Guineas

[CK Chickadilly]

Are they easy to raise? Do they get along with chickens & ducks? Are they gonna stick around?

Anything anyone knows about guineas & their care, please tell me.

Thanks!

 

[Teach97]

fairly easy...kinda flighty in a pen before they get good and grown...can be aggressive to tif there isn't enough room as is true with other poultry...they will keep your place free of ticks and insects...they will roam...make a heck of a racket when something is out of the normal...they taste great...that's about what I know and have experienced

 

[Chirpy]

You will get different answers from different people who live in different circumstances.

My experience: my Guineas were raised with my chickens. They always stayed with my chickens when free ranging and went back to roost every night with my chickens in the chicken house. They did teach some of my chickens to fly over the 6 foot fence before we'd let them out to free range every day.

I don't have any trees near me.. I live on the plains so mine weren't tempted by trees to go roost in them.

When people live in trees there is more probability that the Guineas will eventually chose to roost in them at night.

Some people have had their Guineas attack their chickens. I think (key word is 'think') that if you have a larger flock of Guineas there is less chance for that to happen as the Guineas have plenty of their own kind to mess with.

I really liked my Guineas but they are LOUD!!

 

[CK Chickadilly]

Seems like I read somewhere that I should leave them locked up for 6 weeks & then when you let them out when they wander they will come back to roost?

What do they taste like? Dark or white meat?

 

[Teach97]

they come back as long as they don't find a better place to roost! Kinda like what Chirpy said...they seem to like trees (none here either)

White meat...tender...some might say gamey but I likes it!

 

[CK Chickadilly]

Oh man, we have trees outlining the dog run on the other side that they would be on, & a few short pines in the field to the other side. Maybe I should keep them locked up for a while in the goat barn? That is where I thought they could roost, I heard they like to go up high. Yee-haa!

My banties already know how to fly!

 

[Chirpy]

I didn't mention that but you do want to keep them locked up for about eight weeks before letting them out to roam. That will help them learn where home is supposed to be.

 

[Sherry]

I started feeding mine some cracked corn while they were still locked up. Then when turned out to free range I give cracked corn every evening at the barn. They wander but mine have never left my yard or barnyard.

I am surrounded by woods but they choose to roost either in the barn or the oak tree in the middle of my yard.

Great "watchdogs" and I haven't seen a tick since I got them.

 

[CK Chickadilly]

Thanks for all the info. At least I have plenty of time to decide whether or not to raise some.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Mine roosted in the trees until we got our first cold, winter rain. Then they decided it was much warmer to roost in the barn with the chickens.

I have a 'flock' of 5, they attack the chickens and each other. There seems to be certain chickens that they hate more than others, and will chase that chicken all over the yard until somebody stops them. When I first got the guineas (as adults) they decided they liked pulling my OEGB boys tail feathers out. Usually they stick to themselves though.

I have heard (after I got mine) that they should be locked up a minimum of 4 weeks so they learn where home is. I didn't do this and got lucky, mine stuck around.

I don't think corn is very good for them. They probably need some game bird feed, or at the least some flock raiser. In the warmer months, 90% of their diet is insects. So in the warmer months you probably won't have to feed them at all. If you do they most likely won't eat it.

And I second (or third) that your yard will be tick free. It would most likely be snake free as well.