hatching guinea fowl eggs in NH?

[chubbydog811]

Im looking to get some hatching guinea fowl eggs. I want to get a small flock started, but im not sure where to get eggs, short of a hatchery. I want to get them locally so they dont need to be shipped. If you have any, please let me know! I am in NH, and am willing to travel a little bit. Possiblity of getting them on the way to fitchburg, MA is a good option too (rt 13). Looking to get them anytime between now, and april ish. Anyone know where I can get them?
Thanks in advance.

 

[MissPrissy]

Guineas lay seasonally. Most won't begin to lay until May and they stop around October. You won't find any to hatch until late May usually.

 

[chubbydog811]

thanks for that info! I didn't know that. I assumed they were like the chickens...
Does anyone raise them, or know where I can get their eggs when they are laying again then?

 

[Must Be Losing It]

Several of us raise them. In fact I had just sold several to someone who is looking to start a small flock. I do have a few left if you are interested? Two hens and one male.

 

[MissPrissy]

I raise them.

Guineas are not like chickens. They can be extremely aggressive with other fowl. They have been known to have a gang mentality and will out a chicken/turkey/duck/goose in the barn yard and attack until they kill it.

They are extremely loud. If you have close neighbors they will not be happy with you.

They can cross breed with chickens and the offspring are unattractive.

They are best if left to be a bit wild and on their own.

They need a coop and need to be locked up for 3 - 4 months to learn home. They never quite get over being 'wild'. Then you can turn them out on their own and they will forage for most of their food.

Be very sure you want them or their noise and habits will make you an enemy of them.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
Hi Chubby and Miss P
Here we go with the guinea bashing again

I raise guineas too, and have never had a group of thugs on my hand, they do chase each other chest butt pull feathers etc, but have you seen what 2 roosters or ducks can do???

Extremely loud YES unhappy neighbours if close YES(unless they like a car alarm going off all day long, and sometimes at night)

I have never seen a crossbreed, I have seen my Rooster

a guinea hen, but dont think anything came of it. But I would agree that it would be UGLY(have you looked at a guinea? Not the preatiest bird out there)

I have never locked mine up for months prior to release, mine were hatched and raised by a hen, or brooded with chicks and as soon as the chicks went out so did the guineas.

 

[MissPrissy]

That is what makes your experience different from others, Marlin.

No one is bashing guineas as you so elegantly put it.

As far as ganging up - come tell my turkeys they haven't been ganged up on. Other people here experienced the same with their chickens. I have never had a problem with gunieas until I got the turkeys.

Different groups of guineas from different hatches will tend to remain as 2 flocks for a very long time before integrating. Some never integrate.

Those new to guinea fowl need to see a big picture and not a everything is right and light and fluffy -

Oh, look there's a pretty bunny ...

 

[Guinea Goonie]

MiissPrissy Just curious.

Did you raise your guineas from the chicks and with the other chicken chicks ?

I have been rasing the G fowl for awhile now, but I hardly ever get a NEW mature guinea on the property. For one they do not stay around long and I find them in the trees at night, not in the barn.

The ones i do raise or get as young chicks seem to do really well with the chickens and they always go to roost in the barn with the chickens.

THEY ARE VERY LOUD and they NEVER shut up.

 

[Ms. Lewis Rich]

Have heard if you have bee hives , they will stand outside your hives and eat the bees as they fly in and out!

 

[becky3086]

My guinea were in the same pen with my chickens as I heard that if I let them loose, they would eventually leave (which I eventually had to let them loose and they did leave--quite quickly).
They really ganged up on my rooster something terrible in the pen until my rooster hid all the time.
I have had a guinea x chicken hatch, it was not attractive and did not live to adulthood.
They are very noisy though not so that I could hear them enough in the house to bother anyone (the pen is not far from the house either) but they were very loud if you were outside and heard them.
Mine did not lay very well at all.
Becky--originally from NH myself.