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#Have a coop. Make sure you have a fully enclosed coop ready before you bring your new guinea fowl home. They can fly, so they will escape if they are not kept in an enclosed coop.<ref>http://bit.ly/2SZv3zu Guinea Fowl Step 2.jpg|center]]
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#Have a coop. Make sure you have a fully enclosed coop ready before you bring your new guinea fowl home. They can fly, so they will escape if they are not kept in an enclosed coop.<ref>http://bit.ly/2SZv3zu Guinea Fowl Step 2.jpg|center]]
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#*Even if you plan to let your guineas roam freely, you will need the coop to get started.
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#*Even if you plan to let your guineas roam freely, you will need the coop to get started.
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#*Your coop should provide at least three to four square feet of space per bird. You should provide more space if you do not plan on allowing them to roam freely after the training period.
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#*Your coop should provide at least three to four square feet of space per bird. You should provide more space if you do not plan on allowing them to roam freely after the training period.
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#*Be sure to provide food and water in the coop, as well as clean bedding on the floor and perches for your birds to roost on.
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#*Be sure to provide food and water in the coop, as well as clean bedding on the floor and perches for your birds to roost on.
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#Consider providing a night-time shelter. Once your guineas are free-roaming, you do not need to provide them with a shelter, but doing so can help protect them against predators like foxes and owls. If you don't provide a shelter, your guineas will roost in the trees at night. A shelter is different from a coop in that it allows the guineas to come and go as they please.<ref>http://bit.ly/2SZv4U4 Guinea Fowl Step 3.jpg|center]]
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#Consider providing a night-time shelter. Once your guineas are free-roaming, you do not need to provide them with a shelter, but doing so can help protect them against predators like foxes and owls. If you don't provide a shelter, your guineas will roost in the trees at night. A shelter is different from a coop in that it allows the guineas to come and go as they please.<ref>http://bit.ly/2SZv4U4 Guinea Fowl Step 3.jpg|center]]
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#*When allowed to roam, guinea fowl will eat all sorts of critters in your yard, including ticks, grasshoppers, spiders, and small snakes. You don't need to provide them with any additional food, except some mixed grains in their shelter at night if you want to encourage them to spend the night there.
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#*When allowed to roam, guinea fowl will eat all sorts of critters in your yard, including ticks, grasshoppers, spiders, and small snakes. You don't need to provide them with any additional food, except some mixed grains in their shelter at night if you want to encourage them to spend the night there.
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#*If you keep your guineas penned, feed them store-bought chicken feed (one pound per day for every six guineas). To increase egg production, switch them to a higher protein feed formulated for turkeys and wild fowl. Check your local farm extension agency to find out the egg laying season for guineas in your area. In many areas, they lay six months of the year.
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#*If you keep your guineas penned, feed them store-bought chicken feed (one pound per day for every six guineas). To increase egg production, switch them to a higher protein feed formulated for turkeys and wild fowl. Check your local farm extension agency to find out the egg laying season for guineas in your area. In many areas, they lay six months of the year.
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#*Your guineas will also rely on you to provide a constant source of fresh water. You can buy a waterer for poultry, which holds a large amount of water and dispenses it little by little into a small dish. Keep in mind that it will need to be heated in winter to keep the water from freezing if you live in a cold climate.
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#*Your guineas will also rely on you to provide a constant source of fresh water. You can buy a waterer for poultry, which holds a large amount of water and dispenses it little by little into a small dish. Keep in mind that it will need to be heated in winter to keep the water from freezing if you live in a cold climate.
