What do I need to be prepared?

[Apyl]

I have a few guinea eggs in the incubator that seem to be doing ok. I am heading out to pick stuff up for the ducks and chicks I have but am wondering if there is anything special I need to brood the guineas. They are do to hatch in about 10 days. I have a brooder already ant heat lamps. Can I use pine shavings as the bedding, I already have a bag of that. Can I use Flock raiser as the feed or do I need something different? I read I need the temp in the brooder at 95 degrees, is this correct? What age can they go to an outdoor coop? ( I am building them their own coop so I am wondering on the time frame I have). Can I brood them with 2 ducklngs ( in the bator also) for about 2 weeks? I think thats about it lol Any other things I need to know?

 

[GuineaLady93]

I would not use pine shavings! I used them almost my whole hatching season last year and never had a problem until my next to last hatch. For some reason they started to eat the shavings and all of them died. Now I use pine straw or some clean hay.
Last year I always fed my keets chick starter. This year I am going to use some game bird starter because it has a lot more protein.
I am not sure what the brooder temp is supposed to be but 95 sounds good. I wait until they are about 3 to 4 months to put them in a outdoor pen, but a lot of people do it before.
I would not put the 2 ducklings in with the keets. I did that once and the guineas pecked at his bill until is was bleeding, so I had to separate him.
Hope that helps,
Ashley

 

[Apyl]

I would not use pine shavings! I used them almost my whole hatching season last year and never had a problem until my next to last hatch. For some reason they started to eat the shavings and all of them died. Now I use pine straw or some clean hay.
Last year I always fed my keets chick starter. This year I am going to use some game bird starter because it has a lot more protein.
I am not sure what the brooder temp is supposed to be but 95 sounds good. I wait until they are about 3 to 4 months to put them in a outdoor pen, but a lot of people do it before.
I would not put the 2 ducklings in with the keets. I did that once and the guineas pecked at his bill until is was bleeding, so I had to separate him.
Hope that helps,
Ashley

Thank you for the info. Oh and do they need a roost in the brooder?

 

[GuineaLady93]

No, I have never used one. Once they get there feathers on their wings they might like one though.

 

[KrisH]

Don't forget the earplugs, if the keets are unhappy, they sound like a smoke detector

RobertH

 

[PeepsCA]

My keets aren't noisy, other than happy peeping and chirps... if keets are noisy something is wrong, they are too cold, too hot, hungry, out of water, missing their brooder mates... something. They aren't noisy without something causing it

 

[GuineaLady93]

My keets aren't noisy, other than happy peeping and chirps... if keets are noisy something is wrong, they are too cold, too hot, hungry, out of water, missing their brooder mates... something. They aren't noisy without something causing it

x2