Turkey poult brooding guineas

[bee_pipes]

We had two clutches, 10 and 7, hatched by guineas and 29 eggs hatch in the incubator. The brooder was getting a little crowded, so we moved the nine oldest guineas out to the turkey hootch at the age of a week and a half. The nighttime temps have been mild (until we moved the guineas out, of course). The keets have been in the habit of huddling against the poults to stay warm at night. Handling the poults on occasion, I can see why - they are big and warm. This morning we caught a poult covering the keets. All nine keets are there, most hidden by the fan of the poult's wings. Thought it was a good picture.
http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o120/bee_pipes/poult_brooder.jpg

Doesn't quite jibe with the behaviors and habits I have read. Starting to get me real cynical about written literature. Personal experience from people raising this livestock has always counted for more, but the written information (other than testimonies on the web) seems pretty unreliable.

Regards,
Pat

[Faye]

Hey Deb. I sure could use some advice about turkey raising. Roy got 12 poults(I thought it was 10 but recounted and there are 12) a couple days ago and we have not raised turkeys before. Right now we are feeding chick starter but wild game bird starter/grower was recommended to us. What kind of pen do they need as they grow. Right now they are in a box with a light at night but I know they will outgrow that fast. We plan to keep a tom and 2 hens for breeding and put the rest in the freezer. That is the whole point of getting them. That and the fact Roy likes fooling with things like that.

[Faye]

My thoughts exactly! He also got 5 guineas and I told him to put them with the turkeys but for some reason he does not want to so they are in seperate pens.