Training/Introducing Treats to Keets

[Dobiegirl22]

I’ve received tons of wonderful advice from this site in regards to treat training keets. I picked up white Millet, mealworms, alfalfa hay, etc because I have no other birds and really need them to cooperate when cooping you for the night so willing to find what they like. But I’m having a major issue.. they won’t go anywhere near any treat I put in there. UNLESS I put it in their food tray. Which they Stare at for at least 25 minutes until they trust it I’ve been trying to put the treats on a small plastic plate that I can shake while bringing it to them (so they get used to that noise) while simultaneously blowing a whistle in a precise pattern so they can get used to that too. But all they do is huddle away from the treat. They’re going to be two weeks old on Monday and I’m really trying to get hang of this before they get much older.

 

[R2elk]

I’ve received tons of wonderful advice from this site in regards to treat training keets. I picked up white Millet, mealworms, alfalfa hay, etc because I have no other birds and really need them to cooperate when cooping you for the night so willing to find what they like. But I’m having a major issue.. they won’t go anywhere near any treat I put in there. UNLESS I put it in their food tray. Which they Stare at for at least 25 minutes until they trust it I’ve been trying to put the treats on a small plastic plate that I can shake while bringing it to them (so they get used to that noise) while simultaneously blowing a whistle in a precise pattern so they can get used to that too. But all they do is huddle away from the treat. They’re going to be two weeks old on Monday and I’m really trying to get hang of this before they get much older.

Be patient, right now they are at the stage that everything new is a danger. As they get a little older, they will become more adventuresome.

One thing that may help is to get down on their level. Never approach them from above. Their instincts tell them to fear anything from above.

 

[Dobiegirl22]

Be patient, right now they are at the stage that everything new is a danger. As they get a little older, they will become more adventuresome.

One thing that may help is to get down on their level. Never approach them from above. Their instincts tell them to fear anything from above.

Someone on my last thread told me to work on them following you by day 5 so I thought they would have been ready to handle receiving treats. I’ll give it a couple of days. And my brooder is on the floor by I bent down out of sight and come from the side so when they see me where equal. They’re not even two weeks so I’ll see what happens! Thank you

 

[R2elk]

Someone on my last thread told me to work on them following you by day 5 so I thought they would have been ready to handle receiving treats. I’ll give it a couple of days. And my brooder is on the floor by I bent down out of sight and come from the side so when they see me where equal. They’re not even two weeks so I’ll see what happens! Thank you

Each group of keets can be different. I had one group that i just reached my hand into the brooder with some feed in my palm. I would rest the back of my hand on the bedding. It would take them a few minutes but they would come eat off of my hand and some would even crawl into my hand.

I don't bother with that now but have noticed that keets tend to become braver as they age. The same terrified little ones at one week old were much calmer by 4 weeks old.

I prefer my guineas to be guineas. I don't give them treats. I train them to go in the coop by herding them.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I’ve received tons of wonderful advice from this site in regards to treat training keets. I picked up white Millet, mealworms, alfalfa hay, etc because I have no other birds and really need them to cooperate when cooping you for the night so willing to find what they like. But I’m having a major issue.. they won’t go anywhere near any treat I put in there. UNLESS I put it in their food tray. Which they Stare at for at least 25 minutes until they trust it I’ve been trying to put the treats on a small plastic plate that I can shake while bringing it to them (so they get used to that noise) while simultaneously blowing a whistle in a precise pattern so they can get used to that too. But all they do is huddle away from the treat. They’re going to be two weeks old on Monday and I’m really trying to get hang of this before they get much older.

I’ve been so impressed with some of the training that people have talked about! However, I haven’t managed anywhere near this level of tameness and I probably lack the patience and will to get them as tame as chickens. Associating the treat with a sound isn’t hard, but your first step is just getting them to be happy about treats, no sound. My last group of keets were so skittish, and I had to put mealworms in their feeder and leave for them to eat them. However, you don’t need them to be very tame or treat happy to coop train them.

I have trained mine to come for treats. I started with a loud dinner triangle, but lost part and now just use a whistle call. I do that about 15 min before dark, but not in their coop as they’ll attack each other if treats are placed in the coop. I sprinkle white millet or mealworms around near the coop but over enough distance to discourage attacks. If need be, I herd them in with a stick and a helper so they don’t overshoot. The most important part of coop training for mine has been installing temporary fencing around the coop door that I want them to use, so they get used to using the coop door and going in the roost at dusk. Then the herding stick is just a gentle “reminder” for the confused... I’m looking at you Ghost, whom I’ve had to herd in the last two nights. Poor guy was super attached to his old coop which was converted to a chicken coop when I got a new gluinea coop. I’ve had to retrain him to the new coop, and he’s really struggling with it.