Would giving a broody hen guinea keets work?

[Blueeyez]

I have a couple broody hens right now that just won't give up. They are excellent mother's and have been good about taking literally any baby chick I stick under them in the past. I have been planning to give them actual chicks for weeks now but every week the feed store gets in breeds I'm not interested in and this morning they got some guinea keets which got me thinking..... I've been wanting to add a few guinea to the flock for a while and if my broody hens will take those, perfect! But, I'm not sure if this really is a perfect solution or a recipe for disaster? Lol anyone ever tried this?

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

I've seen a silkie chicken take them as their own before. It's possible.

But I also had a silkie (which is a breed known for taking care of day old old chicks when introduced in the broody mode) rejected day old chicks I wanted her to adopt. So it's possible she could reject them also.

 

[LaFleche]

Yes, I tried this and my Marans (BCM) adopted them gladly. The keets are very clingy and they will not leave the mother hen alone even if she tries to wean them after several month.
But all went well until around 5 month later when the guinea cockerels were flooded by hormones and attacked almost every chicken that came near them. They even bit quite a chunk out of one of my Wyandotte's butt. So I had to separate the Marans/guinea family in a separate coop and they roamed about our orchard and garden.

 

[FunnyfarmLVT1978]

This was the only way I was able to keep Guineas around. I got some as adults and even with the introduction phase where I kept them in the coop before letting them out the second I tried to let them free range they hauled ass… I then tried getting young ones and introducing them to the flock (slowly as recommended etc) that didn’t work either they either died mysteriously or ran off. Finally I got 5 day old keets and in the dead of night stole the 5 dud eggs that my broody hen was attempting to hatch and swapped them out with the new babies. She never even questioned it lol and just raised he oddball babies she was an amazing mother and even as adults they never went far. Last year we lost that hen due to old age but her little brood still sticks around lol I think they think they are just opera chickens

 

[Huntmaster]

I think they think they are just opera chickens

Be careful when breeding hormones and other peaking order issues arise as your chickens could be harmed.

 

[FunnyfarmLVT1978]

Be careful when breeding hormones and other peaking order issues arise as your chickens could be harmed.

Well it’s been about 3 years now…. Never had an issue but ours may just be weirdos lol we had 5 total that were raised by an older buff brahma “momma” hen named Ethyl. Lol she “had” 1 girl and 4 boys(our luck was crap on that haha) the female got eaten last year by something (we just found feathers) but even with mom gone the others still live in relative peace… unless a grasshopper or a grass snake gets in the coop then all hell breaks loose both chickens and guineas no one is safe! I do also only keep large chicken breeds which may have something to do with it the Guineas can’t bully them… they do try to breed them on occasion when our roo ain’t around though sneaky turds lol

 

[skeeeter]

Hi! we have had great sucess slipping guinea keets/eggs under broody hens. One thing I find helpful is to set the hen in a box, one which the keets cannot get out of alone. That way, they learn the broody's voice before getting out into the world. That's what has worked the best for us.

 

[The Birb King]

I have never had my hens raise anything that isn't chickens, but I've heard other people doing it and having success. I would try it and see how it goes

 

[Huntmaster]

Having chickens hatch for you and then brooder raising is one thing but having other types of birds/animals with such different needs and natural instincts usually leads to trouble or ones needs not being met or unhealthy conditions for one. But there are always exceptions and not one rule always fits all.