Guinea talk.

[pearlGuinea]

I never sanitize mine, but I think it's okay to do it.

 

[pattyhen]

Rhonda I have no idea if you need to sanitize eggs before you incubate them. Sorry I can't be any help with that. Are your guineas still laying eggs? Mary Jane hasn't laid an egg for at least a month now. I think she has gave up for this year on egg laying.

I didn't read to the guineas when they were keets.

It does sound like a good idea tho. What I meant to say is I read an article about taming guineas. It said to hold the guineas at least 15 minutes everyday to get them used to you.

I think the guineas do go by your scent they always recognize me. The ducks have a fit if I put my hood up on my coat. I haven't done it this year yet but last year they acted like I was a complete stranger if I wore the hood or a hat. They run around the yard quacking and not even coming near me. Spiderman comes barreling out of the coop in the mornings. He runs this direction and that and suddenly he will stop. Mary Jane acts like I woke her up to soon and she could go back to bed another hour. Sometimes she refuses to jump down off the perch and I have to carry her to the other side of the yard where I open the gate and they go up on the porch to eat their breakfast. I guess Mary Jane is not a morning person and Spiderman can't wait to start the day.

I hope everyone has a nice day it's going to be really good weather today. High of 81 with lots of sunshine.

 

[GlennLee]

Rhonda I have no idea if you need to sanitize eggs before you incubate them. Sorry I can't be any help with that. Are your guineas still laying eggs? Mary Jane hasn't laid an egg for at least a month now. I think she has gave up for this year on egg laying.

I didn't read to the guineas when they were keets.

It does sound like a good idea tho. What I meant to say is I read an article about taming guineas. It said to hold the guineas at least 15 minutes everyday to get them used to you.

I think the guineas do go by your scent they always recognize me. The ducks have a fit if I put my hood up on my coat. I haven't done it this year yet but last year they acted like I was a complete stranger if I wore the hood or a hat. They run around the yard quacking and not even coming near me. Spiderman comes barreling out of the coop in the mornings. He runs this direction and that and suddenly he will stop. Mary Jane acts like I woke her up to soon and she could go back to bed another hour. Sometimes she refuses to jump down off the perch and I have to carry her to the other side of the yard where I open the gate and they go up on the porch to eat their breakfast. I guess Mary Jane is not a morning person and Spiderman can't wait to start the day.

I hope everyone has a nice day it's going to be really good weather today. High of 81 with lots of sunshine.

I haven't had any eggs in over a month now - I'll bet they stopped laying right around the time Mary Jane did.

Oh that's funny about the reading! I thought maybe you were reading to them to get them used to your voice!

Interesting that the ducks don't recognize you, but the guineas do..... I think Spiderman would just do anything you wanted him to do no matter what time of day it is. He's a mamma's boy and is really bonded to you.

Nice that you are still having warm weather. We've gone a bit colder and more rain. This week the rain will continue, but with temperatures in the high 50's so no snow.

Patti, I know you mentioned that you use broody Silkies for hatching. Are there any other breeds that are good for that for guineas? Aren't Silkies small? I was just wondering if I had some broody hens I could use them for hatching, but I'm not sure what breed. At this point, my husband isn't keen on expanding and I'll probably try with the guineas alone first to see how it goes. I wasn't sure if there were larger breeds that were also gentle and willing to hatch guinea eggs. They would have to be able to hold their own with the guineas or I would have to find a way to keep them separate. My neighbor wondered about Cochin or Brahma? She thought their temperament would be good, but had concerns with their size that they might be prone to breaking eggs. Thoughts anyone?

Have a super week ahead everyone and Happy Halloween tomorrow!

 

[pattyhen]

Silkies are a bantam chicken but they are pretty big for being a bantam. When they sit they flatten out like a pancake. They are a very gentle breed and would probably have to be seperate from your guineas. Silkies spend the majority of their time being broody and will sit with no eggs if you let them. I've never had a brahma or a full size cochan. I don't know if they would be good mothers they are a very large breed of chicken and the guineas eggs are awfully small. I do have a bantam cochan and she is around 8 years old and she has never went broody before. I had one orphington hen to go broody this summer but I hid the nesting box she was in and she gave up being broody.

I'm glad your not getting snow yet. I don't like winter time at all. I hope the guineas do well in the cold weather. Mine will probably want to come in the house more. Oh boy.

 

[GlennLee]

Silkies are a bantam chicken but they are pretty big for being a bantam. When they sit they flatten out like a pancake. They are a very gentle breed and would probably have to be seperate from your guineas. Silkies spend the majority of their time being broody and will sit with no eggs if you let them. I've never had a brahma or a full size cochan. I don't know if they would be good mothers they are a very large breed of chicken and the guineas eggs are awfully small. I do have a bantam cochan and she is around 8 years old and she has never went broody before. I had one orphington hen to go broody this summer but I hid the nesting box she was in and she gave up being broody.

I'm glad your not getting snow yet. I don't like winter time at all. I hope the guineas do well in the cold weather. Mine will probably want to come in the house more. Oh boy.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Patti. If I had another space, I might try hatching with some Silkies. I am concerned that the Guineas would be aggressive toward any other bird... they are still having some issues with the little ones. It's like I have 2 flocks, but even when I had all French Guineas, they would split off into two small groups within the one large flock. It's good to know about the possibility.

