How old can you start giving guinea keet treats?

[MelindaAustin]

I've seen a lot about millet, scratch (whatever that is), grass, dandelions but how old can you start feeding them these. With feeding grass, do you cut it up into smaller pieces for them, with dandelions, do feed the yellow flowers, cut them up? Thanks so much.

 

[R2elk]

I've seen a lot about millet, scratch (whatever that is), grass, dandelions but how old can you start feeding them these. With feeding grass, do you cut it up into smaller pieces for them, with dandelions, do feed the yellow flowers, cut them up? Thanks so much.

I don't feed millet so can't address that. Scratch is a mixture of grains designed to be tossed on the ground to get poultry to scratch for it. It is for the most part too large for newly hatched keets. The thing to remember about everything that you have mentioned is that the keets need to have grit in order to digest any of these treats.

I start offering grass the second day that the keets are in the brooder although it probably is not a bad idea to wait until they are a week old. I hand cut the grass into pieces no longer than 1". With dandelions you feed the green leaves and not the flowers. The dandelion leaves also need to be cut into small pieces.

 

[MelindaAustin]

Thanks, I bought some Grit but I think it says feed at 4 weeks, I'm not sure but I know it wasn't something I could do yet. Is there something else I could give them as grit?

 

[R2elk]

Thanks, I bought some Grit but I think it says feed at 4 weeks, I'm not sure but I know it wasn't something I could do yet. Is there something else I could give them as grit?

They do sell chick grit which is finer than regular grit. There may also be some fine grit available in a pet store that sells bird supplies.

I live on a sand dune so I use sand for the bedding and while it is very fine it does serve as grit. When I need coarser grit, I just take it from one of the many big ant hills around here. The problem with getting grit from an ant mound is making sure you are just getting grit and not the ants.

Good luck.

 

[MelindaAustin]

What else can we use for treats? They used to love the meal worms, but not so much anymore. They come to a whistle for the dandelions, but we'd like to give them something else for a treat, something that they'd come home for. Thanks.

 

[hyelaw]

The grit I bought has this description.
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My keets still love mealworms, but I'm trying to cut back because they are a little too obsessed and they are costing me a small fortune. I've tried hard boiled eggs as treats and it's hit or miss. Sometimes they gobble them up, sometimes they don't touch them. Sometimes I just take their feed and throw it on the ground hoping they think it's a treat. For mine, it's more the act of throwing it on the ground as opposed of them eating it out of a container.

I'm trying to give them more millet, since it's cheaper than the mealworms, and still nutritious for them.

 

[MelindaAustin]

We must have high maintenance keets because they don't seem to care for the mealworms anymore and don't seem to like the millet, they seem to like the black oil sunflower seeds right now. I do notice that they seem to like to scratch and get stuff off the bottom.

I didn't realize grit was something that we'd always have to supply them so I'll have to check around for it for when they're older.

 

[hyelaw]

Mine either don't like BOSS or they are too small for them. They end up leaving them though. I need to find a grinder or wait until they are bigger to try again. I tried breaking the shell with a mortar and pestle and they wouldn't crack.

I tried the hard boiled eggs again, threw them in the run and they disappeared. My boyfriend likes to collect clover an grass for them, they seem to like it because it's disappearing. I cut up wheat grass and gave it to them too, that went quick.

Good luck!

 

[Kay Rouse]

I use Parakeet Grit. You can find it in the Bird section at Walmart and it is real cheap.
I was wondering if I can feed my Keets lettuce, cabbage etc. to use for greens?

 

[R2elk]

I use Parakeet Grit. You can find it in the Bird section at Walmart and it is real cheap.
I was wondering if I can feed my Keets lettuce, cabbage etc. to use for greens?

If you want your adults guineas to be able to go in the garden without causing damage, never feed them treats from the garden. They will remember and go after the treats when they get in the garden.

I give my keets short pieces of grass.