2. Feeding Your Guinea Keets
| Guinea Fowl Age | Protein Requirement | Kind of Feed |
| Week 1 to Week 5 | 24-28% | Starter |
| Week 5 to Week 8 | 18-20% | Grower |
| Week 8 and Beyond (Penned) | 16-22% | Finisher or Layer |
| Week 8 and Beyond (Roaming Free) | 16-20% | Supplement |
What do you feed Guinea keets?
When the keets reach maturity adjusts the guinea feed as the guinea fowl. Adult guinea fowl eat poultry feed. Guinea fowl need feed with a protein percentage of around 16%. At this stage, you can choose chicken feed or other poultry species feed.
What do guinea fowls eat?
After eight weeks, you can start feeding the keets with a 16 percent protein feed. Mature guinea fowl can eat a typical poultry feed, but you will need to pay extra attention to the type of poultry feed you select.
What do you feed a baby guinea pig?
1 Keets Feeding: Keets is baby guinea some people start raising babies, they need special feed for growing. They need a high amount of protein percentage of 23%-25%. ... 2 Adult Guinea Fowl Feeding: Adult guinea fowl eat poultry feed. Guinea fowl need feed with a protein percentage of around 16%. ... 3 Free-Range Guineas:
Can you raise guinea fowl keets?
6 Essential Things You Need To Know About Raising Guinea Fowl Keets. It goes without question that Guinea fowl are one of the most unusual, quirky and wacky birds around and their babies are no different. Guinea fowl babies, also known as keets, are rambunctious, excitable and- if we’re being honest- some of the doughiest creatures around.
What do you feed baby guinea keets?
Guinea keets require a bit higher protein ration than chicken chicks do. For the first 5 weeks of age, feed guinea keets a 24-26% protein turkey or game bird starter, then after 5 weeks of age, they can eat standard chick starter feed.
How do you take care of baby guinea fowl?
The brooder needs to be kept at approximate 35 degrees Celsius, otherwise your Guinea fowl keets might get a bit cold. A carefully positioned heat lamp with a thermometer strategically placed at the bottom of the brooder is the simplest way to ensure your keets stay warm during this early period of their life.
What can I feed my guinea fowl?
You can give them either a game fowl ration or a turkey starter. Grated boiled egg works just fine as well as a protein boost. Guineas need to consume some greens in order to maintain good digestion, and so they eat sprouts, grass, dandelions, weeds, and other vegetation.
Why are my guinea keets dying?
Guinea fowl keets die for several reasons: The cold - keets are initially very tender, and should not be hatched too early in spring, as a cold March wind is generally fatal to them. Getting wet. Guinea hens pften lead their keet through damp grass in the mornings and they get wet and die in very quickly.
When should guinea keets be free range?
The best time to let your guinea keets free range is when they are about 12-14 weeks old. At this age, the keets are still very young and flighty, so you need to oversee them. Start slowly by allowing them to free-range for 30-60 minutes daily. Another option is to let them wander not too long before their bedtime.
When can guinea keets be put outside?
When they are around 3 weeks of age, they can begin to go outside into their safe enclosure. You will want to train them, acclimating to their coop as "home" as quickly as possible to keep them from attempting to roost in trees at night.
Can guinea keets eat chicken feed?
If for any reason guinea fowl are not allowed to forage, they can be fed a commercial poultry diet. It is important to use an unmedicated feed. Guineas need a higher protein feed than chickens but do quite well on regular poultry diets. Keets need a 24% to 26% protein ration as the starter feed.
Can guinea keets eat scrambled eggs?
They are difficult and time consuming to raise in that sort of quantity though. I feed them as treats. Eggs and scrambled egg: Guinea fowl can and will eat eggs and it a good food for them.
How much protein do guinea keets need?
Keets were fed protein levels ranging from 18 to 28% using an isocaloric corn-soya diet. Keets in this experiment required a dietary protein level of 24% for optimal growth to eight weeks of age.
How long do guinea keets need a heat lamp?
After 6 to 7 weeks, the keets should be fully feathered and you will be able to turn off the heat lamp. For the last week of heat, turn it off during the daytime only so they still have some gentle heat at night if it gets cold. Handle your keets regularly from day old onwards.
Are guinea keets hard to raise?
Raising guinea keets isn't too hard, and if you have raised baby chicks or ducklings you are likely to know the drill. What is this? Guinea keets will need to be kept in a brooder until they are older and fully feathered.
How cold can guinea fowl tolerate?
Here is the important point - If they are in a coop and it is dry and sheltered they can survive sustained temperatures of -18C or -1F provided they have liquid water and plenty of feed. Below: Guineas wandering in the snow - in these conditions they probably just need feed and water in a sheltered coop.
What do guinea pigs eat?
How to Feed Adult Guinea Fowl. Mature guinea fowl can eat a typical poultry feed, but you will need to pay extra attention to the type of poultry feed you select. Guinea fowl require a higher percentage of protein than chickens, so they need a feed that is 16 percent protein.
What is a guinea fowl?
