hatching guinea fowl eggs in NH?

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
That just means that you need more guineas.

I see the bunny too........

 

[jvls1942]

here we go, two sides to every story. I too got the idea that you were bashing guineas in your first post, Miss Prissey..

My guineas are nothing like that.. It is all in how they are raised.

My guineas are in the coop with the chickens for the winter and some of them even allow me to pet them.. I have 55 chickens and 25 guineas together.. I have one white rooster that hangs around with 2 pullets and 4 guineas as a flock..

I do not mind differences of opinion but I have a problem with one person's situation as being gospel..

BTW I had a chicken/rooster kill two of my guineas, so it is a two edged sword..

 

[MissPrissy]

My guineas stay in the barn yard. We throw a bit of feed every evening just to keep them coming home. They have never strayed beyond the barnyard except once and they investigated the distant neighbors and high tailed it home for supper.

They go a great job of policing for bugs and follow the goats around eating you know what.

I hatched a few batches last spring. I gave some away but I did raise a small flock with my orpington chicks hatched around the same time. At 4 months we turned them out into the barnyard. They fought with the older flock like cats and dogs. They would stand off one another and attack at the last minute. It was actually rather amusing to watch.

It has been 7 months since they were turned out together. Just now are they starting to form one flock. But within that flock you can see the segregation. There is a divide amongst them.

We have hives and had not had any troubles with the guineas.

 

[Ms. Lewis Rich]

I am so glad to hear that about them not bothering your bees.I had just read that somewhere and was not sure it was true.
If I ever get my dream and get out in my cabin in the woods for good , I would love bees and a few guineas!!!

 

[Marlinchaser]

heres a pic of some of my guineas with thier leader an EE roo.

 

[Ms. Lewis Rich]

Marlin, nice flock!!!
If they ever reproduce , let me know I'll buy it.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Ms. Lewis Rich :

Marlin, nice flock!!!
If they ever reproduce , let me know I'll buy it.

They have reproduced, eggs sent to and hatched all over last year, as well as hatching out and selling lots of Keets locally.​

 

[chubbydog811]

wow...I leave to clean horses for a couple hours, and I come back to find "guinea bashing" (thats funny lol) and a lot of information about them! that works for me

anyway, I would really like to raise them myself. Though I wouldn't mind getting a few that are a little older, preferably a some that are breeding, and hatch them myself. we have an enclosed run for our chickens, so they couldnt fly out and "run away from home". I know that they tend to be VERY loud, but we live on 50acres, and the farm animals are 5 acres back. Though our neighbors dont mind the noise - we all have different sorts of noisy animals.

We mainly need them to stand as our chicken "protectors". There is a horrible rat poblem around here because of the large unmowed fields next to the barn, and all the horse grain that the horses cant seem to help but slobber everywhere doesnt help either (least the dog eats up most of it!). I've noticed that there were rat holes going into the coop, and our neighbor was having problems with weisels(sp?). I like my chickens enough to say, I would rather be the one eating them, then the little critters eating/injuring them.

How are they about defending against little pesky dogs that have been killing off my chickens (i hate jack russels)?

Must Be Losing It: How old are they? Would I be able to mix them with my established flock, or would that maybe be an issue? In the coop they would go in, I have 6 RIR's, 4 black sexlinks, a large, very old sexlink, and a lakenvelder rooster(who is very laid back).

Nice flock by the way Marlinchaser!
As some people would say about some animals/people "Its a face only a mother could love". lol ...so true....Their markings are awesome though....

 

[Ms. Lewis Rich]

Marlin, I only want one if that Blk. Roo is daddyLOL
Gee I wonder if the hybrids crow?

 

[Must Be Losing It]

Hi Chubbydog,

They're young. I hatched them from a friends flock over the summer and they have been raised w/ a young tom blue slate turkey with no problems. And their pen is right next to the chicken pen so they are very aware of but ignore the chickens. I keep them penned right now because I have a fox roaming my land right now and until he's dealt with, they stay penned up.

One guinea (the male) was raised w/ the chickens but I moved him to the turkey/guinea pen when he got older. And honestly, when it comes to agression, I've only had problems w/ the males in the past but only toward other male guineas.

As for adapting to new environments, I have only kept them "locked up" for four weeks before I let them free range with no problems. You do have to get them in the habit of coming in at night though. And that's easy enough.

The three of them are pale lavendar and should start laying this spring.