# Raising chicks and keets



## Jessica C (Jan 15, 2019)

Hi all!
I’m planning on getting chickens and guineas soon. I’ve read on here some tips for them and have a few newbie questions:
1. I’m in N. FL and last frost is up to late March. Plan to raise them from chicks/keets inside until they’re ready to go out into a coop+free range life. I may get them mail order but also have a farm swap locally that may prove a source. Can they be raised together? Any insight about the timing?
2. My area sees summer heats of 100 degrees and winter lows below freezing. It rains often too. Any particular breed suggestions for chickens? I’ve raised Rhode Island Reds before in KY. The purpose of both chickens/guineas will be pest control and eggs.
3. What kind of noise are we talking about? I’ve seen folks say that their guineas are louder than anything else and some say they’re not generally. I’d love to keep roosters but how noisy are they? I have a four acre property, no HOA but I do have neighbors. Some have horses, someone has a rooster but I only hear him occasionally. 
I don’t want them to hate me LOL. 
Thanks!


----------



## Rammy (Jan 15, 2019)

I have chickens and it gets pretty cold here in the winter(TN), and all I do is put something up on the building to block the wind. Otherwise they do fine. Ive got australorps, barred rocks, comets, lakenvekders, colombian wyandottes and easter eggers. They all do just fine in the winter.
In the summer they do ok also. I just make sure they have plenty of fresh water and somewhere to get some shade. If where your going to put them has trees or shrubs, that wiill help. It will also give them cover from diving hawks or other birds of prey that think your birds would make a tasty snack.
I know someone who had keets with his hens and had no problems.
Make sure to use a good layer feed and get some oyster shell.
Welcome to  BYH! 
I


----------



## Sheepshape (Jan 16, 2019)

Welcome Jessica C,

I've got 30 plus chickens and winters can be well below freezing, though summers rarely very hot. Chickens tolerate heat and cold very well generally, though breeds like Silkies don't do well in the wet as their feathers aren't waterproof. I keep Brahmas, Naked Necks, brown hybrids and have had La Flèche. Feather legged birds are good in the cold, but get muddy feet in the wet (haven't found this to be much of a problem). They huddle together and 'fluff up' in the cold and appreciate some hot food, but laugh at the winter really. In the summer they seek shade or lie sunbathing. Rhode Island Reds are tough all-rounders.

Roosters can be very loud, and the bigger they are, the louder they are. My Brahmas are positive foghorns, but, living in the country, nobody minds (and they are quite a long way from the house!).

Never had Guineas, so can't really say about their noise, but hens are far from quiet!

 Chicks need heat for about the first 6 weeks of their life, until they have adult feathers, unless they have the broody hen for warmth. I would wait until about Easter time to get some  chicks as a) Very few available up until that time at a reasonable price b) Heat won't be needed in such a big quantity and for so long.

Good Luck.


----------



## Granny Heeney (Jan 18, 2019)

WELCOME!     You're a bit below me (figure I'm east of Greenville, SC) but up here, everything around eats my chickens.    Please, please think long and hard on night time security when you're putting your coop together.  There's little worse than coming out in the morning to the headless bodies of your wee sweethearts...


----------



## Jessica C (Jan 18, 2019)

Granny Heeney said:


> WELCOME!     You're a bit below me (figure I'm east of Greenville, SC) but up here, everything around eats my chickens.    Please, please think long and hard on night time security when you're putting your coop together.  There's little worse than coming out in the morning to the headless bodies of your wee sweethearts...


Oh goodness, I’m so sorry! that’s horrible. I am still researching secure coops and we do have plenty of various predators here, so it is a priority. Thank you!


----------

