When are keets old enough to go outside

[PrettyPoultry]

I am searching for when guineas are old enough to be outside in a safe pen on a protected back patio.

Also trying to find information on what age the guineas should be when they are in the area where their pen will be permanently kept, free ranging during the day, in the coop at night - which will be on the lower end of the property away from the house.

Thank you for any information.

 

[TennesseeTruly]

Guineas chill and die very easily. If they get wet or get chilled they'll die. One of the reason why when guineas have nests outside most of their keets die. I don't think I let my guineas go outside until they were close to 6 to 8 weeks old.

Laurie

 

[PrettyPoultry]

Thank you Laurie, there is a little discussion in my family as to when to let them be outside. Our climate is much milder here in San Diego, but it still gets down in the 40's at night right now.

 

[Akane]

In california probably any age with a heat lamp. Without a heat lamp you start out going down about 5F for every week so 0-1weeks at 95F, 1-2weeks at 90F, etc... You can start going down faster as they get older and I have no problem with 7-8week olds out in 50F temps with no heat lamp but you have to adjust them slowly. You can't go from 70F in the house to 50F outside and have them be fine. They need a heat lamp for a few nights until they adjust to the lower temps. If your temps at night are already above what your house is at then all the easier. Just adjust them down slowly until they are acting normal (not huddled up) during the day in their brooder and then move them outside to a sheltered area without wind and drafts for a few days before turning them loose in a coop and run. As soon as they can handle the temps they can go in their permanent home provided you don't have any other birds in there. If there are other birds you want the younger ones to be fully feathered or close to the size of the other birds before turning them loose.

 

[PrettyPoultry]

Thank you Akane, mine are 2 1/2 weeks old so we have aways to go.