Guineas with Blue Heads?

[red horse ranch]

So when do guineas not look ugly?
lol

I don't think they are ugly at any age. They just have faces full of character!

 

[LizardKing]

I don't think they are ugly at any age. They just have faces full of character!

Lol!
Lots of guinea mommies here....
Admit it, they have a face only mommy loves.
(or daddy, in my case...)

 

[Guineagang]

I don't think they are ugly at any age. They just have faces full of character!

I agree! I think they look beautiful, way more interesting than your average chicken

 

[Pheasant farma3]

So do all guineafowl cocks have big red puffy wattles? the females look fine.
Also, are there many different breeds of guinea? And how long do they take to hatch because I might Might MIGHT be hatching some for my Grandpa with some pheasants and chickens because they are apparently good at spotting foxes and warning everyone. Are there any major benefits or drawbacks to Guineans because they look incredible.

 

[Percheron chick]

So do all guineafowl cocks have big red puffy wattles? the females look fine.
Also, are there many different breeds of guinea? And how long do they take to hatch because I might Might MIGHT be hatching some for my Grandpa with some pheasants and chickens because they are apparently good at spotting foxes and warning everyone. Are there any major benefits or drawbacks to Guineans because they look incredible.

There are different species of guineas but you will only see helmeted guineas. The others are either wild or too expensive. They come in many different colors but they are all helmeted guineas. I wouldn't call cock waddles "puffy" but they are larger and more elongated than the hens.



cock and hen.
I think most people initially get guineas for pest control. If you have severe tick problems, guineas can keep them in check in short order. Incubation is 28 day. A week longer than chicks. I think keets are more delicate than chicks as I have a higher rate of loss in the first week.

 

[Soltaria]

The only downside I can see is if noise is a problem. They are very vocal birds and loud as all heck.

ETA: I got mine to help with snakes. They'll kill the small ones and warn you about the big ones so you can go get the shovel.

 

[LovedMyAlydar]

We purchased some this year for tick control. This year ticks are a real problem when they never have been one in the past. Not sure why that is. Our neighbor had his horse pasture out back limed not too long ago so perhaps that sent some crawling our way.

But I think they are adorable. These are lavender babies.

 

[Starkasm]

We purchased some this year for tick control. This year ticks are a real problem when they never have been one in the past. Not sure why that is. Our neighbor had his horse pasture out back limed not too long ago so perhaps that sent some crawling our way.

But I think they are adorable. These are lavender babies.

Sooo cute! This website makes me want more babies!!
We only have one lavender guinea. Lady Gaga! Last year we only hatched out 5, .....Lady Gaga (previously Elton John til we realized girl), Elvis, Roy Orbison and Sugar Plum (also Ramen Noodles - the one my nephew took and named ). We went on a singer kick because they certainly sing!

 

[Soltaria]

Yeah they're definitely a noisy bunch. If they get separated, they scream, if they are together, they scream, if there is a rooster by the girl, the guy screams. I haven't found many situations where they aren't loud lol.

 

[philter4]

The bird in the photo:
http://carolinabirds.org/Daniels/Tanzania/Photos/guineafowl, helmeted 12-05 a.jpg
Is not a domestic guinea fowl, it is a Reichenow's guinea fowl. When the Europeans imported guinea fowl from Africa they did not separate the 5 subspecies of Numida meleagris, mixing at least 3 of the subspecies and creating the birds we now have in the hobby. Basically you can not go to Africa and find the bird in our back yards in the wild, they are a domestic strain of guinea fowl, the photo is one of the pure wild forms, Numida meleagris reichenowi.

There are Reichenow's guinea fowl in the hobby, I have kept them in the past and have more coming this summer from a breeder, here are the parents of the birds I'm buying, they were bred by Joel Rogers.

They are a bit pricy compared to domestic guinea fowl, usually $450-$500 per pair. There are several other differences as well, they are very quiet, unless something is actually there where they can see it they don't make the loud noises like domestic guineas. They will give warnings but then quiet down, remember these are wild type birds and in the wild if you're loud and draw attention to yourself you get eaten! Also they fly a lot better then the domestic birds, I keep mine in large covered flight pens, they are also not nearly as aggressive, they are still mean, just not as mean as domestic birds. The casque is also taller, an old male can have a casque up to 5 inches tall! You have to have them DNA sexed to be sure in young birds, there are no other reliable ways to tell, not like the different calls in domestic domestic guinea fowl. They also only produce a few eggs each season, you can increase the number by taking the eggs from the hen, but they don't lay all season long like domestic guinea fowl which is why the price is so high.

To me they are well worth the difference in price, the colors are so beautiful, but they are getting harder and harder to find as people don't breed them very often any longer.