Have you ever thought of having chickens? I guess it’s a strange question, but for people who live in the country, it’s not that unusual. After all, hens provide eggs for breakfast, little chicks that become chickens, and later in their lives, they can provide Sunday dinner! Sort of an all-purpose product, if you see what I mean. The only problem with chickens that I can see as a gardener is that I don’t much like seeing my beds dug up, and chickens can make a mess of a garden bed in no time. So now, the next question is, have you ever thought about keeping guineas? Guineas eat all the insects they can find and do not tend to make a mess in your garden. If the answer is yes, I have some great tips for you on how to get started.
First, you need to decide if you want to start with keets (the guinea chick) or if you want to start with adults. I had no choice when I started, or even wanted to start, with keets or adults, as the two adults I had first came and perched on my roof, and wouldn’t leave. Therefore, I have experience with both ways of acquiring guinea. I’m not sure which I would prefer, if given a preference, as the two are completely different animals (sorry).
Let’s start with the keets. They look very similar to chicks for the first week or two, then they start to develop their wing feathers and chicks don’t. There are a few other differences between keets and chicks, one of which, in my experience, is that keets will grow faster than chicks. They have delicate legs and feet, so they must have a non-slip surface to walk on. Then there is the food for the teapots. They need a protein-rich starter food for their fast-growing little bodies and plenty of water. Keets will need a box to stay in until they are older and this box is usually known as a brood box. It doesn’t need to be very big, depending on the number of keets you have. It will need to be kept clean of keet poop, as poop can stick to keet feet and cause pain, and is not easy to remove without hurting the feet. The best practice is to keep it clean. I prefer a quarter to half inch wire mesh. This allows feces to fall to the floor under the box and makes for much less clean up!
If you decide on the adult guinea pig, the process is a little easier. First you, or someone who is better at this particular job, must catch the guineas. They are incredibly fast and won’t get caught unless they are enclosed in a small area. After catching them and putting them in a transport box of the appropriate size, simply take them home. Before acquiring adult guineas, you should have your permanent home ready to go. The optimal situation is that not only the chicken coop is ready, but there is also a closed pen for them. Remember, guineas can fly, so you’ll want to have cover over the area where they will be kept. Adult guineas will need to be kept indoors for about three to four weeks to allow their new home to become “imprinted” on them. After this time, if you have been feeding them and giving them treats in their pen, they will want to come back to it every night. Guinea pigs are blind in the dark, so they really want to come home!
This is not a complete guide, but it should help you decide: keets or adults?