Guinea talk.

[GlennLee]

Patti - it sure is funny how Spiderman and Mary Jane just make themselves at home! I don't think they know they are birds - they think they are your children. I love how your granddaughter calls them "keeters". What a perfect nickname - I'll have to start using that one. Our grandchildren will be visiting for Thanksgiving and it will be the first time they have seen the Guinea Fowl. I'm sure the birds won't disappoint them for entertainment. Getting a bit chilly at night here, but it's that time of year. Have a good rest of the week!

 

[pattyhen]

My husband said the same thing today they don't know they are guineas. I was sitting in the livingroom in Their chair with Spiderman on the arm and Mary Jane in my lap and I said this is not your typical guinea. With them having their cage in the hallway of the house when they were babies they were always around us growing up. I read to get them tame try and hold them everyday for at least 15 minutes. I would get them out and I would hold one and my husband would hold the other. They loved it and after a couple of minutes they would soon be sleeping on your lap. They've always enjoyed human company and will seek you out if you go outside or stand at the door giving you a pitiful look, like can we come inside? I love my guineas.

 

[pearlGuinea]

I wish I could get my guineas guineas that tame but I always hatch to many keets than I have time for.

 

[guineapeeps]

I wish I could get my guineas guineas that tame but I always hatch to many keets than I have time for.

A few years ago, I had 8 guinea keets that I incubated, hatched and raised in my house for the first few months. I spent a lot of time with them and held them all everyday. They were more tame than any other guineas that I've had but nothing like Pattyhen's Spiderman and Mary Jane. I've never seen any guineas that docile and tame....they seem to be extra special!

 

[alexa32]

I bought two Ginnie's but how can I tell the difference between male n female

 

[pearlGuinea]

Your guineas look to young to tell what gender they are. When guineas get about 10 weeks old the females will make a two syllable sound like put-rock or e-quack or buck-wheat and the males only make a one syllable sound. Both the males and females will make the one syllable sound when alarmed but the males never make a two syllable sound. I would love to hear what you find out on their genders in the future. From the picture they look like white guineas, is correct?

 

[pearlGuinea]

And also the males have bigger wattles.

 

[pattyhen]

The males walk more upright then the females. The females learn over alot when they walk. Spiderman was always just a little bigger then Mary Jane when they were keets. You have some very pretty guineas. I love the white ones.

 

[GlennLee]

Alexa32 - your white keets are beautiful! The remind me of doves. I can't wait to see more pictures as they change and grow. It would be nice if you ended up with one male and one female. Only time and careful listening to their calls will tell. Have fun with them.

We all love our Guineas and enjoy sharing stories. I will have to tell you, Pattihen takes the prize for having the most friendly, tame, attention seeking, human bonded Guineas ever! Maybe we'll all have to start reading stories to our Guineas. I'll bet the holding, petting and reading together made them bond with you and get to recognize your voice.

I haven't read anything on this, but I think they pick up our scent too. The only reason I say that is quite often even my dog doesn't recognize me when I have different clothes on and am bundled up, but the Guineas always do, even before I start talking. Fascinating birds!

 

[GlennLee]

Question related to incubating - does anyone sanitize their eggs before incubating? My neighbor who raises Chanticleer chickens does the following -

I started sanatizing eggs using a mild bleach solution (I think it is 2 T chlorox to 1 Gallon hot water (about 120 degrees) only choosing apparently clean eggs and dunking for 30 seconds (no scrubbing). The reason I started doing this was because of concern that the children (at school for hatching) were handling eggs, doing the hand turning. But in fact I had better results in artificial incubating after I started doing this, both at home and at the school incubators. The eggs should also be gathered within just a few days and not stored long, if at all possible. That's talking about chicken eggs. I've read that duck eggs are even more in need of sanatizing because they lay them all over the place, usually on the ground (dirt, not a nest), so hatching rate can be increased dramatically after sanatizing. But I'm not sure bleach is the best thing, and if the guinea eggs are laid on clean grass or straw, they may not need sanatizing, and that process could even reduce hatch rate.

Your thoughts and practices?