Guinea Fowl Feed Ideas?

[Blodwyn0419]

So my guinea's are going well. I had to let them out earlier than usual unsupervised as my rooster upset them all and even though he had been removed they were so traumatised they started hitting the sides of the cage and causing themselves injury... Anyway, I had 2 nights were one fowl spent the night in a tree alone. But other than that, they have been good. Lucky for that fowl it is winter, so the only predator I needed to worry about was an owl.

While I didn't want them to fly off and get into the road or the dog yard, they are now refusing to leave the chook pen at all. I can't win! They won't follow me out and when they take flight, they realise they are flying over the fence and turn and come back in like little helicopters.

My issue at the moment is I can't get them to eat their food. They keep eating the chicken feed and ignoring their specialised food. The pen is now pecked clean, so I doubt they are getting enough nutrients inside. This week when my husband is back from work I am going to attempt to get them to follow me out to the fruit trees again and see how they go. Eventually that area will be part of the pen, but it is down on the list of things to do as it takes time to proof it from wild dogs and foxes and wild cats and we are in the middle of other renovations.

Has anyone had them stop eating their food and just eat the chook feed? What did they do if they were unable to separate the two feeds? Is there something I can give them that they may eat that is highly nutritious... Eggs are out at the moment as the chooks I raised them with are not laying yet and my 4 adult chooks only have 2 laying, the other 2 are retired hens.

I looked for mealworms, but was unable to find any locally. I will be going on a hunt when I visit my parents down the coast next. But that is a little while away. Also, these are quite expensive in general, so I am looking for something a little cheaper as I will have to give them these treats more regularly than I would like until they get their bums out of the pen. Haha.

Side question: I think I have more males than females. I definitely have 2 for sure, possibly a 3rd. This gives me a 3:3 ratio. With no rooster, will the fowl see the chickens as part of their brood and not fight so much? Or will this cause an issue where the chickens will get hurt come spring? I am not fussed about the breeding and having infertile offspring as no eggs will be hatching. It just seems they have no intentions of parting with their extended family.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Grubterra black soldier larvae are really affordable.

Another thought is, mix their food with the chickens food. It won't hurt either. Once they're fully grown you can switch to layer b feed if you have all hens or all flock with calcium on the side if you have roos.

 

[Blodwyn0419]

Grubterra black soldier larvae are really affordable.

Another thought is, mix their food with the chickens food. It won't hurt either. Once they're fully grown you can switch to layer b feed if you have all hens or all flock with calcium on the side if you have roos.

Thanks for that!

I have never heard of the Grubterra Black Soldier Larvae before, I will look into that.

I tried mixing the feed, the chooks ate it but the Fowl didn't seem to bother. I also tried only giving them their feed at bed time, they didn't eat it and were mad at me the next day. Hilarious birds.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Thanks for that!

I have never heard of the Grubterra Black Soldier Larvae before, I will look into that.

I tried mixing the feed, the chooks ate it but the Fowl didn't seem to bother. I also tried only giving them their feed at bed time, they didn't eat it and were mad at me the next day. Hilarious birds.

What feed are your chickens consuming? It sounds like your guineas are past the young keet stage, so you could feed all flock or chick grower (oyster shell on side for layers) to all of your birds.

 

[Blodwyn0419]

What feed are your chickens consuming? It sounds like your guineas are past the young keet stage, so you could feed all flock or chick grower (oyster shell on side for layers) to all of your birds.

They have a coarse layer mash. I have been tossing them grubs I find in the garden, but they peck them and drop them and walk off. Then the chooks gobble them up. Bizarre behaviour. They are adults now.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

They have a coarse layer mash. I have been tossing them grubs I find in the garden, but they peck them and drop them and walk off. Then the chooks gobble them up. Bizarre behaviour. They are adults now.

Layer feed is high in calcium to support egg shell development in layers. It shouldn’t be fed to juveniles that are still growing and shouldn’t be fed long term to birds that are not laying, like cocks and hens that are pausing their laying for winter.

 

[Blodwyn0419]

Layer feed is high in calcium to support egg shell development in layers. It shouldn’t be fed to juveniles that are still growing and shouldn’t be fed long term to birds that are not laying, like cocks and hens that are pausing their laying for winter.

Thanks, they are adults now though. They have just recently started pecking at the fowl feed. The chooks are laying so I am able to give them boiled crushed up egg. Plus being spring my pigeons have started laying. I do not let them breed and replace the eggs with fake ones so I am also boil and feeding them their eggs. We will be extending their pen in the next week or so, around our fruit trees, so hopefully bugs will be aplenty for them!

 

[MyCozyCritters]

Grubterra black soldier larvae are really affordable.

Another thought is, mix their food with the chickens food. It won't hurt either. Once they're fully grown you can switch to layer b feed if you have all hens or all flock with calcium on the side if you have roos.

I found that for $40 for 5 pound....not cheap, is it!

 

[SmiYa0126]

It's way cheaper than mealworms, I paid almost $15 for 6oz at TSC.