Yes, when it's cold, Spider and Mary Jane will be at the door in the morning wanting their coffee and oatmeal! I'll let you know how they tolerate the cold. They don't seem to mind the rain as much as Spider and Mary Jane. They go out in it for a while and then dash into the barn, then they'll come out and run around again - going back and forth. Silly birds!

 

[GlennLee]

I never sanitize mine, but I think it's okay to do it.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this.

 

[pattyhen]

Your welcome Rhonda. I clipped Spiderman and Mary Janes wings again today. If we lived in the country I wouldn't have done it but being in the city they have to stay behind the fence. They didn't seem to mind especially when they got to sit on my lap and be petted afterwards.

They were at the kitchen door wanting in the house when I went inside. They come in for a few minutes and walked around the kitchen then they wanted back outside. I opened the door for them and told them next time they come in I would fix them a cup of tea. Spiderman has tried several times to drink my iced tea when I sit out with them. With the energy they have I can't imagine what caffine would make them act like.

I hope everyone has a nice day we are suppose to get some rain today which we really need and its suppose to be the 70s.

 

[MartinsPoultry]

Hi everyone, I am new to raising guineas. My fiance and I got four babies this year back in June or July they now have their adult voices in and are starting to show whos boss with who.
I got lucky and picked them out at a week old and nailed two cockerels and two hens, one of my cockerels is a powder blue, I have a brown cockerel as well and my two hens are piebalds they have yet to show their full adult plumage in but the markings on their feathers are far and in between with piebald marking feet.
It took a while for them to adjust with my chickens but they are doing well after I got rid of my roosters who would terrorize everyone even me. The two chicken hens are never far from the guineas and vice versa. Right now they are in the process of a see no touch with my turkey flock and hopefully before the weather dips to cold they will be commingling together in the large coop and out of the temp A-frame home they are in right now.

They get fed wet adult food, i tried them on dry and all of my birds stick their beaks and bills up to it due to remembering how their chick starter was always fermented, They get a daily dose of freedom for a few hours with me watching for hawks and other predators while they get to stretch their wings and play with the turkeys, which is doing better than their first encounter as chicks. Fresh veggies and fruits with a treat of stale bread or small pancakes that my family doesn't finish. I enjoy having them each one has their own personality. The brown and blue ones on the perch in the image below are my boys, Charlie on the left and Blue on the right, Charlie is a big time momma's boy he will go to my fiance James but tends to like me holding him a little more where Blue is a daddies boy. The girls are pictured below with the chicken hens, Echo is next to my Brahma cross and Delta is next to my Wellsummer. As the girls grew older it was getting harder to tell them apart so I added a zippy around Delta's leg so I can see who is who when its time to lock up. Delta bird is my gossip girl she will talk to you until your ears turn blue where as Echo is so quiet you think so isn't there, unless both males are screaming at whatever their displeasure is, example is me taking one out and clipping wings or doing a mite check/treatment.

 

[guineapeeps]

Hi everyone, I am new to raising guineas. My fiance and I got four babies this year back in June or July they now have their adult voices in and are starting to show whos boss with who. I got lucky and picked them out at a week old and nailed two cockerels and two hens, one of my cockerels is a powder blue, I have a brown cockerel as well and my two hens are piebalds they have yet to show their full adult plumage in but the markings on their feathers are far and in between with piebald marking feet. It took a while for them to adjust with my chickens but they are doing well after I got rid of my roosters who would terrorize everyone even me. The two chicken hens are never far from the guineas and vice versa. Right now they are in the process of a see no touch with my turkey flock and hopefully before the weather dips to cold they will be commingling together in the large coop and out of the temp A-frame home they are in right now. They get fed wet adult food, i tried them on dry and all of my birds stick their beaks and bills up to it due to remembering how their chick starter was always fermented, They get a daily dose of freedom for a few hours with me watching for hawks and other predators while they get to stretch their wings and play with the turkeys, which is doing better than their first encounter as chicks. Fresh veggies and fruits with a treat of stale bread or small pancakes that my family doesn't finish. I enjoy having them each one has their own personality. The brown and blue ones on the perch in the image below are my boys, Charlie on the left and Blue on the right, Charlie is a big time momma's boy he will go to my fiance James but tends to like me holding him a little more where Blue is a daddies boy. The girls are pictured below with the chicken hens, Echo is next to my Brahma cross and Delta is next to my Wellsummer. As the girls grew older it was getting harder to tell them apart so I added a zippy around Delta's leg so I can see who is who when its time to lock up. Delta bird is my gossip girl she will talk to you until your ears turn blue where as Echo is so quiet you think so isn't there, unless both males are screaming at whatever their displeasure is, example is me taking one out and clipping wings or doing a mite check/treatment.

Welcome! Glad you joined us! It sounds like your guineas are pretty tame. I wish mine were that agreeable to being handled! Your guineas sound almost as docile as Pattyhen's (on this thread) who come into her house for tea!

 

[MartinsPoultry]

Took a lot of work with them, also had them in a brooder in my room when they were small keets kind of helped some, they always got to hear my voice and other noises in the house. I read some articles when we first got them that holding was bad, I did it anyways but moderately, 5 minutes a day then increased the time and it helped, they still have their moments where they don't want to be touched but thats any animal.

Thanks I'm happy i made the leap and got into poultry and joined this site after browsing it for a while. Everyone seems awesome and friendly