Pearl Guinea Fowl Suggested Guinea Keet Care: -Keep guinea keets under a 250 watt heat lamp (I prefer a red bulb) at 95 degrees for their first week of age. Each week, decrease the temperature by 5 degrees. At the fourth week, you can discontinue use of the heat lamp. -Feed them turkey starter or wild game starter for 6 weeks. At 6 weeks, gradually switch over to turkey grower or wild game scratch. All of this can be found at your local feed store or Tractor Supply Co. -Supply fresh water at all times. -Provide shelter from wind, rain, cold, and sun. The guinea keets should remain penned up until all flight feathers are present. Do not release guineas without flight feathers, as they will not be able to fly and become easy prey for predators. It usually takes 8 weeks for flight feathers to form. Quick facts on Guineas: -We allow our guineas to "free range" each day during daylight hours. -They eat a lot of bugs, weed seeds, and most importantly ticks that carry diseases, such as Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Tick Fever. -Guineas have a somewhat regular travel routine each day in search of bugs and are enjoyable to watch as they chase each other around. -Guinea fowl will walk right through flowerbeds picking bugs off the plants as they go along, without harming a single tender leaf! They love moths, slugs, aphids, and grasshoppers too! Unlike chickens, guineas do not scratch, therefore do not harm delicate plants or flowers in gardens. -Guineas detest snakes and will kill any they find. -They are quite loud during their first year of life. They are sometimes called the poor farmer's watchdogs. When on free range, they come to know just who does and does not belong on your property. The adult guinea is normally quiet unless disturbed, but watch out! At the first sign of a hawk, raccoon, coyote, fox, skunk, opossum, stray dog, or poacher, etc. you will surely be warned! The shrill call of the guinea is a warning to the other animals on the farm, and is often enough to frighten away the intruder. If you hear a commotion, you can be sure something is out there. Best reference books: "Gardening with Guineas" by Jeannette S. Ferguson. Good web sites: Gardening with Guineas   www.guineafowl.com Guinea Fowl Breeders Association   www.gfba.org