Guineas?

[ChickQueen77]

I am thinking about getting some guineas this spring & I have never had them before so I don't know anything about what I would need to do for them.

Do they have to have a coop or can they just stay outside? and wouldn't a hawk or my dog that likes to chase chickens get them?

They would have to be in a coop all winter right?

are guineas usually nice or are they kind of aggressive?

 

[R2elk]

I am thinking about getting some guineas this spring & I have never had them before so I don't know anything about what I would need to do for them.

Do they have to have a coop or can they just stay outside? and wouldn't a hawk or my dog that likes to chase chickens get them?

They would have to be in a coop all winter right?

are guineas usually nice or are they kind of aggressive?

Read the thread Raising Guinea Fowl 101 and pay particular attention to posts made by @PeepsCA.

Guineas are a flock bird and do best in large groups of guineas. I do not recommend having fewer than 10 for proper flock dynamics.

I do not recommend brooding keets with anything other than keets. The imprinting that causes makes it so that the guineas as adults do not understand that there is a difference between them and any poultry they were brooded with.

Guineas have entirely different instincts than any other poultry. If they start treating other poultry as if they are guineas, it can cause great stress to the other poultry.

Keets need a high protein turkey or game bird starter to give them a good start.

If you want to keep your guineas alive, they need to be in a secure coop at night. They are very vulnerable to nighttime predators. Owls and raccoons are among the nighttime predators that be harmful to tree roosting guineas. Guinea hens allowed to have their hidden nests during laying season are vulnerable to ground dwelling predators.

Unline other poultry, the hen to cock ratio for guineas is 1:1.

They are cold hardy but don't do well with their first snow. They will take to the trees and refuse to come downand land on the "white stuff".

I and others have had to build landing zones by spreading hay or straw on the snow to get the birds down from the trees. They do better once they become acclimated to snow.

Guineas are trainable. I trained mine to be herded. Others train theirs to come to a call or sound by using treats.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Do they have to have a coop or can they just stay outside? and wouldn't a hawk or my dog that likes to chase chickens get them?

Guineas are easily caught by predators because they tend to go TOWARDS danger. Also, they are known to wander and even walk out into roads and get run over by cars...

are guineas usually nice or are they kind of aggressive?

My males were very aggressive towards me, each other, and my chickens, especially when they were guarding their nests and mates.

 

[SamLockwood]

To answer your questions:

Thy should have a coop to sleep in at night time, otherwise they're vulnerable to nocturnal predators.

Guineas are vulnerable to the same kind of predators that other poultry are. The main difference is that in a large enough group they will become rather aggressive. I've seen mine pick fights with hawks, vultures, wild turkeys, coyotes, dogs, deer, and a forklift.

I'm not sure what you're asking about a being ina coop all winter. If anything, they're more cold-hardy than my chickens. They're a little weird about snow, but so are.chickrns that haven't seen it before.

As far as "nice" or "aggressive" goes, guineas are just different. They're more feral than most poultry and they have their own weird little quirks.

Compared to chickens, they tend to be more along with people and way more pushy when it comes to other birds. If you have chickens, how well they get along depends on how well your chickens accept the fact that the guineas are in charge.

Guineas are a lot more flock-oriented than. Chickens, and they prefer to be on larger groups. If left alone they actually panic and start acting kind of crazy.

If they get used to you, they'll actually be quite affectionate on their own weird way. Mine will greet me with their strange little clicks and chirps if they haven't seen me in a while, and if I'm outside doing chores they'll check me out and even and out with me.

On the other hand, they're extremely territorial and xenophobic. They don't kike strangers of any kind, even other guineas. They'll scream at trespassers, and try to bully and chase them off whenever possible. This may get them killed, and it will certainly annoy any neighbors you have. Mine took a disliking to a neighbor's Rottweiler and tried to drive him out of his yard repeatedly. I ended up having to move the fence line back about 50 feet so everyone could have some peace.

Overall they're pretty awesome birds, but they're definitely not for everyone.