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During the 10 years of raising guinea fowl I have learned a lot, many times at the expensive of my birds. I have found what works best for me and want to share some of the things I have decided work really well. This is by no means the "only way" or even the "best way for all". It is the most effective and EASY setup for my farm.


I can divide the brooder in half if needed for different ages or breeds.	I have two pieces of plastic hardware cloth that easily come out for cleaning.	The top slides shut for warmth and safety or I can open for fresh air.	The bottom has a tray to catch droppings and slides out for cleaning.

Although this GQF brooder is costly it is well worth the money if you do much hatching.

Then the keets and chicks move outside very fast. Once the season gets into full swing the weather, here in Texas, is warm enough for the keets and chicks to go out into my barn shed within days of hatching. I offer a heat source when needed. I use hooded lights with different watt bulbs.

My husband is quite talented and built brooder cages and a nice rack to hold four. We have learned, again the hard way, to build our cages with small welded wire to prevent snakes from feasting on young keets. We added some very nice custom metal trays to slide easily under the cages to help with cleaning. The bottoms of the cages are made with even smaller hardware cloth. This allows the droppings to fall through on to the trays and the small cloth is perfect for small feet. I have found getting the keets onto wire bottomed cages helps to prevent splayed legs. The 2004 season found me buying some three tiered wire cages built with small wire to protect from snakes and other predators pulling heads through the openings. Hubby built nice stands to elevate them off the ground to workable height. This year I have a total of 12 wire brooder cages under my barn shed. An automatic water system is in the works for the next few weeks.

The pictures below show the "beginning brooders" before GQF brooder. I used clear plastic storage containers and my preference, old bath towels. The main thing is to not crowd the keets and be sure you allow enough room for them to moved away from your heat source if needed.

Once the keets move out, depending on the weather here in Texas, they go to the larger wire cages my husband has built from welded wire. Keets need to start at 95 degrees the first week after hatch. That temperature is reduced 5 degrees each week until they are fully feathered. If your keets are bunching and piling up, they are cold. If they are spread out away from your heat source and panting, they are hot.

Feed and clean water needs to be available all the time. When keets first hatch you can place marbles in the water container lip to keep them from getting wet or drowning. Moisture is a real killer when keets are young. No drown water bases are also sold that work great. They have a very narrow lip. Feed for keets should be a higher protein feed. Wild game bird or turkey starter is perfect for keets. I prefer to not use medicated while some use it.

					large plastic brooder boxes for the keets the first few days

			clips for holding doors closed and door edging to protect your hands and arms	small transport cage	tools for building cages
					cages are made with 1 x1/2 inch welded wire to protect against predators.
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I use several different sizes and types of containers for feed and water	water elevated to help keep clean	Watering cups with drip 5 gallon bucket-great time saver.	larger coop with attached run	introduction to the flock -protection for 1-2 weeks	lower roosts plus ladder to aid in flying up to high roosts

Since I raise silkies and showgirls I have a lot of experience with broody hens. There are times I am happy to find one willing to set for weeks on end but there are also times it is toooo hot or I need the hens laying eggs for my breeding program. When those times arise I have found the best way to break the hens is this broody cage. I can use it for two different things. One being a nice secure area for a hens to brood and hatch a clutch of eggs or a cage to break the broody mode. When I want her to set I will have some hay or a small box in the cage but when I want her OFF those eggs she is in this cage just as you see it in the picture. The wire bottom cools her underside and within a few days she is active and ready to get out! A week at the longest and she is ok to join the flock again. I put this cage inside the main coop so the hen will still be safe and secure.