What’s a Keet?
July 17th, 2013 · 1 Comment · Posted in farming
Quick on their feet and always hungry
Got a call from the post office the other morning. “We’ve got some chicks here for you,” said a friendly voice on the other end of the line.
Within a few minutes I was holding a small cardboard box with 15 fuzzy, chirping creatures inside. They sound just like baby chickens, but these are keets–the infant stage of Guinea fowl.
Closer to pheasants than chickens, Guinea hens I’ve come to learn are a traditional element of many family farms. Why? Well, these domesticated wildlings, originally from Africa, love to eat bugs and are said to be especially fond of ticks. In an area notorious for ticks and Lyme disease, that makes them an extremely valuable player on the farmstead team. So I placed a minimum order for 15 keets and they are now scampering around the brooder box in the basement, eating lots of the feed I bought for our layer hens and chirping like crazy.
Guinea fowl are supposed to be fairly self-sufficient, meaning, after they’ve spent a couple of months inside they can be turned loose in the yard and they’ll fend for themselves. Or will they? Other authorities say they should have some sort of coop to sleep in overnight, somewhere safe from nocturnal predators. Feed and water should be available, otherwise they simply roam the property looking for seeds and bugs.
My fallback position is that most animals have survived millions of years of evolution. They can mostly get along without human intervention. In any case, it would be great to have a gang of tick eradicators on the property. I’ve also promised a couple to the welder down the road who’s been such a great help to us. In fact, he was the one who suggested we get some Guinea hens in the first place.
Plus, they look just grand when they grow up–like overstuffed partridges with psychedelic spots. Can’t wait.
They also raise a ruckus when strangers set foot.