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#*Collect eggs. Because guineas roam free, they can build their nests and lay their eggs almost anywhere. To find them, follow them at a distance during the mid-morning to early afternoon hours, when they are most likely to lay eggs. Once you've identified a nest, wait for the hen and her husband (he'll be standing guard) to leave and gather some eggs with a large spoon or other kitchen tool. Leave at least half the eggs in the nest so that the guinea hen will continue to lay there.<ref>http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/how-to-raise-guinea-fowl-zmaz82jazgoe.aspx?PageId=3#ArticleContent</ref>[[Image:Raise Guinea Fowl Step 7.jpg|center]]
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#*Collect eggs. Because guineas roam free, they can build their nests and lay their eggs almost anywhere. To find them, follow them at a distance during the mid-morning to early afternoon hours, when they are most likely to lay eggs. Once you've identified a nest, wait for the hen and her husband (he'll be standing guard) to leave and gather some eggs with a large spoon or other kitchen tool. Leave at least half the eggs in the nest so that the guinea hen will continue to lay there.<ref>http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/how-to-raise-guinea-fowl-zmaz82jazgoe.aspx?PageId=3#ArticleContent</ref>[[Image:Raise Guinea Fowl Step 7.jpg|center]]
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#Guineas make their nests on the ground, but they like to try to conceal them by choosing areas with tall grasses. They also share nests with other guinea hens frequently and sometimes share "sitting" duties as well.<ref>http://bit.ly/2N7MGYH;
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#Guineas make their nests on the ground, but they like to try to conceal them by choosing areas with tall grasses. They also share nests with other guinea hens frequently and sometimes share "sitting" duties as well.<ref>http://bit.ly/2N7MGYH;
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#*If you also raise chickens, a broody hen can be used to hatch the eggs and raise the keets.
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#*If you also raise chickens, a broody hen can be used to hatch the eggs and raise the keets.
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#*Turkeys can also make suitable replacement mothers.<ref>http://bit.ly/2SUJmp3>
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#*Turkeys can also make suitable replacement mothers.<ref>http://bit.ly/2SUJmp3>
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#Create a safe home for the keets. You will need to keep the keets contained in a box for the first six to eight weeks. A 16" x 28" box will provide enough space for about 15 keets.
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#Create a safe home for the keets. You will need to keep the keets contained in a box for the first six to eight weeks. A 16" x 28" box will provide enough space for about 15 keets. [[Image:Raise Guinea Fowl Step 9.jpg|center]]
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#*Keets are very delicate, so be sure to provide adequate space for them to prevent trampling. If they appear to be overcrowded, move them to a larger box.
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#*Keets are very delicate, so be sure to provide adequate space for them to prevent trampling. If they appear to be overcrowded, move them to a larger box.
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#*Keets can escape through very fine wire mesh, so it's best to keep them in a container with solid sides, like a sturdy cardboard box.
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#*Keets can escape through very fine wire mesh, so it's best to keep them in a container with solid sides, like a sturdy cardboard box.
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#*They will be jumping in no time, so make sure you cover the box with a screen.
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#*They will be jumping in no time, so make sure you cover the box with a screen.
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#*Keep the box lined with clean paper towels for the first week or more, and then switch to wood shavings. They need a textured surface to prevent them from slipping and injuring their legs, so don't line the box with newspaper. Textured shelf liner, available at dollar stores, is a good substitute.
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#*Keep the box lined with clean paper towels for the first week or more, and then switch to wood shavings. They need a textured surface to prevent them from slipping and injuring their legs, so don't line the box with newspaper. Textured shelf liner, available at dollar stores, is a good substitute.
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#Keep it warm. Keets need to be kept nice and toasty, so use a heating lamp to maintain a constant temperature in their container. (If it's summer and hot already, a regular light bulb may be adequate.) It should be 95 degrees Fahrenheit for the first week. You can then lower the temperature by 5 degrees each week until the temperature in their box is the same as the temperature outside.
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#Keep it warm. Keets need to be kept nice and toasty, so use a heating lamp to maintain a constant temperature in their container. (If it's summer and hot already, a regular light bulb may be adequate.) It should be 95 degrees Fahrenheit for the first week. You can then lower the temperature by 5 degrees each week until the temperature in their box is the same as the temperature outside.[[Image:Raise Guinea Fowl Step 10.jpg|center]]
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#Keep the light at one end of the brooder box. That way, the keets can move to a cooler part of the box if they get too hot. If you see them clumped in a pile under the light, it means they're still cold; try to move the light closer. If they stay at the cooler end of the brooder box, move the light farther from the box. Their behavior will let you know when they're comfortable.
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#Keep the light at one end of the brooder box. That way, the keets can move to a cooler part of the box if they get too hot. If you see them clumped in a pile under the light, it means they're still cold; try to move the light closer. If they stay at the cooler end of the brooder box, move the light farther from the box. Their behavior will let you know when they're comfortable.
