Buying Guinea Fowl..??

[sonderah]

Hmm.. So, I have a chicken coop and started raising chickens this past spring. I am just starting to research and look into getting guineas, for free range. From what Ive read, I will need to build another coop wont I? I was told they could just run free 24/7, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

 

[PeepsCA]

They will run free 24/7 until a predator gets them... be it ground or air predator, flocks of full time free range Guinea Fowl usually disappear one by one pretty quickly. And then once the Guineas are all gone the predators start going after your chickens...

Unless you have a serious pack of livestock guardian dogs running your property or at least a few donkeys... I highly suggest if you want to sustain a flock of Guinea Fowl that will stick around and rid your land of ticks, snakes and other creepy crawlies that you build them their own coop/pen and condition/train them to coop-up every night.

 

[Naturegirl44]

funny lol we realised right away Miss Guinea was a little dumber than the chickens when we brought them home. We had to catch her in the run and put her through the coop door for the first 4 nights until she figured it out herself. After bringing the chickens home and keeping them in the coop and small run for 5 days, we let go free range, including Miss Guinea, and she has been fine with coming back every night, though a little tardy about it and she wonders out front near the feeder til she is ready. lol It seems we were lucky that she didn't just take off after being free for the first time in her life.

Most times she seems to stay with the rooster and flock but at least once a day you hear her off somewhere else sqwacking away lol we always thought she just lost sight of her flock and was hollering for them. We have since learned to our delight that she never shuts up. Though our one neighbour is not pleased lol

We always know where the chickens are because of her

 

[sonderah]

Well! We finally got our 1st guineas yesterday. They are 8 weeks old, & wow they are small!! Adorable though! We plan to let them share the coop with the chickens, and spent the whole day yesterday "remodeling" it so now there is a small coop inside the big coop. We are coop training them in it to give everyone time to get to know each other, with hopes they can all sleep in the big coop eventually and nobody will fight. Then we will use the smaller section for mama and babies, if we ever have any. Lol I'm loving the pretty sounds they make right now!

 

[Naturegirl44]

Well! We finally got our 1st guineas yesterday. They are 8 weeks old, & wow they are small!! Adorable though! We plan to let them share the coop with the chickens, and spent the whole day yesterday "remodeling" it so now there is a small coop inside the big coop. We are coop training them in it to give everyone time to get to know each other, with hopes they can all sleep in the big coop eventually and nobody will fight. Then we will use the smaller section for mama and babies, if we ever have any. Lol I'm loving the pretty sounds they make right now!

Thats fantastic!!! i am happy for you and your flock!! keep us updated on how it goes intergrating them with the flock. We plan on getting a few more guineas in the spring to add to ours.

I would love to hear any ideas or situations you come across while combining your guineas and chickens.

 

[sonderah]

Quote: Thats fantastic!!! i am happy for you and your flock!! keep us updated on how it goes intergrating them with the flock. We plan on getting a few more guineas in the spring to add to ours.

I would love to hear any ideas or situations you come across while combining your guineas and chickens.

Ok. I sure will. We plan to keep them in the separate cage for a few weeks where they can see, smell, & hear each other. I'll let u know when we try inter grating them. I'll be sooo nervous!! The guineas are just SOOO small!! Lol

 

[sonderah]

Quote: Thats fantastic!!! i am happy for you and your flock!! keep us updated on how it goes intergrating them with the flock. We plan on getting a few more guineas in the spring to add to ours.

I would love to hear any ideas or situations you come across while combining your guineas and chickens.

Well since our guineas were older, 8 weeks, and had already been free range before we got them, after a week caged in the coop, we released them. They have done great with our chickens!! Just act like they are all one big flock. The hens of course peck at them on occasion, but they do that to each other also. Guess just reminding them who is boss. They haven't hurt them or anything though. Even all eat from the same feeder. The guineas will not roost in the coop at night however. They stay close and eat with the chickens every day, but disappear at dusk. I worry they will get eaten, but so far so good.

 

[Naturegirl44]

Well since our guineas were older, 8 weeks, and had already been free range before we got them, after a week caged in the coop, we released them. They have done great with our chickens!! Just act like they are all one big flock. The hens of course peck at them on occasion, but they do that to each other also. Guess just reminding them who is boss. They haven't hurt them or anything though. Even all eat from the same feeder. The guineas will not roost in the coop at night however. They stay close and eat with the chickens every day, but disappear at dusk.

I worry they will get eaten, but so far so good.

Thanks sonderah! We are still talking about getting another female or two in the spring to keep our Miss G company. I am hoping that Miss G will be a good influence on the new little ones and bring her home every night to roost with the flock. Miss G has never known anything else in her life so keeping fingers crossed that she becomes the boss and teaches the young one good habits.

 

[guinea man]

At CM Game bird Farm and hatchery you can buy French guinea hens as early as march

 

[bella27]

Anyone have them for sale close to the Outer Banks, Elizabeth City, Moyock, NC?