Cooping Guineas

[javamilk99]

Mine are somewhere around 8 weeks old, a couple started buck-wheating a week or 2 ago, I'm assuming those are the females and the others are males.

They all discovered their voices a few days ago. My son heard them "barking" during the day, it morphed into a full-fledged alarm call by that night - but they haven't done it again.

 

[steveclank]

Sure didn't take long for them to know they can talk! The dog didn't find it quite as amusing as I did. They really do make their presence known. I'll post some pictures soon of the little rascals.

 

[Jimtherunner]

First time guinea/chicken owner here. My 11 pearl guineas and 11 welsummer chickens are housed together in a 8 x 14 coop with a 14 x 24 covered run attached. I feel sorry for the chickens every night when I put those rowdy guineas to bed ...MAN, they make a ruckus! I am guessing they are 12 weeks old or so. Since I am housing them together, they are all on medicated chick starter since I moved them together about two weeks ago. They also get something from the garden every day -- usually a spagetti squash, since I dont particularly like them and have too many. BOY, do they go for that! I have only one chicken door on the coop, and I was initially planning to let only the guineas range free. Now, I am thinking that I will let them all out to range together, and the chickens could really start any time as they are home-bodies, but I want to wait for the guineas to be ready in another month so they can help protect each other with alerts, etc. More importantly, my dogs need a short course in bird etiquette before this happens.

Just wanted to state that I have been fortunate with the birds all getting along together just fine and that my birds are very good about all coming into the coop any time I go into the coop. I DO call BIRDIE BIRDIE BIRDIE and spread millet, but the guineas appear to be indifferent to the white millet. I really think they are just getting used to the routine. Like so many others, I am fearful and excited, at the same time, about letting them free range.

 

[PeepsCA]

Jim if your Guineas are approx 12 weeks old, then it'd be a good idea to wean them over to layer feed, either crumbles or pellets (if your chickens are old enough, or something like Flock Raiser if your chickens are still too young for the extra calcium in a layer feed). The medicated feed for Guineas at that age can cause egg fertility issues and certain nutrient deficiencies due to it's vitamin B inhibiting effect. Your Guinea Hens could start laying here in the next month before the daylight hours shorten (but will most likely quit when day light hours shorten this Fall). I have a few 14-15 wk old Guinea Hens starting to lay right now, but some young Guinea Hens will not lay until the following Spring after they've hatched. Adult Guineas do fine on layer feed as their main diet year round, especially if they are free ranged every day.

Since the Guineas are being raised with your chickens now (and probably bonding with them) the Guineas should be fairly good about cooping up each evening, and following the chickens in, but I would definitely give the Guineas another month like you mentioned so that they bond with their coop and pen as their home/safety and won't try roosting anywhere else (like on top of the run, coop or in the trees). Might be difficult to keep the Guineas in as you are letting the chickens out tho.

Some Guineas just do not go for the millet... and some scratch or even a little sweet feed/wet cob might be a little more appealing to them, so maybe mix in a little of either of those with the millet and see how the Guineas like it. Just be sire to keep up with the treat call.
Good job and good luck

 

[Jimtherunner]

My chickens are younger than my guineas...by a couple weeks. Chicks are about 10 weeks old. I am guessing on the guinea age. I was told my chicks need medicated starter until 16 weeks, and I thought the GUI eas would eat the same. I am not really able to separate the food supply as the birds are housed together. do you still recommend flock raiser for all my birds? Is it medicated? I don't really plan on free ranging anything until the guineas are ready in another month ... Or so. safety in numbers. I don't have a lot of cover, and I have a full complement of the usual predators, including barn owls and coyotes...not to mention my two dogs who need a couple obedience refreshers in chicken etiquette. Thank you for the informative response. do you think my guineas are likely to begin picking on my chickens as they mature or in breeding season? They don't bother the chicks now...but they sure chase each other around plenty.

 

[Jimtherunner]

Here's my outcome: I fed all the birds nutrient All Flock. It is not medicated. All birds were healthy. I also supplied calcium in a container for the hens. The Spring following hatch, the guinea fowl began attacking the dominant roo mercilessly when theynwere ranging. I thought they would kill him; they did not let up. They have always hung out with the chickens periodically throughout the day, which I did not realize altered the chickens' behaviors until I rehomed the guineas. Now the chickens are more relaxed and wander the entire property rather than hiding. Raising the chicks and guina fowl together was a bad idea for me. It seemed like it was working, but I think the bonding between them resulted in the guinea fowl trying to treat the chickens like guineas...and they are not. The chasing stressed out my chickens and ultimately led to losing the guinea fowl. In my opinion, I should not have intermixed the two species and will never attempt that again. If I am ever able to provide separate housing, I would love to,have guinea fowl again because they are fascinating creatures.