{"id":30,"date":"2025-07-23T18:05:17","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T18:05:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wilsonwoodsapiary.com\/?p=30"},"modified":"2025-07-23T22:11:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T22:11:11","slug":"from-fluff-to-feathers-our-guinea-fowl-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wilsonwoodsapiary.com\/?p=30","title":{"rendered":"From Fluff to Feathers: Our Guinea Fowl Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\ud83d\udc23 Week 1: Welcome Home, Tiny Tornadoes<\/p><\/div>

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We brought the keets home and placed them in a warm brooder (we used a large plastic bin with pine shavings). The temperature stayed around 95\u00b0F, with a heat lamp overhead. We gave them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Non-medicated chick starter feed<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Fresh water with electrolytes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Shallow dishes to prevent drowning<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udca1 Tip: Guineas are wild at heart\u2014start handling them gently now if you want friendlier adults.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udc25 Weeks 2\u20133: Feathering Up & Finding Their Voices<\/p><\/div>

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    Their wing feathers started coming in quickly. We lowered the heat slightly each week (about 5\u00b0F per week). They began jumping, flapping, and play-chasing each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83e\uddfc We changed bedding every other day to keep the brooder dry and clean. Their appetite doubled overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udcac Lesson learned: Guineas are chatty. And they practice yelling early.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udc24Week 4: The Great Escape Artists<\/p><\/div>

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    By now, they were little ninjas\u2014jumping out of the brooder whenever they could. We upgraded their space by removing the bin and using an extra large dog kennel for fencing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We introduced small items to roost on and prepare them for coop life. Their feathers were mostly in, and they were growing fast!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udc1b We also offered dried mealworms to start building their foraging instincts.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    \ud83d\udc14Weeks 5-6: Coop Life Begins<\/p><\/div>

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