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#If one keet seems more sluggish and droopy than its siblings, don't panic. Try this: Put a hand towel or cloth in a clothes dryer only long enough to get it warm. Then pick the keet up with the warm towel, loosely wrap it around the keet, and snuggle with the baby against your chest. Sometimes the sluggishness is just a sign that one keet needs more warmth than the others.
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#If one keet seems more sluggish and droopy than its siblings, don't panic. Try this: Put a hand towel or cloth in a clothes dryer only long enough to get it warm. Then pick the keet up with the warm towel, loosely wrap it around the keet, and snuggle with the baby against your chest. Sometimes the sluggishness is just a sign that one keet needs more warmth than the others.
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#Provide food. Feed your keets a store bought food, crumbles rather than pellets, for the first couple of months. Use a starter mix for baby birds with 24% to 28% protein for the first five weeks, and then switch to a mixture containing 18% to 20% protein for the next three weeks. Check labels. Starter feeds for wild birds and turkeys tend to be higher in protein than starter mixes for chickens. If you run out of feed and can't get to a feed store right away, boil some eggs and feed the keets the yolks. <ref>http://web.uconn.edu/poultry/poultrypages/guineafowlmanagement.html</ref>[[Image:Raise Guinea Fowl Step 11.jpg|center]]
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#Provide food. Feed your keets a store bought food, crumbles rather than pellets, for the first couple of months. Use a starter mix for baby birds with 24% to 28% protein for the first five weeks, and then switch to a mixture containing 18% to 20% protein for the next three weeks. Check labels. Starter feeds for wild birds and turkeys tend to be higher in protein than starter mixes for chickens. If you run out of feed and can't get to a feed store right away, boil some eggs and feed the keets the yolks. <ref>http://web.uconn.edu/poultry/poultrypages/guineafowlmanagement.html</ref>[[Image:Raise Guinea Fowl Step 11.jpg|center]]
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#*Hand feed the keets to get them used to you.
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#*Hand feed the keets to get them used to you.
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#Provide water. Be sure to provide your keets with a steady source of fresh, warm water. They don't tolerate cold water well.<ref>http://web.uconn.edu/poultry/poultrypages/guineafowlmanagement.html</ref>[[Image:Raise Guinea Fowl Step 12.jpg|center]]
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#Provide water. Be sure to provide your keets with a steady source of fresh, warm water. They don't tolerate cold water well.<ref>http://web.uconn.edu/poultry/poultrypages/guineafowlmanagement.html</ref>[[Image:Raise Guinea Fowl Step 12.jpg|center]]
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#*Newborn keets are susceptible to drowning, so provide water in a shallow bowl filled with marbles at first. The keets will climb on the marbles and drink the water between them. Very young keets will require some help at first, so tip each keet's beak briefly in the water to let them know how and where to drink. After the initial period, providing a jar of water with a watering base will be a great way to make sure they always have enough water to drink and that they never have enough water to drown in.
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#*Newborn keets are susceptible to drowning, so provide water in a shallow bowl filled with marbles at first. The keets will climb on the marbles and drink the water between them. Very young keets will require some help at first, so tip each keet's beak briefly in the water to let them know how and where to drink. After the initial period, providing a jar of water with a watering base will be a great way to make sure they always have enough water to drink and that they never have enough water to drown in.
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#Keep them clean. Keets may get dried feces stuck to their feet or bottoms. This can cause a variety of complications, so be sure to clean them right away. To do so, wipe the area with a moist cotton ball or soak the area in warm soapy water.
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#Keep them clean. Keets may get dried feces stuck to their feet or bottoms. This can cause a variety of complications, so be sure to clean them right away. To do so, wipe the area with a moist cotton ball or soak the area in warm soapy water.[[Image:Raise Guinea Fowl Step 13.jpg|center]]
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#*Be very gentle. Scraping or picking the feces off of the keets may cause injury.
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#*Be very gentle. Scraping or picking the feces off of the keets may cause injury.
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#*To prevent this from happening in the first place, make sure to change the lining in the box frequently.
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#*To prevent this from happening in the first place, make sure to change the lining in the box frequently.
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