Downsides of Guinea Fowl?

[RenoHuskerDu]

We visited the Guinea Fowl farm today. Man, what a racket. And they're climbing up on roofs, Kung Fu fightin, swoopin around like Batman and Robin. Our heelers hate flying birds. I don't think we'll join the Guinea Fowl club after all.

 

[Joev1973]

I have 2 cents to add here.
I have 25 chickens and wanted 8 guineas. They were all brooded together and i put them all in the coop together. Here is the important part

My main worry was the guineas would fly away and not come home. I had advice here on this forum to keep them in the coop for 4 to 6 weeks until they learn where home is. I did that.

Then they started to bully and misbehave so i began to let them out to free range. They would stand in front of the coop in the 95 degree southern heat ALL day wanting back in. They wouldnt roam they wouldn't go anywhere.

At night I let them back in and every morning kick them out of the coop / pen so my hens can have peace. Its been about 2 weeks now and its a pain in the a$$ .

I started to offer them feed and water out in the middle of the yard and they are just starting to stray away from the coop. My lab pup scatters them into the trees and woods and they always return to the coop.

My advice. Find somewhere else to keep them or they will become bullys and harass. And when you want them to leave they wont bc they are set in their ways. Im at the point where i dont care where they sleep. I will offer them food and water away from the coop and im hoping they begin to roost in the trees and on the roof. They will wreak havok in your coop.

These pictures were taken yesterday they are the birds pacing the fence trying to get back in. Then they figured out the fence is only 5 ft high and fly over it and pace at the coop door. They wont leave. Im hoping they become more independent.

 

[Chicken Heel]

Beautiful guineas and houseplants and you appear to have a backyard that any self respecting fowl would love. They have imprinted on your chickens and they want to be with them but their aggressiveness makes that dicey. When I had my three guineas in with some chickens years ago I had no issues, but it seems that I was just lucky.

 

[CatWhisperer]

I have 4 guineas with my chickens. They are bullies, chasing and attacking all the chickens that are younger than they are. They are 4 months old now. I am debating keeping them, eating them or selling them. I don’t know if they will outgrow this behavior when all the chickens reach adult size. And I have a broody silkie whose silkie and serama eggs just started hatching this morning. Ugh

 

[sourland]

But they taste so good.

 

[R2elk]

But they taste so good.

Yes they do!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I have 2 cents to add here.
I have 25 chickens and wanted 8 guineas. They were all brooded together and i put them all in the coop together. Here is the important part

My main worry was the guineas would fly away and not come home. I had advice here on this forum to keep them in the coop for 4 to 6 weeks until they learn where home is. I did that.

Then they started to bully and misbehave so i began to let them out to free range. They would stand in front of the coop in the 95 degree southern heat ALL day wanting back in. They wouldnt roam they wouldn't go anywhere.

At night I let them back in and every morning kick them out of the coop / pen so my hens can have peace. Its been about 2 weeks now and its a pain in the a$$ .

I started to offer them feed and water out in the middle of the yard and they are just starting to stray away from the coop. My lab pup scatters them into the trees and woods and they always return to the coop.

My advice. Find somewhere else to keep them or they will become bullys and harass. And when you want them to leave they wont bc they are set in their ways. Im at the point where i dont care where they sleep. I will offer them food and water away from the coop and im hoping they begin to roost in the trees and on the roof. They will wreak havok in your coop.

These pictures were taken yesterday they are the birds pacing the fence trying to get back in. Then they figured out the fence is only 5 ft high and fly over it and pace at the coop door. They wont leave. Im hoping they become more independent.

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We have 1.5 yr old guineas that we brooded with chicks and ducklings. At 3 mo old, they became aggressive with them. We ended up rehoming most of the males and we separated the guineas from the other poultry, by splitting the coop and letting the guineas free range. The guineas stayed very close to the coop and their chicken “friends” for the first 4 mo or so. As days started lengthening and guineas started thinking of reproducing, they started to range much farther and became less fixated on the chickens and coop. However, they are still very aware of the coop and chickens. They are also much tamer than the new guineas that we’ve brooded alone...

 

[Joev1973]

Mine are roaming a little further each day but when spooked fly back to the coop

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Mine are roaming a little further each day but when spooked fly back to the coop

If they are like mine, they won’t really come into their more confident, free-ranging selves until spring. My more adventuresome guineas are a real good news/bad news guinea gang! It’s fun seeing them travel everywhere but sometimes they venture to the road, and I lost one to a bobcat...

 

[Joev1973]

No roads no traffic. Only car ever comes this dead end street is the mailman. Nearest neighbor has 2 dozen roosters running around in the road scratching. I want them to roam....far away from my chickens. Lol last 3 days i have been feeding them out in the yard far away from the coop this morning i noticed they went their on their own