Considering guineas...Two questions

[esmeador]

I started w chickens this year and I'm loving them. I am considering getting some guineas next spring and I've seen some of the threads on here and they are great and have answered several of my questions....except two rather random ones. ..
1. I keep bees, and I know that one of the main benefits of guineas is their talents as bug eliminators.......will my two hives be safe or will the guineas see them as a walk up food window?
2. I have a small incubator and would like to hatch my keets myself. Where or what is a good source for fertilized guinea eggs (websites,catalogs, etc)

Thanks in advance for your input ....this site is great

 

[PeepsCA]

Guineas have been known to snack away on bees, right at the hive, as the bees come and go... so it would be a good idea to fence the hive area off with at least 2"x4" welded wire to keep the Guineas at bay and the Honey flowing.

BYC's BST (buy~sell~trade) section usually has lots of fertile Guinea eggs for sale or auction... but Guineas are seasonal layers, so try looking for hatching eggs early next spring (otherwise adults and juvenile birds should be available now... and if there are none listed on the BYC BST section then you could try checking your local craigslist... or take a road trip to Cali and I will set you up, lol).

 

[Mykee]

Here is a place you can buy hatching eggs from: http://guineafarm.com/. I got my keets from there and was very pleased. As for the bees, I had bees as well (don't any more-they all died), and there was an electric fence to keep bears out. I never saw the Guineas eating the bees, and though they probably got one or two, I never saw it as a big problem.

 

[esmeador]

since we were given an incubator, we were thinking of getting eggs to hatch ourselves. the option of getting assorted, unknown colors/varieties of eggs from http://guineafarm.com/ looks REALLY enticing...just waiting anxiously to see what comes out of the eggs and what they turn into would be awesome.

 

[Mykee]

That would be! I personally think the most beautiful are the pearl grey-the others all look washed out to me. But everyone has their own preference. There is a very limited time in which you can buy eggs, and that may be closed or closing soon, so if you want them this fall, act now!