Will my guinea's ever be tame?

[HollyTree]

I have 8 keets that are about 4-5 weeks old. (I'm close but not exactly sure)
They are in a brooder box inside the hen house.
I take the best of care, hold them, feed them grasshoppers as treats. With all this attention, they still seem to be "wild". Will they ever tame down? I don't want them to be scared of me. What can I do? Or is this the norm for guineas? My first guineas.

Wow, I had no idea they could cross breed. I think I'll reconsider keeping them with my chickens!

 

[Big Chicken Little]

I do not think they will ever relax ...a friend had them and they were the wildest most afraid birds I have ever seen and they were raised from chicks. Good luck !

 

[Badhbh]

In one word, no

They may chill enough to come up and get treats from you off the ground, but they'll never really relax.

 

[alanb]

HOLLY TREE ; If you mean cross-breed with your chickens , It "AIN'T" gonna happen !! Your Guniea's choice of roosting is a tall tree so let them free range , unless you have close neighbors because they will not remain in your boundrys , but they will return home !!! ....... ALAN B .

 

[Debbienmousey]

Err, yes they can cross-breed, but its chicken over guinea not the other way around. We've had chickens and guineas living happily together for 2 years and we have never gotten a crossbreed(The roosters have mated the guinea hens, but I guess we've never hatched any of those eggs).

As for being tame, like Badhbh said, they might come up to you and take treats, but they will not likely ever be as tame as chickens. If you really keep at holding them multiple times a day, even into their adult hood, you might get really tame guineas. (I've seen pictures of it and heard stories)


On the crossbreed subject, you can always eat the crossbreeds..Lol

 

[cawooduck]

I raised my flock from keats and they are not what you would call tame, at all. They will come to feed within a couple feet of me, but pick one up and it will scream bloody murder and i even had one latch onto my finger which surprised me, but didnt hurt.

My guineas roost every night in the banty house with the banty chickens and there is never a fight with them, not yet anyhow. As for cross breeding.........ive never heard of that and didnt think it could happen between guineas and chickens.

 

[Cairina moschata]

Yes they can crossbreed, but fertility of the eggs is low so, that actually hatching one out is rare and the offspring will be sterile.
I doubt that your guineas will ever be "tame." It took me awhile to come to grips with the fact that these are just crazy birds that at best will tolerate us, which is why they are so interesting anyway. Oh and not having to feed them in the summer because they are so self-reliant is a nice perk too!

 

[maine chicks]

We raised 5 from day old keets and 3 of 5 are tame enough to jump on my lap for white millet.