907poultry
Songster
- Mar 4, 2022
- 154
- 207
- 126
I live in a warmer part of Alaska currently, it is May and the temps only drop to 30 degrees at night.
I’ve read that guinefowl keets should be kept at 80 degrees at 4 weeks old, but have allowed many 3 week olds to go outdoors on hot spring days (45 degree weather), with no ill results.
The “littles” (my new crew) were outside in there pen, and my dog (who is well behaved around waterfowl and turkeys but does not do as well with guineas, pheasants, and quail) broke into there pen and grabbed a keet. I forgot to install the clips to keep the X pen closed, an awful mistake on my part. Well, I went outside and found that she had ran the keet off into the woods or (presumably) eaten him. I looked around porches, tree trunks, brush etc. but In a large space had no luck. In several hours there were no peeps and said keet would not return to his flock mates.
Without any luck, I brought the other littles inside and excepted my loss.
In the morning I did my round and found no keet, I cleaned and moved hay around until my dog chased the missing keet under the front porch- the thing survived outside, in what should have been deadly cold, alone, for the entire night and into the day. No food, no water, no heat. It could not have gotten In with the big birds because they were locked in their house.
Keets (in my experience) have proven time and time again more hardy than expected.
Has anyone else made a stupid mistake with keets? Have they proved more hardy than media portrays them? Lovable, Loud, little buggers, and joys to have around- unless you have neighbors.
I’ve read that guinefowl keets should be kept at 80 degrees at 4 weeks old, but have allowed many 3 week olds to go outdoors on hot spring days (45 degree weather), with no ill results.
The “littles” (my new crew) were outside in there pen, and my dog (who is well behaved around waterfowl and turkeys but does not do as well with guineas, pheasants, and quail) broke into there pen and grabbed a keet. I forgot to install the clips to keep the X pen closed, an awful mistake on my part. Well, I went outside and found that she had ran the keet off into the woods or (presumably) eaten him. I looked around porches, tree trunks, brush etc. but In a large space had no luck. In several hours there were no peeps and said keet would not return to his flock mates.
Without any luck, I brought the other littles inside and excepted my loss.
In the morning I did my round and found no keet, I cleaned and moved hay around until my dog chased the missing keet under the front porch- the thing survived outside, in what should have been deadly cold, alone, for the entire night and into the day. No food, no water, no heat. It could not have gotten In with the big birds because they were locked in their house.
Keets (in my experience) have proven time and time again more hardy than expected.
Has anyone else made a stupid mistake with keets? Have they proved more hardy than media portrays them? Lovable, Loud, little buggers, and joys to have around- unless you have neighbors.