Have Chickens, but still want Guinea

[31swford]

I started out with 5 guineas and 5 chicks around a week old. Guineas are not easy to sex until they are older so I ended up with 3 male guineas and 2 female guineas, 4 hens and a roo. Because they grew up together, they did well together. My rooster was the king (all the guineas would follow him) until he died, then my white male guinea stepped up to the plate. I trained all of them to come with a cow bell and millet. They all roost together in the same house without issues.
I later bought another rooster for my hens and the male guineas picked on him until a neighbor's dog tore through one of my pens and killed my 3 male guineas. Now my rooster is trying to mate the female guineas as well!

My first year with chickens/guineas has been fun minus the deaths. Chickens and guineas can get along well together but I'm not so sure about mixing them when they get older. Because mine roost with the chickens, I never have a problem with them coming home when it gets dark or when I ring the bell!
They can be loud though (peacock loud).

 

[Jennsbirds]

I started out with 5 guineas and 5 chicks around a week old. Guineas are not easy to sex until they are older so I ended up with 3 male guineas and 2 female guineas, 4 hens and a roo. Because they grew up together, they did well together. My rooster was the king (all the guineas would follow him) until he died, then my white male guinea stepped up to the plate. I trained all of them to come with a cow bell and millet. They all roost together in the same house without issues.
I later bought another rooster for my hens and the male guineas picked on him until a neighbor's dog tore  through one of my pens and killed my 3 male guineas. Now my rooster is trying to mate the female guineas as well! 

My first year with chickens/guineas has been fun minus the deaths. Chickens and guineas can get along well together but I'm not so sure about mixing them when they get older. Because mine roost with the chickens, I never have a problem with them coming home when it gets dark or when I ring the bell!
They can be loud though (peacock loud).

That loud? That's not good for me at all. Peacocks arren't at al welcome where I live and where I want to live wouldn't be any more appreciative.

I'm sorry to hear aout the dogs y the way.

Sorry about the typos, by the way.

 

[TarheelBirdy]

That loud? That's not good for me at all. Peacocks arren't at al welcome where I live and where I want to live wouldn't be any more appreciative.

I'm sorry to hear aout the dogs y the way.

Sorry about the typos, by the way.

As loud as peacocks for sure, and more often. Where peacocks call occasionally, guineas fuss a lot.......sometimes ongoing, very loud noise.

 

[Jennsbirds]

As loud as peacocks for sure, and more often. Where peacocks call occasionally, guineas fuss a lot.......sometimes ongoing, very loud noise.

Well, they were going to be lunch someday. If they're too much of a nuisance I guess that means there's more room on the run for future birds.

 

[31swford]

This is on YouTube. Gives you an idea how loud they can be.

 

[Jennsbirds]

This is on YouTube. Gives you an idea how loud they can be.

Not peacock bad, but loud.

I did find a quiet guinea, but it was just one and it was stealing food from a dog. I'm not sure how long it was quiet.

 

[Tikkijane]

I'm in this same boat- hoping to get my order out soon. We're going to build, so I could maybe give them their own area, although I was hoping they would just integrate with the girls.

We have a lot of ticks in particular, and while we'll be free-ranging, I've heard that guineas are good not just for tics, but are also protective?

Researching what I can at this point.....

 

[Tikkijane]

Do they come back? I don't really care if they fly all over during the day so long as they come back at night like the chickens and eat the ticks.....

At what age can they free range without getting eaten by hawks?

 

[Tikkijane]

As loud as peacocks for sure, and more often. Where peacocks call occasionally, guineas fuss a lot.......sometimes ongoing, very loud noise.

But quiet at night? What do the boys sound like?

 

[R2elk]

I did find a quiet guinea, but it was just one and it was stealing food from a dog. I'm not sure how long it was quiet.

LOL. If that was my dog the guinea would have become permanently quiet. One of my coral blue guineas made the mistake of flying into the dog pen. The guinea became dog food.