When Guineas raise keets...

[racuda]

I know, they make terrible mothers. They lead their babies through the wet grass and they DIE! Somewhere I read that keets are very fragile until they are about two weeks old. After that, they are more hardy than chicks. Is this true?

Could Guinea's poor mothering skills be compensated for by simply confining her and the keets for two weeks? I am lucky that my females are laying in their coop, and after they start to sit, I can partition part of it off to confine the mother and young. Does htis sound like a good plan?

 

[MuranoFarms]

I don't know......I just incubate myself. Or give them to a broody chicken.

It's not that they are bad mothers, as much as they are from Africa. Instinct doesn't tell them to avoid the wet grass because they just don't have it where they are supposed to live. We brought them here so we must compensate and raise the chicks ourselves. lol

 

[txchickie]

Quote:
Yes, this would work! I would confine them for longer if it was me.

 

[greathorse]

one of the big issues with brooding guineas is that they set on the ground and are very exposed to predators. I think if you kept them confined for setting and brooding they would do ok.. They do like to lay outside and they aren't real good if you move them, so If it were me I would confine them when they begin to lay.

 

[racuda]

They are laying in a perfect hidden spot inside the coop. They probably think they are very clever for finding it.

I'm getting 2 eggs every day like clockwork. After she/they starts sitting I can mark the calendar and put up a partition a couple of days before the keets are supposed to hatch. I lock the coop up at night, so it is relatively predator proof.

I had a chicken hatch my current group of Guineas, and she did a wonderful job. It's just that I think it would be easier to integrate a new flock of youngsters if they are brooded by a Guinea hen.

Another question: As I mentioned, I have 2 Guinea hens laying in the same nest. There are currently 14 eggs in the nest. How many do you think they will lay, and will the both hens try to hatch the eggs, or will one of them take over?

 

[txchickie]

Quote:
One of them will take over to be Mama

I'm not sure about how many eggs, but it could be soon!