Guinea chickens

[Guinea Goonie]

Hello:

I have been hacthing, raising and keeping Guineas for several years now. Every time I try to sex the little turds by visual looks I turn out to be dead wrong most of the time.
I have spent many hours in the coop with these guys waiting for one to buck-wheat, try to keep track of her, net her, band her and them let her go and comifrm that I have
banded the correct one. i fail about 20 percent of the time doing this !!
They are quick, all look alike (if you only have pearls), and get really upset when you try to catch them. Imagine
30 Guineas YACKING all at once when you try to net one of them. It is unnerving !!
If they would Buck-wheat when they got upset it would be great, but NOOO.
Guinea G..

 

[Debbie Robinson]

I know what you mean, just when you think you know which one is a male, the do their most famous call....."BUCKWHEAT!!!!"

 

[Granny Hatchet]

you guys are too funny !!! i see that picture in my mind and it is crazy. hahah they also hide to mate. i have had guineas for 3-4 yrs. and only seen that once but i get the baby keets anyway.

 

[gloryblue]

I have two guineas, I believe that are both females, yearlings, no signs of nesting interest, and as they have both bonded with my yearling EE rooster, All free range and almost inseparable, looking out for each other always. We also have overgrown 9 month old cockerals that were supposed to have been harvested at least at 11 weeks lol...they too are free ranging. The guineas do moderate when the boys go after one another, they don't like boys going after boys at all and will run at the two body slamming any apart. No sign the guineas are anyhing but motherly to all 20 younger roos.

I wonder if they will breed in secret with their favorite EE roo and make hybrid chicks? Does anyone have been experience with this?

 

[Debbie Robinson]

I know one thing, when I start getting eggs again, I'm going to start hatching them. It seems that there are lots of people that want Guineas, but don't want to go through the trouble of ordering them through the mail. The local stores like Tractor Supply and Farm Stores, near me, don't offer them either.
As to seeing them mate, I have only seen them do this twice, so I hope the eggs I collect are fertile.

 

[elorraine52]

Hello:

I have been hacthing, raising and keeping Guineas for several years now. Every time I try to sex the little turds by visual looks I turn out to be dead wrong most of the time.
I have spent many hours in the coop with these guys waiting for one to buck-wheat, try to keep track of her, net her, band her and them let her go and comifrm that I have
banded the correct one. i fail about 20 percent of the time doing this !!
They are quick, all look alike (if you only have pearls), and get really upset when you try to catch them. Imagine
30 Guineas YACKING all at once when you try to net one of them. It is unnerving !!
If they would Buck-wheat when they got upset it would be great, but NOOO.
Guinea G..

best thing to do is wait for dark and catch them on the roost...

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Hello:

I do nt know about your Guineas, but mine just shut up all together when tne go to roost. Unless of course one decides to peck at another and knock someonw off the roost, then all get out breaks out for a bit and then back to quiet.

Oh I hear the little turds buck-wheating every once in a while at night, but the light is so poor I could not see which one it was anyhow.
I DO keep a 40 wat energy efficient DUMB curly light going in the barn all the time.
I have a OLD stud horse (miniature) and he is locked up at night in the barn with the Guineas.
He of course eats hay and drinks all night.
Guinea G.

 

[Debbie Robinson]

Mine talk almost all night. Oh, and I have tried to catch them and if you grab their tails, it's like grabbing a goose in the rear end. It's all feathers! You come back with a hand full. So, any way, it's been nice talking to you all about these crazy football helmet looking birds.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Hello:

Yeip, there is no "quiet" way of catching a Guinea off the roost. Even with a long handled net they just hang on to the roost until you fenagle one off the roost.
Of course this is good for ONE and then the Game is on as they all fly off the roost and start YACKING !!
I guess if you used night vision you could get more accomplished

 

[Debbie Robinson]

Funny!