Guinea fowl are not laying

[peterinhungary]

I got the birds last year and there are 5. According to the noise made there is a mix of hens and cocks. (I don’t know of any other way to differentiate) Just over week ago one of the birds developed a bald lower back so I presume this is a hen being mounted by a cock. But no eggs yet.

The birds are housed in a coop that is 1.2m wide 2.4m long and 1.2m high with high level perches and 3 nest boxes on the floor. Daylight is provided by a 1m2 wired window and ventilation is provided by the window and vents at the roof.

The feed they get is ground maize and greenery from the garden with water from a commercial drinker, all ad-lib.

If it would help they could be let out into the larger poultry run? but this has Muscovy ducks and ducklings but I don’t know if a) this would help or b) world war 3 would ensue.

Would it help to change the feed to commercial layers pellets?

Any help as to why the birds are not laying would be much appreciated.

Peter

 

[perchie.girl]

commercial feed... It has a balance of nutritional ingredients. Corn is like giving them only candy to eat.... I feed Cat fish pellets as well because Guinea Fowl are primarily insect eaters... I cant let them free range too many predators.

The lack of feathers is probably because they dont have enough protien in their food. Commercial layer may stop feather picking in this case. They dont over breed because typically Guinea Fowl pair off ....

I use Flock raiser with Calcium freefed in a different container. I use oystershells.

You dont say what part of the world you are in .... My guess Austrailia?

Here in San Diego our laying season starts early as in February and goes till September.... its all dependant on the seasons in regional areas. Colder areas they lay later and quit earlier.

And dont expect them to lay in the nest boxes.... I found eggs all over their coop and run Kicked all about .... some buried in bedding...

deb

 

[R2elk]

You dont say what part of the world you are in .... My guess Austrailia?

Based on the user name, I would guess Hungary.

 

[R2elk]

I got the birds last year and there are 5. According to the noise made there is a mix of hens and cocks. (I don’t know of any other way to differentiate) Just over week ago one of the birds developed a bald lower back so I presume this is a hen being mounted by a cock. But no eggs yet.

The birds are housed in a coop that is 1.2m wide 2.4m long and 1.2m high with high level perches and 3 nest boxes on the floor. Daylight is provided by a 1m2 wired window and ventilation is provided by the window and vents at the roof.

The feed they get is ground maize and greenery from the garden with water from a commercial drinker, all ad-lib.

If it would help they could be let out into the larger poultry run? but this has Muscovy ducks and ducklings but I don’t know if a) this would help or b) world war 3 would ensue.

Would it help to change the feed to commercial layers pellets?

Any help as to why the birds are not laying would be much appreciated.

Peter

Guineas that are housed in such poor conditions and fed as poorly as yours may never breed or lay eggs While the size of the coop isn't too bad, the height is far too low. The guineas need to have more room than just a coop. They should have a run that provides a minimum of 50 sq. ft. per adult bird if they don't get to free range.

Commercial layer pellets with a free choice calcium source such as oyster shell or crushed limestone would be much healthier for them.

Guineas are seasonal layers and as such have a diurnal clock which requires at least 14 hours a day of daylight or supplemental lighting for laying to begin. A dimly lit coop will suppress laying activity if they are kept constantly cooped.

Guineas are by nature feather pluckers or feather breakers. It is far more likely that feather damage on the back of a guinea is because of others pulling or breaking the feathers off. It is very unlikely to have a guinea get a bald back from mating. It is possible that you could have a feather mite issue.

 

[mkeawsh]

R2 - How high would you suggest for a pen that is being used for the first couple months after brooding for 6 weeks until they are let out to free-range?

 

[R2elk]

R2 - How high would you suggest for a pen that is being used for the first couple months after brooding for 6 weeks until they are let out to free-range?

My coop is 8' from the ground level to the ceiling joists. They are open and the guineas love to roost on them. I would never have a pen or coop that would require me to bend over to get in it.

 

[Gray Farms]

Coop isn't nearly big enough. Its stressing them out I bet. They need a lot more room.

@R2elk also listed outstanding and more detailed information.

 

[mkeawsh]

My coop is 8' from the ground level to the ceiling joists. They are open and the guineas love to roost on them. I would never have a pen or coop that would require me to bend over to get in it.

Thanks R2.
I currently have (7) one week old keets brooding in our livingroom in a 4' x 5' x 3' tall. They will be out in a 10' x 10' x 6' tall in 5 weeks. I wanted it a little taller but where we are putting it, would require cutting down trees or at least trimming limbs. As it is, the 10' x 10' barely fits. Live in a hollow in the woods. Only clearing is where the house and barn are at. My four adult male guineas roost on the highest beam in the barn and my hope, is that will be where these new ones eventually end up at night.
Didn't want to put the pen inside the barn. Wanted them to get some fresh air and maybe a little sun and be exposed to the outside since they will be free-ranging.

 

[peterinhungary]

Hi All
Thanks for the replies.
For location - the name says it all, we are in Hungary, close to lake Balaton.

Before we got the Guineas the researched I did suggested 3 sq ft per bird which on the face of it my coop should be more than enough, however I will take the the advice here and let them in to the whole area, the only issue is how will they get on with the Muscovy ducks and ducklings, I read that Guineas can be antisocial towards other birds and I would hate to have world war 3 with the Muscovys and loose the ducklings.

The wired area I have is about 500 sq. ft. and 7 ft high with currently 14 Muscovys (3 breading birds plus offspring) I can't let any poultry free range because there are just too many predators of various kinds.

I will take on board the advice about the feed and start giving them commercial layers pellets (along with their greens from the veggie patch)

 

[R2elk]

I read that Guineas can be antisocial towards other birds and I would hate to have world war 3 with the Muscovys and loose the ducklings.

Guineas raised with other fowl can imprint and lose the ability to understand that the other fowl aren't guineas. Everything may seem fine right up until the guinea's hormones kick in especially during breeding season. Guinea's have different social behaviors than do other fowl and those differences can cause great stress in the other fowl especially when the guinea's do their patented attacks from behind along with their feather pulling and breaking. My guineas are raised separate from the other poultry and are housed separately. They were not imprinted with the other poultry . I can free range my guineas and my other poultry in the same places at the same time without any interaction between the guineas and the others. My guineas keep to themselves as do the other poultry. There are no attacks from either the guineas or the other poultry.

Before we got the Guineas the researched I did suggested 3 sq ft per bird

When reading up on the required sq. ft. per bird, irregardless of the species, all I ever see mentioned is the minimum sq. ft. I have never seen anyone mention the optimum amount of area that the birds should have. In the case of guineas, what I have read is a minimum of 4 sq. ft. of clear coop space per adult guinea. Room lost to feeders, waterers, hiding places, storage, etc. need to be in addition to the required clear area. Again minimum required area does not equal optimum area. The recommended minimum is for the coop space and the guineas require an even higher sq. ft. of run area per adult guinea in addition to the coop space.