Will they be normal Guineas?

[Ohio_Mama]

I got 2 guinea keets at the end of July. I started them off in the chicken coop in a room sectioned off from the big "chicken room". After about two weeks they were able to fly to the rafters and joined my chickens. They adopted a cross beaked blind cochin hen as their mom. They are with her all the time. They are still trying to burrow under her when they are scared even though they are bigger than she is. One of them managed to get out of the run today and it freaked out! I thought it was going to kill itself trying to get back in the fence. Will they ever want to go out on their own. I got them to eat my large Japanese beetle population (but I have secretly grown to like them). They eat, sleep and generally just hang out with my chickens and ducks. While I am glad they all get along, I would really like them to help out around the yard.

 

[greathorse]

Next year they will be far more independent, I am sure of it.

 

[chickenlittle32]

I have about 20+ guineas and they follow my barred rock hens around as if the BR is their momma...They are about 6 months old and still follow her around. They are the funniest things to watch. They sleep in the coop with the chickens. I have a question....when should I expect eggs from these lil buggers?

 

[Guinea Goonie]

If you want to let them free range. Let ONE out with your flock for a few rounds (days). The one in the coop will entice the other one to come back with the flock. Them let the other one out and they should be fine.

I let mine out at about 10 weeks.

 

[allanimals21]

If you raised them from keets you will have no problem with them stayin around. Mine all come back every night. As far as the eggs. Next year. I got my adults when they were keets in july of '08. This year I ended up with 60+ keets from them. One of the hens is actually on her second nest and its in the 20-30 degree mark at night around here now. They will grow up and be guineas though. They don't stick with there mothers forever. They are bug eating machines!

 

[greathorse]

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I would guess they will lay sometime in May or June of next year. In my experience once they start they lay nearly every day until sept or so and quit. finding the eggs is the hard part.

 

[Struttn1]

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Never !!! There is nothing "Normal" about guineas. They are the most psycho birds I have ever dealt with.