what age to release new keets into flock

[critters]

my guinea babies are 8 weeks old...what age can I let them out and introduce to the
existing adult flock?? I think I have read 12 weeks somewhere but..?... my holding space
is getting limited so thought some of you more experienced might shed some light on
this subjet for me....they are already in a large caged area where the adults have been
checking them out for more than a week now....some adults have been spending better
part of their days 'watching' them

. My babies were incubator hatched if it matters.

 

[PeepsCA]

I start letting mine out at 12 weeks, BUT I make sure they are penned side by side for 4-6 weeks to get to know each other first so there is not total carnage when I finally do let the little ones out to integrate with the adult flock. You may get away with less time, but that's not how it usually works with my birds. The older birds will be aggressive towards the younger birds usually no mater what, so IMO it's best to let the young ones get to a decent size so they have the ability to better get away from being picked on.

When you do let them out together make sure there are no areas the young birds can get cornered/trapped behind and pecked to death, it seems once they feel cornered/trapped they tend to just hunker down and take it... and it only takes so many pecks to the head to take a Guinea out (permanently)

Plus once one adult Guinea draws blood the other adults may start in and help finish off the targeted young bird. So IMO hiding places for the young birds with 2 ways in and out are always a good idea. So are supervised short periods of integration for a while before you let them all figure it out on their own.

Good luck, hopefully it all goes peacefully for you (and the birds!)

Here's a side by side set up I recently finished working on. (It's all open air now, for summer, but this winter the ends will have the metal panels put back up to close it in). The younger birds are down at the far end, (I call that area my intermediate brooder).

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Cool set up! I really like that!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
WOW!! That is an awesome set up!

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
Good question. My space will soon be limited as well. I have 24 keets in the same area but I know they will grow out of that soon. I too am wondering what is adequate space for keets/quineas. Is it so many square feet per bird - the same as chickens?

These keets are flying all over the place.

 

[critters]

Thanks for your reply...guess another month being penned up won't hurt anything...I would much rather be safe than
sorry with regrets later that I should have waited or done something else. I really like your set up you shared....looks great!
Again, thanks!