Guinea fowl’s unique appearance , their appetite for ticks and general antics make them a popular choice for poultry enthusiasts. However, though guinea fowl might be roughly the size and shape of chickens, these exotic birds do have different health and care requirements than domestic poultry.
Can you feed guinea fowl pellets?
You will also need to avoid buying a medicated poultry feed, because these may contain ingredients that are problematic for guinea fowl. Guinea fowl do not do well with pellets, so you will need to select a feed that comes in a mash form. If you are keeping your guinea fowl in a coop, make sure to provide them with grit and vegetation.
Do guinea fowl eat picky food?
It is true that guinea fowl aren’t picky eaters , but they do have somewhat specific nutritional needs. If you are considering getting these birds, it is important to know what to feed guinea fowl.
Do guinea fowl like cold water?
Guinea fowl like to drink fresh, room temperature water. Adults do not have any other water requirements, but it is very important to make sure that the water for keets is not too cold, as cold water can chill keets to a dangerous level and even kill them. Keep in mind that you need to give all your guinea fowl access to clean drinking water even if there is a pond in the yard where they forage. Change the water daily.
Can guinea fowl eat corn?
They love millet and sorghum, and mealworms will go a long way. However, some will avoid eating whole corn kernels. In addition to scratch feed and treats, you can provide leafy greens to supplement their foraging.
Do guinea fowl eat free range?
Since guinea fowl are not picky birds, they will find most of their nutrition while wandering around. However, it is important to still provide food for your birds because even free range guinea fowl may not be able to get all their necessary nutrients from your yard.
What temperature should guinea fowl keets be?
You should pay attention to the temperature of the brooder. In their first week, guinea fowl keets need a brooder temperature of 95°F. You should decrease the temperature of the brooder weekly (i.e. until you take them outside) by 5°F.
What is a brooder for a guinea keet?
A brooder is a box or container in which you raise young birds (in this case, guinea keets). The brooder size should be 16 inches by 28 inches for every 15 keets. A brooder can be made of cardboard, plastic, wood, etc. You should line the brooder so that it becomes free from draft.
How do guinea keets move?
Too Much Heat: If the heat is too much, the guinea keets will move towards the wall of the brooder. You will find very few or no keets in the middle of the brooder.
How to teach guinea keets to drink water?
If you do not know how to teach your guinea keets to drink water from the nipples, use a water trough for chicks. 4. Coop or Shelter for When They Grow. When your keets have grown and are ready to be moved outside, they will need a shelter. If you do not want them to roam free, you should build or buy a coop for them.
Why do you put pebbles in guinea keets?
The pebbles will prevent the trough from falling and also prevent your keets from drowning. In their first few days, you should place the beak of your guinea keets into the water so that they will learn how to drink water from it. 3. Caring for Your Guinea Keets. Instagram.
What is guinea fowl domesticated from?
The guinea fowl we raise today are domesticated from a wild guinea fowl known as the helmeted guinea fowl ( Numida meleagris ). People raise guinea fowl for various reasons. The way you should raise your guinea fowl depends on why you are raising it. A few reasons why people raise guinea fowl are:
Why do people raise guinea fowl?
A few reasons why people raise guinea fowl are: Security: Guinea fowls are loud (the reason why many people do not like the birds) and can alert you when an intruder comes close to your home or farm. Meat Production: People sometimes use guinea fowl meat to replace chicken meat in dishes.
Essential things you need to know about raising Guinea fowl keets?
It goes without question that Guinea fowl are one of the most unusual, quirky and wacky birds around and their babies are no different. Guinea fowl babies, also known as keets, are excitable and, if I'm being honest, some of the daftest baby creatures around.
What to expect from Guinea fowl keets
Guinea fowl keets are cute, chirpy, curious and clumsy things that you’ll definitely need to keep an eye on. They are easily panicked and can hurt themselves by rushing into brooder walls. They are a handful and you should be ready for them. They are not easy to look after like chicks.
The Keet brooder
A keet brooder is a safe temperature controlled space, normally an extra-large plastic container or tote, that your baby Guinea fowl will be able to spend the first six weeks of their life.
How do you keep Guinea keets warm?
The brooder needs to have a warm spot that is around 38 degrees Celsius, otherwise your Guinea fowl keets might get a bit cold. They should have a source of heat but be able to wander away from it if they need to.
Cleaning the brooder
Guinea fowl keets grow quite fast over the first two weeks and it might be tempting to let them out of the brooder sooner than it is recommended.
What do Guinea keets eat and drink?
Adult Guinea fowl are one of the most self-reliant poultry birds around.
Problems with Guinea keets
One of the sadder realities about Guinea fowl keets is that if they’re exposed to some kind of trauma during the first few weeks, the more anti-social and fiercely independent they will become.
How to keep guinea keets warm?
How can you keep guinea keets warm? Depending upon the size of the flock, you can use a regular 60-watt light bulb to keep them warm. However, the pig-tail variety of light bulb may not provide enough warmth for the keets. Use the round-type bulb for keeping your keets warm. If you have a large flock, use a brooder lamp in the enclosure to keep ...
How to get a guinea keet to grow up?
