Guineas - Raising Poultry - page 219

pick at the tiny snoods and then go for the beak beneath them, leaving a poor dis-
figured turkey that will never have a normal-looking face again. To discourage this,
provide them with plenty of things to do, don't let their living quarters get too warm
or too cold, and keep an eye on their roommates for signs of guinea abuse.
Once they get past that first three weeks, you can begin turning them out to forage.
At this point they stop bothering other fowl until they reach breeding age.
It's a good idea to have adult guineas in with other adult poultry, including wa-
terfowl, during nonbreeding seasons, as they are great watchdogs and look out for
their fellow fowl when they are all out on pasture together. During breeding season,
however, guinea males become territorial and drive every other species crazy, chas-
ing them and tearing out feathers. I have seen male guineas that weigh 4 to 5 pounds
(2 kg) take on 35-pound (16 kg) adult turkeys — and the guineas win! They are
quick, persistent, and forceful. Once breeding season is over, they return to their nor-
mal, only slightly irritating selves.
Food and Water
Make sure that you have a drownproof waterer to offer your birds. I prefer to use the
quail no-drown fount bases screwed onto a quart-sized (1 L) Mason jar. Although this
waterer may seem to have an unusually tiny exposed water area for drinking, it serves
them just fine. If you use a larger waterer — such as one you use for a newborn chickens
— you most likely will find injured or drowned keets.
Keets do best if you provide a high-quality feed for them. For the first three or four
weeks of their lives, feed them a 28 percent protein starter, such as those used for game
birds. If you can't provide that type of feed, they will probably do okay on a regular
brooder starter of about 23 percent protein, though they may not grow as fast and may
have other issues develop. Poor feathering and feather picking are two common prob-
lems.
Once your new keets get a good drink of water and you show them the feed, they will
be off and running. I try to sprinkle feed all over the newsprint, except for where they
are sleeping, to give them something to stand on and something to pick at. Once they
become a bit stronger, they'll be steadier on their feet.
If they (and you!) survive the first week, you're probably on the right track. Be care-
ful in those first days not to give them sand or grit because they aren't ready for it
yet. They will fill up their gizzard and crop with it and sometimes die as a result. Grit
should be introduced gradually as their feed switches from a tiny crumble to other feeds
when they are several weeks old.