Guinea and Chickens

[Pack Mom]

Do Guineas do ok living with chickens or do they need more free time? Some said you should start with keets or it is hard to keep them at home is that true?
Dorothy

 

[swampducks]

My guineas and chickens get along fine. I've got 11 guineas and 23 chickens all about 8-9 weeks old right now just doing great together in the grow out coop/run. I've also got 5 adult guineas hanging out with 16 18 month old chickens and a duck with her 9 ducklings. Only problem I've had is a couple young roosters attacking a couple of the guineas probably because 1: they're bullies, 2: there are (were) 6 of these huge production red roos which is too many in a confined space. 2 of those roos are in freezer camp now the rest will go in soon.

I do let my guineas out to free range more than the chickens but that's mainly because the chickens like to eat my flowers way more than the guineas do. Mine have never flown away, I didn't let them out till they were well acclimated to their coop and then I only let out a few at a time in the beginning so the others would call them back. Did that for a few weeks. The only time I've lost guineas to predators was in spring when the gals went broody and decided they would lay eggs in the woods and sit on them at night. They'd be gone by morning. So now in spring they don't get to go out till the late afternoon after they've laid their eggs in the coop. Haven't lost one to predation since.

If you're starting with older guineas I would definitely not let them out to free range for at least a month then only half at a time for another few weeks. Only feed them in their run, get them used to hearing the shake of the can. when free ranging mine now just run towards me whenever I walk out the front door. And if the red coffee can is in my hand I'm practically tripping over them.