Do French Guineas really have to be articificially inseminated?

[Blessedchickens]

So I ordered some French Guinea keets and just wondered if it is true that they will not be having babies on their own? I just read that and was very disappointed!

Thank you!

Karen

 

[speckledhen]

I called Ideal and asked them that very question. They said yes, however, I know folks who have French guineas and they say they do reproduce on their own just fine. Love will find a way, they say!

 

[PeepsCA]

I have never raised French Guineas, but I have read that if they are penned and raised for meat bird purposes they do need to be AI'd due to their size causing problems during the actual act of mating BUT... I've also read that French Guineas that get to free range a lot will reproduce naturally just fine on their own because they are more fit than a penned flock. So I bet if you free range yours as much as you can, you will get some keets