For Sale- Guinea eggs from Chocolates, Lavenders and Pearls

[Joey Currin]

I would like some of your lavender/coral eggs ASAP as I have a sitting hen. I will pay you through paypal as soon as you give me the word. Thank you so much. Sincerely, Joey Currin

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I can't send you any ASAP as I have a waiting list from prepaid orders. My next available shipping date is June 11, at this time. If someone comes along that is wanting that date and pays for me to send them at that time then it will be gone, too.
Thank you for understanding.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Really enjoyed the GF info on your website.
I'm over run with goslings this year and have turkey eggs in the incubator
so don't need anything else this year but might try some GF next year.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I hope you get a chance to try them next year. They are great! I have been so happy to lose all those fire ant hills. Now my Pearls need to get off the nests and back into the garden for pest control!

 

[Cottage Rose]

I saved your website to my favorites.
We don't have fire ants but plenty of other things.
I'm wondering...how far do they range out?
We have pasture land surrounded by woods
with Foxes. Just wondering if they roam too far.
I'm sure they would eventually get eaten if they do.
Are they noisy?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I raised mine at the barn with the chickens and ducks and they now range all over my 8 acres but occasionally run out the gate if we leave it open. Interestingly enough they do not fly over the fence to the neighbors. They seldom go down in the woods and seem to prefer to stay in the fields moving through the tall grass to find bugs. They are excellent for eating ticks and I seldom find any on my dog or us. They do like to roam and though mine will come back to the chicken coop to sleep at night I have heard plenty of people say theirs sleep in the trees. I prefer mine to stay safe and just call them to coop at night. I have treated mine like my chickens and ducks and they are cool pets but wander further from the barn than my lazy chickens, who hang around for a free meal. The ducks are good to go around the farm for food but not as far as the Guineas. Foxes probably could be an issue but owls may be worse at night if they sleep in the trees. Guineas fly well and are fast runners so it would have to be a night critter that would get them.

 

[Cottage Rose]

So if you train them from the start to come in at night they/some might?
I wonder if keeping them penned up for a few months prior to turning them loose will help.
The babies are SO CUTE!

 

[JLeigh]

Everything I've read/heard says that guineas must be kept penned for several weeks. I kept mine (7 months old when I got them) penned for four weeks, then let them out an hour or so at a time for a few days so I could keep close watch. Then I'd put them back in the pen. I increased that time to half a day, then a full day after a couple of weeks. It wasn't as time consuming as I thought it would be. I use herding sticks to bring them in if they don't come in on their own at dusk. 80% of the time, they're in the pen at dusk on their own. But mine were adults when I got them...

I don't think 12+ weeks is necessary in my opinion if you're raising them from keets. Four weeks in the pen would seem okay to me. Also letting them out a little at a time might help them get the big, overall idea.

Guineas will almost always come home if they know where home is.

I've found that my guineas have a grazing routine. When I let them out in the mornings, they go a certain way to their "breakfast bug" spot, then they move out farther, making bug rounds until they come around closer to the pen in the evenings. I can just about tell you where they're going to be at any given time of the day. I don't take that routine for granted though. I spot check it every now and then to make sure things are still routine. I give them dried mealworms in the evenings at the same spot to help ensure they come back to the house. They do, thankfully. (Knock on wood.) In the early afternoon, they're just outside my window and the male starts with his UGE call (Unidentified Guinea Emergency).

Guineas roam farther than chickens, and they're strong flyers. If you pen them, be sure to have a covering of some kind. It keeps them in, the rain off, and prevents flying predators from snatching them up.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Well, JLeigh, pretty much answered that!
I agree and when I raised mine I had them first in plastic brooders as little keets, where they hated me tremendously because they were so adorable and I just HAD to catch them and kiss on them. I would set them back down and you could just see them running away going "Palooy! Blah! Plak, phooey!" But I could not help it! LOL
Then when they were around 2 weeks old I moved them to my end stall in 6' long wire bottom brooders (seen on my website under Housing) where they stayed for a few weeks and then I let a few out at a time. Those would run outside where there is an open grow up pen attached but would stay right in the pen because the others were in the brooder coop calling to them so they got very used to coming back in to sleep.
Then a week later I let a few more out and pretty soon I had about 60 keets out running the pen and some would accidentally fly over the 4' fence but I would open the gate and herd them back in okay. I sold some but the ones that have stayed all come back to bed at night unless they are broody on eggs.
I have 2 hens on eggs beside my bedroom window and their male protector has stayed by their side for the last 4 weeks. I am sure once they are up and going with their kids they will eventually head back down to the barn. I spoil them by feeding them right there near the nest.

And yes, they can certainly let out some noise but mine seldom do much. I have 2 pens going now and some that free range. Around 30 in all. My DD hates them but my neighbors say they seldom hear them. And I just had roofers here today and no one was the least bit upset. Mine haven't exactly been good watch dogs but maybe because I sell eggs from the farm and have a lot of cars here all the time.

I hope we have helped you understand them a bit better. I like mine a lot!

 

[kadizkidz]

Received my hatching eggs today

Wonderful packing, can't wait for them to hatch. THANKS