Guinea Questions

[posey]

Thanks for posting such good info. We are new to chickens and guineas but have both. The keets are only 2 1/2 weeks old and they are living in a large storage tub in the house. With a sxreen over it cause boy can they fly!

We have been trying to decide what to do with them once they are large enough to forage on their own. We have 5 giant trees, four are red oaks and the 5th is a Southern Magnolia Grandifolia - all are very tall and about 150 years old. So I'm guessing that they would make great roosting places for the guineas, yes?

We live on a old farming homeplace that has lots of abandoned out buildings. We are surround on 3 sides with fields that are still being farmed. This year they planted tobacco and cotton. Across the road in front of the house is a railway track, then more fields. How far away will they forage?

Does anyone know if they really and truly eat Fire Ants? Will they decrease the amount of mounds we have, please say YES?

Posey

 

[featheredfriendlover]

Today i saw a Guinea for the first time and i LOVE em!!! The people had just 1 in with their chickens and they were all just catchin bugs together big_smile

1. So i was wondering this.....if i raised another flock of chickens, would it be a bad idea to raise 1 Guinea with a flock of chickens?

2. And do they eat just egg maker like chickens?

3. How big and often do they lay eggs?

4. Now ive heard they're loud but on a scale of 1-10, 1 bein how loud chickens are, 5 bein how loud roosters are, and 10 bein just SUPER loud, how loud are they really?

5. How good of flyers are they?

6. Do they roost just like chickens?



Thanks guys big_smile I really want one but i dont know anything really about em big_smile So if theres anything i need to know about em, please feel free to post all the info here smile

1. guineas do better with more than just 1. even if they are with chickens. if you have roosters and a male guinea be careful he will harass the rooster.

2. they will eat what a chicken does. but they will fend for them selves during spring summer fall.

3. they have a 32 week laying season and they will lay eggs in the spring summer and they will have a very well hidden nest.

4. they are about 6-7, but when they give out there alarm call they are about a 10+.

5.they are GREAT flyers.

6. they will roost high in trees at night.

4.​

 

[Justino]

Thanks everyone sooo much for the great info

In 2 months (when i get back from our familly vacation) ill be sure to try my best to get two guinea keets(hahah theyre called keets right? :lol ) along with my other layin chicks

Ooooo im soooo exited!

 

[featheredfriendlover]

yes they are called keets and i see you getting 2. lol. good job and good luck.

 

[CurlyLindsay]

If you get your guineas laying in a coop, their eggs are DELICIOUS. I like them so much more than chicken eggs.

I have four 12 week old guineas that free range during the day and, so far, always return to the coop at night. I've had people tell me that they'll stop soon, but I am hoping a combination of being raised with chicks and having a coop with really high roosts will keep them coming back.

I have tree adults, 2 of which are females, and are currently laying and they are kept in an enclosed coop 24/7. I've had them 8 weeks, so if I set them loose they would probably stick around the farm, but I love, love, love their eggs, and am afraid they'll teach my guineas that are roosting in the coop to roost in trees!

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Your questions have been answered, but you may not know that Guinea Fowl come in several colors !!

Here is a link....

http://guineafowl.com/fritsfarm/guineas/colors/index.html

I have had Guineas for a few years. I have them in the barn with the chickens roosting at night and they eat, drink and nest with the chickens.

They DO like other Guineas and I DO NOT recomend having only one or two.

I have 12 and am working on 12 more (babies in a brooder and juvies in the nursery).

They are very busy birds and they do tend to mate for life.

You really need to get them at a young age (8 to 12 weeks) and raise them with chickens.

I have not had a problem with any one getting harmed, but the Guineas WILL chase their Guinea rivals relentlessly.

 

[ticks]

I think they need a lot of space, like to free range, VERY loud, louder than most roosters. If you live in an urban area, you do not want guineas.

 

[Lothiriel]

Uhhh... I personally don't think that getting guineas is a good idea, Justin. I've read that they are very easily scared - they yell when the sun comes up because they think the world is catching on fire; they yell when the sun goes down because they think the world is coming to an end; and they yell for various other reasons which really are nothing to yell about. BUT... do what you want. I won't stop ya.

Though maybe I should.... JK.

 

[Aj1911]

ok 1 guineas need 28% protein feed when there little

2 they do fly but only when spooked/going to roost other wise they walk

3 they get along with chickens pretty well (my male guineas chase my chickens but they dont hurt them)

4 there about a 7 on alarm about a 3 other wise

5 dont clip there wings or they cant get away from things that might eat them

6 i have 4 and live on 2.56 acres and they dont go off the property

7 if you want them to roost in a coop keep them in there for about 8-10 weeks (mine are 1 year old and they still roost where there supposed to)

8 if you want them to lay eggs in the coop wait tell they lay there first 2 eggs (make a nest in the coop they'll get the hint) and then mark them and leave them in there, then they'll know where to lay them.

 

[posey]

Thanks all for your suggestions. Our 6 little keets are getting bigger and soon won't fit in the storage container any longer. Then we will move them out to the coop with the chicken pullets. The keets are 3 weeks old now and have gotten much taller.

At what age (number of weeks) should we make the change to the coop?

We still have a couple of runts that are pretty small compared to the others. Should we keep them back and send the others off to the coop with the chicks or keep them all together?

It's encouraging to hear that guineas can be trained to come into the coop at night and to nest there. We weren't keen on the idea of raising predator food on the wing. I'm pretty sure that they would love our trees in the front yard but then we have lots of abandoned barns and out buildings with second floors and rafters too. Those make me nervous 'cause I don't know who else lives there ya know?

We have about the same size yard areas as Aj but then all of those fields around us.

Anyone know if they eat fire ants? Yeh I'm on a fire ant rant this week. Hate those things.