Guinea fowl eggs

[Plucky Clucks]

I'm thinking about adding guinea fowl to my flock and I'm trying to decide between hatching myself, buying day old keets or buying older birds. Any opinions?

 

[R2elk]

I'm thinking about adding guinea fowl to my flock and I'm trying to decide between hatching myself, buying day old keets or buying older birds. Any opinions?

If you have access to local hatching eggs that would be my preferred method. If the eggs are to be shipped, my hatching rates on shipped guinea eggs have been anywhere from 10% to 60% so buy the appropriate amount of eggs for the amount of guineas you want to end up with.

Buying day old keets is probably the most economical method. If buying local, you should be able to buy the amount of keets you want. If buying shipped keets the minimum for shipment may be more than you desire but it usually isn't difficult to sell the extras.

The only problems with buying adult birds are being able to locate adult guineas that are available for sale and they can be more difficult to integrate into your flock. The advantage is that you can sex the birds at the time of purchase.

Good luck.

 

[Plucky Clucks]

Thanks for the info! There is a place not to far away from me that has 3-4 month old guineas for sale at $10 a piece but I've heard they're basically wild by that time. On the other hand I may get eggs out of them this year instead of next and hatch some of my own eggs from them... I've heard that guineas pare off and that you need more males then for chickens, is this true?

 

[R2elk]

Thanks for the info! There is a place not to far away from me that has 3-4 month old guineas for sale at $10 a piece but I've heard they're basically wild by that time. On the other hand I may get eggs out of them this year instead of next and hatch some of my own eggs from them... I've heard that guineas pare off and that you need more males then for chickens, is this true?

That is a reasonable price for that age guinea. It should be possible to determine which are hens and which are males with a little bit of effort.

Guineas of that age should lay eggs late this spring and through the summer and into the fall.

Guineas do tend to pair off but some people will go as high as 5 hens to one cock. I have an equal number of hens and cocks. My dominant male will start out with one hen and then steal a second hen once the hens start laying.

Good luck.

 

[Plucky Clucks]

That is a reasonable price for that age guinea.  It should be possible to determine which are hens and which are males with a little bit of effort.

Guineas of that age should lay eggs late this spring and through the summer and into the fall.

Guineas do tend to pair off but some people will go as high as 5 hens to one cock.  I have an equal number of hens and cocks.  My dominant male will start out with one hen and then steal a second hen once the hens start laying.

Good luck.

Thanks for the info!