Chickens and Guineas???

[kyle7630]

We recently got several guineas for bug control of our land. We couldn't resist getting some chickens when we went to pick up the guineas. The guineas will free range of course but one question I have is will the chickens roam with the guineas or will they do their own thing. Also, should I have a seperate coop for them or will they co-exist well? We have 13 acres so I feel like they would have plenty of room to have their own space, just wondering what some of y'alls experience is with this. These are our first chickens and guineas so I have a ton of questions.

 

[mistylady]

Welcome to BYC!

I had a nieghbor years ago that had guineas, chickens and peacocks. It was a very loud yard.

The chickens were in a fenced run and had a coop. The peacocks and guineas were free to roam. The peacocks usually roamed further from the barn and ended up being killed by dogs. The guineas roosted in the trees by the coop at night but I don't know where the peacocks roosted.

 

[swampducks]

My 2 guineas and 4 barred rocks were raised together and thus far at the tender age of almost 3 months free range, roost, and eat together.

They seem to be best buddies.

 

[kyle7630]

Thanks for the info. They all seem to get along well. The RIR and BO are growing much faster than the SLW's, but all are healthy looking. Any body else have experience with these different breeds together, along with the guineas?

 

[MissPrissy]

Don't be surprised if one day (literally) the guineas turn aggressive to the chickens. I have found the guineas are best if left to be a bit wild. Especially if you have more than 3 or 4. They will flock together and if they decide not to like a chicken they will all gang up on it and attack until they kill it.

Guineas can also cross breed with your chickens. I do not like the look of those ugly hybrids.

You and your chickens would be bette served to let the guineas free range and do their thing and keep the chickens in a coop and run.

I do not believe in the mixing of fowl and have learned through experience it ends up best to give each their own territory.

Once turned out my guineas never wanted to come back to their coop and began to roost in the rafters above my goat stalls. They forage for most of their food but I do give a tiny bit of feed daily to keep them coming back to the barnyard.

Guineas in no way are like chickens. They are as opposite as opposite can be.

They do taste really nice slow roasted.

 

[swampducks]

Quote:
You're gonna have to add that recipe to the links for yogurt, etc in your sig line. You keep saying it, we want to know HOW!

(Okay, I want to know how)

But back to the main topic, I have noted quite often the warnings of how guineas can turn. If that happens, they're getting tossed out of the coop. I son't have a barn but I live in a pine/cedar swamp so they've got plenty of perches available.

Don't know how I'll catch 'em to eat 'em though.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

We have a pair of guineas just over a year old, and they fly in and out one chicken pen all day (the one with my mom's layers in it) as they were raised with them (the guineas were my mom's originally and came with the layers). At night the male roosts in the cherry tree right next to the chicken coop and the female roosts ontop of the duck pen. They both free range for most of the day. The female only flies into the coop when she wants to lay an egg and then she uses the nesting boxes!

As for crossbreeding with chickens, we were shocked when the female preferred my mom's SSHamburg to the male guinea. She refused to mate with the guinea until we sent Spangles back to my mom's house. She sat on a clutch of 20 eggs earlier this year, but none of them hatched and we had to toss the whole lot.

 

[kyle7630]

Thanks for all of the advice everyone. I was already leaning towards keeping the chickens in the run and only free ranging the guineas. After reading these posts, I think I will do that for sure. Maybe let the chickens out a little before evening or something. Thanks again.