1 guinea

[Pekin747]

If i bought a Guinea would it stay with my hens with no nets would like a bird that can help keep ticks down there not a problem but found a few on a hen so I dusted down the hen house and searched every one of my chickens only she had them
Would a Guinea stay or would they just fly away or could I clip its wing?

 

[mkeawsh]

One Guinea? It would be lonely. They are social birds.

 

[Pekin747]

One Guinea? It would be lonely. They are social birds.

Yea but if I mix it with my hens will it be more likely to stay with the group than if I got 2 they might fly away together

 

[Unicornlife3316]

Yea but if I mix it with my hens will it be more likely to stay with the group than if I got 2 they might fly away together

You don’t want guineas and chickens raised together. Guineas are much tougher than chickens, everything seems fine until the first mating season when Guineas lose their minds and turn in to little horny velociraptors.

Plus, Guineas are flock birds and really need a guinea flock to be happy/comfortable.

 

[hmarg06]

I have successfully kept a Guinea Hen(s) with my chickens with no problem. I had two originally and one died so she was left as the only Guinea for about 3 years. I have a mixed flock of chickens, Muscovy, and now 4 Guineas. I took 3 keets from my mom, and they all turned out to be males. Now Fred (Guinea Hen) has three husbands and they still live with the mixed flock. I think the key is they need to be raised with chickens- and they need to have space to roam. The hens have been less attitude-y in my experience. They do go off and roam on their own during the day, but come back to roost every night. When it was just Fred in the flock she actually preferred the ducks since that was what she was raised with since I got her at the same time as some ducklings. This is kind of jarbled, so sorry. Basically, it can be done, but you need the space, and to start with keets mixed with young of the species you are keeping them with.

Edited to add, I have had ZERO luck getting adult Guinea's to stay at my property IF introduced as adults. They take a long time to acclimate to a new place, and if they aren't going to be kept in containment have always disappeared. I've tried twice with adults from my parents house, and every time I have ended up with only Fred. that is why I brought keets over, and they have been at my house for about year now. so unless you are able to keep one locked up for quite a while, it's hard to get them to see the new place as home.

 

[LeggyLeghorn]

I know a couple a few miles from me, that have Guinea with their hens. all seems to be going well. and they have room to roam.

 

[Fluffnut]

I have successfully kept a Guinea Hen(s) with my chickens with no problem. I had two originally and one died so she was left as the only Guinea for about 3 years. I have a mixed flock of chickens, Muscovy, and now 4 Guineas. I took 3 keets from my mom, and they all turned out to be males. Now Fred (Guinea Hen) has three husbands and they still live with the mixed flock. I think the key is they need to be raised with chickens- and they need to have space to roam. The hens have been less attitude-y in my experience. They do go off and roam on their own during the day, but come back to roost every night. When it was just Fred in the flock she actually preferred the ducks since that was what she was raised with since I got her at the same time as some ducklings. This is kind of jarbled, so sorry. Basically, it can be done, but you need the space, and to start with keets mixed with young of the species you are keeping them with.

Edited to add, I have had ZERO luck getting adult Guinea's to stay at my property IF introduced as adults. They take a long time to acclimate to a new place, and if they aren't going to be kept in containment have always disappeared. I've tried twice with adults from my parents house, and every time I have ended up with only Fred. that is why I brought keets over, and they have been at my house for about year now. so unless you are able to keep one locked up for quite a while, it's hard to get them to see the new place as home.

I love that you have 3 males but the female is the one named Fred!

 

[hmarg06]

I love that you have 3 males but the female is the one named Fred!

My Ex really wanted to get Guineas so when we went to get some ducks and they happened to have a few keets he picked out a pair and immediately named them Fred and Ethel haha. Both turned out to be hens, but Fred was already stuck as a name.

 

[R2elk]

I think the key is they need to be raised with chickens-

Raising keets with chickens causes the guineas to imprint. When they grow up, they lose the ability to understand that chickens are not guineas. Everything can seem fine right up until the first breeding season happens. At that time the guineas do their natural manners which is totally foreign to chickens. Chickens do not speak guinea nor do they understand the physical movements that equate to submission in the guinea language. One of the guinea's favorite pastimes is to attack from behind and pull or break off feathers. This can stress out the chickens very much.

I have raised guinea with chicks and without chicks. Those raised with chicks tormented the chickens unmercifully. Those raised by themselves have nothing to do with the chickens. They keep to themselves and the chickens keep to themselves. I do house my guineas separately but they can free range in the same area at the same time as the chickens and my turkeys do without any of the groups bothering anyone else.

they need to have space to roam.

Guineas need much more "personal space" than chickens do. Those that get away with housing chickens and guineas together normally have much more space available per individual bird than most people recommend as the amount of space required for chickens.

 

[R2elk]

If i bought a Guinea would it stay with my hens with no nets would like a bird that can help keep ticks down there not a problem but found a few on a hen so I dusted down the hen house and searched every one of my chickens only she had them
Would a Guinea stay or would they just fly away or could I clip its wing?

Getting one guinea will not do anything for your tick problem.