Guinea Fowl and chicken integration??

[Chkinkeeper7474]

Hey Guinea people! I need some advice. I saw someone on craigslist selling a breeding pair of Lavender Guineas. He said they have been raised with chickens , and free ranged. I have ten chickens and was wondering how hard it would be to integrate the Guinea fowl. Like would I have to keep them in the coop for a month or two so they dont wander too far? Is it just silly to even consider getting adult guineas? I've always thought having them would be cool but never owned Guineas.

 

[MyDuckFucks13]

keeping them where they would feed for about a month would be a good idea. Guinea will usually see roosters as dominate and follow them like the head of a flock. there isn't much fighting between the breeds. the only thing to worry about is the roosters not taking well to the Guineas. the free range quite well they just need a little time to familiarize themselves with their feed location.

 

[Chkinkeeper7474]

So i dont have a big barn/coop but i have a large run I built connected to said coop. Should I just throw them in with the chickens or quarter them off for the first week or so?

 

[MyDuckFucks13]

When i was raising mine, i had them both as chicks. I don't know how the already grown birds will react with each other. so that seems like a great idea for the first few days.

 

[MyDuckFucks13]

Guinea have this thing where they will find the highest perch if they are free ranged. and then they will wonder. and when its gets dark they will find the highest perch. if they have something familiar to come back to. they will usually stay near a cage if another guinea is still in there. so let them leave one at a time. leave one in the cage for a day at a time. they will usually travel in coveys.

 

[Chkinkeeper7474]

OK that makes sense! Yeah the seller said they just turned a year old. But my birds have never seen a guinea fowl in their life. LOL
So I'm still just not sure... And do they just eat chicken food? And will they use nesting boxes?

 

[BlueShadow]

Guineas can eat chicken food. They MAY use nest boxes, but if you let them free range, it is unlikely.

I do not recommend keeping them with your chickens, mine are terrible bullies to my chickens. Sometimes guineas can do fine with chickens, but this seems to usually be if they are housed separately from the chickens.

 

[jak2002003]

My first flock of Guinea Fowl were raised with the chickens... but once they got to about 1 year old they were real bullies to the chickens... chasing them, jumping on them and bouncing off... seemed to think it was funny. Then they started to attack my roosters. I had to re home. them.

My second flock of Guinea Fowl I raised separate from the chickens as introduced them when they were nearly full grown. These ones are perfect with the chickens, they never show aggression to them... and mostly the Guinea Fowl ignore them... preferring to stick to their own group.

So, I think you will not know what will happen... but I recommend you try and see... because the Guinea Fowl are so funny in interesting to watch!

 

[ludwing]

yes, guineas can get well with chickes but...i will say sometimes they do and sometimes they dont. some people have trouble with guineas attacking the flock of chickens while others have guineas foranging with guineas and roosting together and nesting together.
we started our flock with 10 guinea fowls, 8 died,2 survived. two hens. they were raised by a chicken hen so the used to follow the hen and roosters while they are adults. then we brought a new adult male guinea. still the was not that much riot, in their first breeding, the hens produced a bunch of keets...out of that 23..19 survived with lot of males......they were very nice and calm as keets.....about 9 or else months. the war begins, guineas chasing roosters,bouncing and kicking. so we have had to sell the bunch of guinea cocks. then left behind with 9 hens (plus gunea mother) with two males. from there the was never a fight or bouncings among the flock. even though having few guinea males to a bounch of hens isnt accurate, during the breeding not all hens would produce fertile eggs and have keets, as that guineas are somehow monogamous and would just mate with 1 or 2 hes during breeding season, but if confirmed in a large run it can be 1:5 ratio. so in my experience of guineas with chickens, having a bunch of guinea males increas their vigours to be mean< due to the point of breeding in which guinea males have to compete to be the perfect lover to a lovey hen lol... all i written cannot be the trurth to everyone, but to me thats how i experienced it.....


your wishes

 

[Chkinkeeper7474]

Thanks for all your advice! I got them. I kept them in a large bunny hutch inside the chicken run for a week and a half. Last night I let them out in the run and the guinea hen just went up to roost with the chickens. No problem. But the guinea cock was still in the bottom quite confused so I just put him back in the hutch for safe keeping. I let the guinea cock out this morning and HE WAS A COMPLETE TERROR. Chasing and attacking hens then started beating up on my rooster with a recovering leg injury. So I caught him after some intense wrangling and put him in the hutch. The guinea hen is in the run with the chickens and is totally fine. She's just chilling. The male on the other hand DOES NOT care to be in the hutch and only being able to see the other birds. Any advice? Should I try to let the, acclimate some more? Bc if this doesnt clear up with the cock I dont think I can have him terrorizing my rooster and hens. Im going to try some things,but any other thoughts? lol