1. Get Their Home Ready. Guinea keets need a clean, enclosed area with solid walls to grow up in. Keets require a warm, draft-free environment for the first 1-6 weeks of life, or until they are fully feathered.
Where do keets stay?
If the lamp is too close to the floor, the keets will only stay in the outer perimeter of the light source (laying down in the shape of a donut). If the light temperature is just right, the keets will lay down directly under it and in the surrounding area.
How much room do chickens need in a pen?
Be sure to give the birds enough room in a pen. They will need 2-3 feet for each bird in the pen. Remember, they aren't chickens and they need plenty of room to run around.
What type of enclosure is best for guinea keets?
The purpose of having a solid-walled en closure is that it needs to retain heat well.
Do keets eat wood shavings?
One of the biggest mistakes that keet owners make in the beginning is using wood shavings as bedding. Don’t do this! Keets will eat wood shavings and will die from it. They will choose the tiny pieces of bedding to eat before they’ll eat their feed.
Can you raise a guinea keet from a chicken?
However, they are very delicate and require different care methods than chickens. If you’ve had trouble raising keets in the past, the following tips may help you safely raise them from a hatchling to a fully-feathered bird.
Do keets need to be kept warm?
Y oung Guinea Fowl or ‘Keets’ to give them their correct name should be kept warm until they are fully feathered. If you have hatched your keets under a broody hen, she will keep them warm and there are a number of advantages of hatching guinea’s eggs under a broody hen: she will usually teach them to lay in nest boxes and to roost in their house.
Do guinea fowl eat grubs?
They will need more feed again during the colder months when there aren’t so many bugs around. Adult guinea fowl can be fed layers pellets the same as your chickens with the odd corn treats to tame them.
What is a guinea fowl baby?
For more information click here. It goes without question that Guinea fowl are one of the most unusual, quirky and wacky birds around and their babies are no different. Guinea fowl babies, also known as keets, are rambunctious, excitable and- if we’re being honest- some of the doughiest creatures around. Caring for young Guinea fowl keets is one of ...
When do guinea pigs take their baby keets?
Some owners take young Guinea fowl keets under their wings when they are a few days old, once the mother has abandoned them. However be cautious before swoop in and take the baby keets, as the mother may get offended and try to keep them for herself.
How do I clean a baby keet?
The easiest way to clean the brooder is to relocate the baby keets to a safe place, remove the bedding, wipe down the interior of the brooder with a natural cleaner and reline the inside with fresh bedding. Extra points if you use the droppings as fertiliser for your compost.
How cold should a guinea pig's brooder be?
The brooder needs to be kept at approximate 35 degrees Celsius, otherwise your Guinea fowl keets might get a bit cold. A carefully positioned heat lamp with a thermometer strategically placed at the bottom of the brooder is the simplest way to ensure your keets stay warm during this early period of their life.
Do guinea pigs have good parents?
Guinea fowl have many charms but they are definitely not known for being good parents. Guinea fowl mothers tend to isolate their nest in the wild and savagely protect it from other birds, animals and even humans. Whilst caring for the eggs Guinea fowl are dedicated and caring parents committed to the cause of their children.
Can guinea fowl keets eat bugs?
As most Guinea fowl keets won’t be safe to graze in the wild it’s important that you give them plenty of feed while they’re inside the brooder.
How old do guinea fowl need to be to eat meat?
If you decide to use them for meat production, you should harvest them between 12 and 20 weeks old. The idea is that any guinea fowl over 35 weeks old would be similar to eating leather. Guinea fowl also lay enough eggs to qualify them as good layers. The hens typically lay around 12 to 30 eggs in each clutch.
What is a guinea fowl?
Guinea fowl are one of the more unique barnyard birds. You can still find many of their species in the wild, but the primary species of domesticated guinea fowl is the helmeted guinea fowl ( Numida meleagris ). Guinea fowl are part of the same scientific family that includes pheasants, turkeys, chickens, and grouse.
How long do guinea fowl stay in a box?
Protect the young guinea fowl by keeping them in a brooder box for the first six weeks of their life. Once they are fully feathered, you can begin to move them out and transition them into the main flock.
What is a baby guinea called?
A baby guinea is called a keet (just as a baby chicken is called a chick). Otherwise, guinea fowl are more tolerant to diseases typical in other kinds of poultry. Keep an eye out for: Respiratory diseases like coryza.
Why are guinea fowl so easy to identify?
Guinea fowl are easy birds to identify and have stuck around because of their usefulness on the farm. They are quite hardy, and it is easy to keep them in a wide variety of climatic conditions.
What is the temperament of guinea fowl?
Temperament & Behavior. Guinea fowl are not a suggested breed for those that live in suburban or urban areas since they are boisterous birds. These birds are scared by almost anything and will run around trying to escape while simultaneously sounding an alarm. Their typical call is harsh, loud, and repetitive.
How small are guinea hen eggs?
Guinea eggs are about 25% smaller than a chicken egg. Guinea hens lay them in clutches, or large groups all at once, hiding their nest in large patches of grass to “protect” them from predators and the farmer. Since they rarely nest in the coop, you will notice the moms disappear, only to reappear later with a bunch of babies.
