GUINEA FOWL THREAD

[guinealeghorn]

One other idea.....you might try craigslist or a local paper.....most people that own guineas are overrun with babies this time of year, as they are prolific layers and very fertile!  Whether you get guineas or ducks...I hope you enjoy them and wish you luck!

Try cackle hatchery. I got my 13 guineas from them. They arrived safe and sound through the mail.

 

[jasonropp]

Try cackle hatchery. I got my 13 guineas from them. They arrived safe and sound through the mail.

I was a little discouraged that they may over react to non-danger, so I have since extended their run to give them more space, and it is covered on top.
I and by neighbor have chickens, together we have seen a Hawk visit our tree 2 to 3 times, but have sent it away with the garden hose.
I let my chickens out the last couple hours of daylight in the evening, and sit with them in the backyard, which creates reading time for myself, and relaxation time, that I might not otherwise take, so I think for now, it is a win win situation for all of us. I will investigate other options, and potentially extend their run, as I have space, and will build a covered chicken tractor over the winter, so I can give them access to more of the yard unsupervised next season.
Thanks for the feedback.

 

[bbaldwin]

We got some baby chicks this spring and 2 french guineas at the same time. The guineas have outgrown the chicks now and are acting very aggressive with eachother. Pecking and holding each other down...does this mean we have 2 males?

 

[guineapeeps]

We got some baby chicks this spring and 2 french guineas at the same time. The guineas have outgrown the chicks now and are acting very aggressive with eachother. Pecking and holding each other down...does this mean we have 2 males?

Not necessarily. Even the females can be aggressive with each other when they establish a pecking order. Some of my Guineas tend to do this when they hit that teenager/juvenile stage but they eventually outgrow it. By now, you should be able to tell if they are males or females by their calls. Males have a one syllable call (like a chi or squawk sound) and the females have a two syllable "buck-wheat" call.

 

[bbaldwin]

Thank you. They have stopped the behavior now and i can definitely hear the two syllables. Think they are sisters

 

[Chickens126]

I am new to the whole Guinea hen thing but in a month or so I'm getting some. I want 3, is that too little? Do I need more? I already have 7 chickens that are on the layers feed. Can I feed Guinea hens this? Do I need to get them something else? I also will have them in a run, but later in the year I let them out. Does anyone have advise?

 

[guineapeeps]

I woul

I am new to the whole Guinea hen thing but in a month or so I'm getting some. I want 3, is that too little? Do I need more? I already have 7 chickens that are on the layers feed. Can I feed Guinea hens this? Do I need to get them something else? I also will have them in a run, but later in the year I let them out. Does anyone have advise?

I would get a few more than than 3...probably 4 or 5 would be a bare minimum. The bigger the flock, the better they seem to do. I usually try to keep around 10 or so. If you are planning to keep them housed with your chickens, I would get younger Guineas/keets to start with as I've heard they integrate into the flock better (I only have Guineas so I can't speak to this personally). As far as food goes, Guineas need a higher protein diet than chickens. You need to get a gamebird food with a minimum protein content of 22% but even higher is better if you can find it in your area. My Guineas free range during the day, and live mostly on bugs spring through fall. They are great bug and tick control and are great for gardens as they pick bugs off the plants but don't touch any of the plants or produce. I've had Guineas for 4 years now and really enjoy having them. I'm certainly no expert but hopefully I can be of help of you have any more questions!

 

[Chickens126]

Ok thanks!

 

[guinealeghorn]

I have a flock of 13 guineas and 6 white leghorns. They are just starting to free range. If you don't intend on letting them free range, they would probably enjoy a large space to run and fly in. They love to eat grass and lettuce. We got the leghorns so the guineas will stay close to the yard. WARNING you have probably listened to guineas online. They are about three times louder than on the videos. They're fun to watch, though, and I think they are worth it.

 

[BPM83]

I have a question about one of my Guineas. About a week ago something attacked one of them. It ripped out some of his neck feathers and scratched him underneath one of his eyes. I cleaned the wound and the next day both his eyelids were extremely swollen with a blue green tint like bruising. I've continued to rinse both eyes with saline and apply ointment. The swelling is pretty much gone and the eye on the side that was not scratched is completely open and clear. The other eye is not fully open and gets a little bit gunky. He is healing but my big concern is his behavior. He is running into things, sometimes just walks in circles and doesn't seem to be eating or drinking much, if at all. He is also lazier than usual (sleeping more) but is moving around more and more each day. He still follows his flock as best he can. Is this all normal or should I be worried? Any suggestions on how to help him? Thanks.