Will adult bantam hen live with keets?

[terri46355]

I am going to buy a bantam hen to use as a broody. My neighbor has 6 newly hatched keets to give me. Can the bantam be in the same cage as the keets until all are ready to live with the rest of the chickens and guineas?

[ceresone]

I have 2 male guineas that live with my chickens--both bantams and large breed. only problem is theyre mean once in awhile to everyone--but I have only the 2 males

[nehimama]

The bantam hen will most likely try to kill the keets, since they aren't HER chicks. I'd keep them separate, but in sight of each other. If it were me, I'd brood (with heat lamp) the keets in something like a rabbit cage within the pen the bantam hen lives in. Once the keets have some size, I'd feel more comfortable letting them live together. Hope this helps.

[Wanderer]

Keep them divided but in sight of each other. If you do decide in the future to mix them, put the bantam in with the keets, not the other way around, so she won't try to defend "her" territory.

[ceresone]

dumb Luck, I guess-since my guineas WERE raised by a Bantam hen, as a matter of fact, when it started making, to her, a weird noise, she'd go cover him up with her wing.

[Belfrybat]

I've had a bantam chicken hatch out guinea eggs and then raise the keets, but I've never tried putting already hatched ones in with an adult hen. If you try it, watch them very carefully to see how the hen reacts to the keets, and remove them at the first sign of agression.

[texican]

Originally Posted by nehimama

The bantam hen will most likely try to kill the keets, since they aren't HER chicks. I'd keep them separate, but in sight of each other. If it were me, I'd brood (with heat lamp) the keets in something like a rabbit cage within the pen the bantam hen lives in. Once the keets have some size, I'd feel more comfortable letting them live together. Hope this helps.

My experience too. She hatches em out, sure. She's hatching out right now, and the keets are hatching out "right now", put em under her after dark, and if she's raised chicks before, she might raise them too. Depends on the breed, and the hen's personality. Lots of variables, with no clear answers...

[mekasmom]

Originally Posted by Belfrybat

I've had a bantam chicken hatch out guinea eggs and then raise the keets, but I've never tried putting already hatched ones in with an adult hen.

Same here. I do know my bantams were good about accepting any species of poultry they hatched though. I had some duck eggs hatch, and Mama hen use to get so upset when her "chicks" would jump in water to swim.

[motdaugrnds]

I totally agree with texican in that hens who are already nesting/hatching out eggs will more than likely accept the keets if placed under her. The biggest problem with grown hens is that keets are so very tiny and you might lose a few.