When to let keets out

[ChickandHound]

Hello everyone. Long time chicken momma, first time guinea momma looking for some advice. I'm in an odd timing situation with keets and not sure where to go from here... so apologies for the long winded post.
I was gifted 5 keets at a horrible time of year. They are now just over 8 weeks old and we are in Western North Carolina and it's November. We had had pleasant enough weather that I could have the keets outside on my covered deck with a heat lamp at night and without during the day for almost 2 weeks. However, the temps are now dropping into the 30's, high 20's at night for the next couple of weeks and the heat lamp will not heat them up quite enough. I had been following the temp reduction advise of 5 degrees a week, but that's not going to be easy outside now.
My final goal is for them to be free range on my farm. I keep my chickens in a coop at night (no heat/no electric) and in a netted run during the day. Occasionally I will let them out of the run when I can be outside with them because I had lost too many to coyotes when I left them out all day. I was considering incorporating the guineas with them, but because of the netting I don't think that would work as I'm worried the guineas will try to fly up and get tangled. The friend I got them from keeps her totally free range. I do have lots of trees and areas that they could easily roost in. The point of getting them was for bug control and as an alarm system so having them in the run would sort of defeat that purpose.
So my conundrum now is how to finish "hardening" them off before setting them out, and how to "orient" them to the area so they don't run off. I am hoping that by having had them on the deck where they could see their territory, that would serve as orienting them, but not sure?
Oh, one more thing, I have brought them into the house at night when it is getting this cold but I ABSOLUTELY don't want to do keep doing that as they are a royal mess and stink to high heaven lol. They are also quickly outgrowing their space (a large dog crate).
Thanksgiving is in 2 weeks and I need a solution before then!!! Any suggestions are welcomed! Thank you in advance!!

 

[southwind00]

Hi Chick and Hound ,
Welcome to Back Yard chickens(Guinea fowl ),
You have a pretty untenable situation.
Guineas need a coop, esp young guineas who are no more equipped to defend themselves as are your chickens.
Under normal guinea procedure you would take the adolescents out of the brooder crate and put them in a coop. Then you would let a few out and leave some in. The ones out range a bit but return to their friends and the next day you let another few out, etc
After a few weeks they know where their coop is and when you let them all out they kind of know where to come back to.
When guineas range they leave their poop and feathers around which is a calling card to all the critters around that the next meal smells good. They will find your guinea and soon their will be none. Guinea have no magic powers of defense, if they roost in trees the Great horned owls will chew their heads off and if the Great Horn owls don't get them at night the Goshawks will get them during the day. You have all the same predators as I do, foxes, coyotes, hawks n owls. You also have cats, which I don't.
If they do manage to make it through the winter ,come spring when they make their nest in some brush pile 100 yards from the house, unless you can chase them off that nest( like we all do) even the racoons will get them..
You friend might free range her guineas but I bet she buys new ones every year.
Guineas need a coop at night if you want them to be safe/ Good luck

 

[ChickandHound]

Southwind,
Thanks for all the info. You are right, it is a less than ideal situation. I am thinking I may need to invest in a small but separate coop for the guineas. I am building a barn that will eventually house the chickens (and whatever other critters I acquire lol), but that is a ways off still.
My friend who lets hers free has managed to keep them mostly all, and they keep reproducing (where these came from). However, her property is much more protected from wild critters than mine, and she also has a dog rescue so I'm sure all the dog noise keeps predators at bay.
Thanks again for the info!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Hello everyone. Long time chicken momma, first time guinea momma looking for some advice. I'm in an odd timing situation with keets and not sure where to go from here... so apologies for the long winded post.
I was gifted 5 keets at a horrible time of year. They are now just over 8 weeks old and we are in Western North Carolina and it's November. We had had pleasant enough weather that I could have the keets outside on my covered deck with a heat lamp at night and without during the day for almost 2 weeks. However, the temps are now dropping into the 30's, high 20's at night for the next couple of weeks and the heat lamp will not heat them up quite enough. I had been following the temp reduction advise of 5 degrees a week, but that's not going to be easy outside now.
My final goal is for them to be free range on my farm. I keep my chickens in a coop at night (no heat/no electric) and in a netted run during the day. Occasionally I will let them out of the run when I can be outside with them because I had lost too many to coyotes when I left them out all day. I was considering incorporating the guineas with them, but because of the netting I don't think that would work as I'm worried the guineas will try to fly up and get tangled. The friend I got them from keeps her totally free range. I do have lots of trees and areas that they could easily roost in. The point of getting them was for bug control and as an alarm system so having them in the run would sort of defeat that purpose.
So my conundrum now is how to finish "hardening" them off before setting them out, and how to "orient" them to the area so they don't run off. I am hoping that by having had them on the deck where they could see their territory, that would serve as orienting them, but not sure?
Oh, one more thing, I have brought them into the house at night when it is getting this cold but I ABSOLUTELY don't want to do keep doing that as they are a royal mess and stink to high heaven lol. They are also quickly outgrowing their space (a large dog crate).
Thanksgiving is in 2 weeks and I need a solution before then!!! Any suggestions are welcomed! Thank you in advance!!

Hi ChickandHound, welcome to BYCs!!!

As to your Guinea fowl, I agree with Southwind that you need the guineas cooped at night to prevent heavy losses. You might lose them in the day too while free ranging, but you really need them cooped at night. Weather wise, two months old keets are well on their way to being tough. If you can slowly increase their outdoor, non-heated time, you should be able to get them fully outside very soon, within a few weeks.

 

[ChickandHound]

Hi ChickandHound, welcome to BYCs!!!

As to your Guinea fowl, I agree with Southwind that you need the guineas cooped at night to prevent heavy losses. You might lose them in the day too while free ranging, but you really need them cooped at night. Weather wise, two months old keets are well on their way to being tough. If you can slowly increase their outdoor, non-heated time, you should be able to get them fully outside very soon, within a few weeks.

Thanks! I agree with you both. I was having a little bit of anxiety over leaving them out full time. I did get a small chicken tractor style coop that's just big enough for them and where I can get them out of my house (yay!!!) and into somewhere safe that I can still run heat to. It has a little run built in so they can have some ground time but still be safe and still "train" them to where home is for a few more weeks.
I will get it built today yay!!!
Thanks again!

 

[R2elk]

Thanks! I agree with you both. I was having a little bit of anxiety over leaving them out full time. I did get a small chicken tractor style coop that's just big enough for them and where I can get them out of my house (yay!!!) and into somewhere safe that I can still run heat to. It has a little run built in so they can have some ground time but still be safe and still "train" them to where home is for a few more weeks.
I will get it built today yay!!!
Thanks again!

Small isn't good when it comes to guineas. They need a lot more space per individual than what you can get away with for chickens.