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 should I Feed my Baby Guinea keets?
If you can't get that, they will do okay on high quality, finely-milled chick starter feed, which is usually 23% protein, but may grow more slowly or have lower-quality feathering or develop feather picking issues because of the reduced protein. Guinea keets do not need sand or grit in their first few weeks of life.
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 kind of feed do you feed a Keet?
If, however, you cannot find feed made for guinea fowl, you can use feed made for chickens, turkey, or other wild game birds. Note that you should feed young keets with crumbles and not pellets. How do you give water to your keets? Many homesteaders use nippled waterers for their keets.
Do Guinea keets need a high protein diet?
Guinea keets are VERY active birds and they need a high protein diet. If you don’t provide them with the right food, they will grow, but not as fast or as healthy as they could. What type of food do guinea keets need?
What do baby guinea keets eat?
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.
What do you feed day old keets?
Keets need turkey starter or wild game bird starter, not a chicken starter. It should also be the medicated variety. If your local feed store doesn't offer it, ask them if they could order it for you.
How do you take care of keets?
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.
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.
How do you keep guinea keets alive?
For the first week, the keets need to be kept at a constant 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Each week after the first week, you should lower the temperature by five additional degrees. So, the brooder should be 90 degrees in the second week, 85 degrees in the third week, and so on until the brooder reaches ambient temperature.
Can guinea fowl eat chicken feed?
Guinea fowl can eat exactly the same feed as the chickens get but they may ignore the layers pellets. It is not ideal to feed Guineas plain chicken feed as it is a little low in protein. This will never be a problem if your Guinea fowl free range as any insects they find will make up the difference easily.
What age can guineas 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.
What bedding do you use for guinea keets?
Litter: The best option for bedding material is 2 inches of large size kiln dried pine shavings. Use paper towels above the shavings for the first few days. Do not use sawdust or cedar shavings. Bedding must be kept clean and dry.
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 long do keets need heat lamps?
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.
Do guinea keets need grit?
Guinea keets do not need sand or grit in their first few weeks of life. If given too early, they may eat too much, fill their gizzards, and die. You can begin giving them grit when they transition to larger-sized feeds when they are older.
How long does it take for a guinea fowl to be fully grown?
Guineas are not quick growing birds and it varies slightly. Never before 12 weeks, 14 to 16 weeks for small, young and tender and 20 to 16 weeks for full grown carcasses. Anything older than 35 weeks will be like eating boot leather.
What to feed guinea pigs?
The first day, the hard-boiled egg, sour milk, cottage cheese you can add to the diet. All kinds of important mixtures, wheat flour, boiled vegetables and green also added on feed. Guinea fowl chicks do not require attention but the quality should be high the feeding of feed is reduced but the timing is the same.
What do guinea pigs eat?
Guinea fowl consume insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, mosquitoes and slugs on the menu. they ticks eating habits provide to control chemical-free pest control. as additional benefits eating insects reduce the Lyme disease. Guineas fowl can eat anything, when they raised outdoors they are truly hungry of insects.
What is guinea fowl good for?
Guinea fowl breed has ready to decomposed for insects such as ants, termites, worms, small snakes and mice. Guinea sometimes needs specific nutrition. If you choose these guinea fowl for poultry enthusiasts, it is important to know what to feed guinea fowl. Guinea fowl unique Appearance that makes them a poultry choice.
What percentage of protein should guinea pigs eat?
Guinea fowl need feed with a protein percentage of around 16%. At this stage, you can choose chicken feed or other poultry species feed. Sometimes you not found specialized feed for game birds, do not choice medicated poultry feed for Adult guinea it becomes problematic for guinea fowl.
What percentage of protein is needed for a baby guinea?
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%. Proteins amount help to growth and development in this age.
Do guinea fowl need food?
Free-range guinea fow l will find their own food and supply food give them a good reason for their house. In winter they need more food, water and green leaves. They can enjoy corn and other requirements are freshwater. To catch the guinea fowl, in night use a little light to catch successfully.
Is cold water good for birds?
Coldwater is not good for young birds. When Baby guinea reaches two months of age reduce the protein level to 17%. When the keets reach maturity adjusts the guinea feed as the guinea fowl. What To Feed Guinea Fowl.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 a waterer?
Keets are very tiny when they first arrive, so they need slightly different care when it comes to a waterer. While some farmers may have the nipple-type waterers, the majority of bird owners have the familiar red-base chick waterer.
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 old are guinea keets when they arrive?
Shipped guinea keets will be 1-4 days old when they arrive, and they will need to be put in a pre-warmed brooder immediately, especially if they are showing signs of stress from shipping (like looking tired and weak).
Can you use a heat lamp on a guinea keet?
Our Sweeter Heater and Heating Plates would work well for guinea keets. We do not recommend vertically-mounted heaters for guineas. You can use a heat lamp (preferably with a red bulb to reduce cannibalism), but be very careful with them, as they are a serious fire risk. Feed and Water.
Do guinea keets need sand?
Guinea keets do not need sand or grit in their first few weeks of life. If given too early, they may eat too much, fill their gizzards, and die. You can begin giving them grit when they transition to larger-sized feeds when they are older.
Do you need a thermometer for guinea pigs?
If you have not raised guineas before and are using a heat lamp, a thermometer is highly recommended so that you can make sure the temperature in the brooder is correct. For other kinds of heaters, you will need to observe the keets' behavior to see if they are comfortable.
Can you brood guinea keets with waterfowl?
You can add small, clean gravel or marbles to take up space in the lower reservoir so they do not drown or get chilled. Do not brood guinea keets with waterfowl.
How to raise guineas?
The easiest way to raise guineas is to start them as babies, called keets. Otherwise you will have problems keeping your guineas at home and they will simply fly off to wheresoever they prefer.
How much protein should I feed my keets?
Feed: Start on a good Pheasant or Turkey starter feed (28% to 30% protein). The high protein makes them grow fast. For very young keets, scatter about 1 ounce of food per bird on the floor of the brooder. Once the birds are able to reach into a feeder, switch to placing the feed in a chick feeder.
How many keets can you put in a brooder box?
As a general guideline, a large box or feed trough (12 feet square) makes a good brooder box for 25 to 30 newly hatched keets. Any smaller and the birds will crush each other under stress and maim or kill their roommates accidentally.
How old do keets need to be to rehome?
The surface of the keets home is critical until about 3 months of age, so even when rehoming to a coop, be sure to inspect it daily for over slick spots that may be created or areas where the keets could injure their legs. Be particularly conscious of muddy spots that may occur around watering areas.
How to keep keets warm?
Keets need to be kept warm, like any chick, but a larger space will allow them to move toward and away from heat sources as their bodies need to regulate temperature. Brood at 95 degrees the first week. Reduce 5 degrees per week. Keep them warm and dry and you won't have any problems with them.
How many eggs do guinea hens lay?
Guinea hens lay approximately two clutches of eggs per year. The hens begin to lay in April or May, but do not become broody early in the season. If you want to hatch clutches earlier, place the eggs under a broody chicken hen or hens, depending upon the number of eggs. The clutches are typically 20 to 30 eggs.
How to make a footing for a keet?
How to create the proper footing: Use a large container such a rubber trough with a textured bottom. A large container allows the keets to move towards or away from the heat lamp as needed to regulate their body temperature. Line the bottom of the trough with cloth towels.
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.
