and raise them yourself. If you do have extra keets, I would let mom raise them for a few days or even until mom gives up on them (4-6 weeks). It's so much easier to let her do all the work. Yes, the will be wilder but you can work with them as soon as she leaves the nest. If you mix them with chicks, they will be slightly tamer.

I would put a wire cage around her when she is close to hatching. Give her some food and water. Do not touch her or try to move her. She might very easily quit. You don't want to chance another hen or cock killing the keets if she wanders off to grab a bite.

As far as the chicken hen, if she's not in a safe place, I would move her and the eggs. She's more apt to get over it. Put her and her eggs in a dog crate so you force the issue. Give her a little dog kennel covered in hardware cloth as a run but she should be happy to just stay in the crate. Dogs and cats will chow down on chicks.

 

[dirtychick]

Hi in boulder!

 

[June2013]

Dirty Chick & Percheron Chick, Thx for the info. I have begun sectioning off a area of the current coop for a more secure place for mom and hopefully a healthy group of keets. I'm using old window screens to block the 2 inch x 4 inch side wall fencing as well as preparing hangers for the food and water that is large enough to accommodate both mom and keets. This set up will completely corral the hen unless she desires to fly over the removable 4' hardware cloth panel into the remainder of the coop. I can cover the top of this section and wait a few weeks to remove the top. If I choose the latter, when should give her the opportunity to come and go? And how/when would be the best time to give an opening for the hen to possibly let her brood out? Or is it just a gut feeling that leads to the time frame of allowing the roaming?

Thanks Again,
June2013

 

[Percheron chick]

You don't know how good of a mom she will be so you just have to rely on your gut. Unless she is trying to kill the keets, I would force the issue and make her stay with them. Cover the top. 4' is child's play for guineas. Not only do you want to keep her in but you also want to keep the others out. You should be able to gauge how the others will act towards the babies by how they act with a barrier between them. Hopefully momma will take control and put herself between the keets and the flock and keep the peace. She will get restless and want out but again, that's your call how things are going. When you do blend the 2 groups, I do like to have someplace that only the chicks/keets can slip through as sort of a safe house if they are being harassed.

 

[June2013]

Update!! Momma Guinea's clutch started hatching yesterday night/early morning. At this time I've counted 15 maybe 16 keets out of the 18 eggs. She is still setting on the original nest and is keeping her brood tucked in except for some group get togethers out from under her wings. I happened to be unloading some feed into the barn when the funniest thing happened. At first I was disturbed by her actions. She squatted over her nest, which reminded my of women trying to use the toilet without touching it. She was in a position I had never witnessed her doing. Then shortly afterwards she was outside squawking around almost in a panic. I checked the eggs and the pipping had started and I could hear the keets chirping. I was so so worried that was the end of her attempt at motherhood. She came back took a seat over eggs and the next morning there were three which grew to 15-16 and maybe a couple more. One thing I did when the piping started since
her nest was inside the barn, I kicked the adults out to the covered run. I added food and water in there a for the flock. I think that has really help Mom relax and do a better bonding and a chance to practice and learn protection skills. My plan at this time thanks to various suggestions, is to move mom and keets to a Wabbit brand wire cage. It measures 37"L x20"Wx18"H. And suggested, I can see how the adults relate to the newbies. I do have one question at this time, do I still need to check for pasty but as you do when take keets home and broad them yourself? Or hopefully not having that human responsibility is a luxury of "natural" child birth/raising.

Thanks for all your suggestions, June2013

 

[alldembirds]

lucky! hi neighbor. I spend a lot of my time in NWA as there is nothing here in SWMO.