Help! A guinea fowl made it way onto our property!

[jeepgrrl]

Hi y’all, I’m in need of some quick advice. Sometime this afternoon a Helmeted Guinea Fowl made its way onto our property; I have a feeling he was dumped here. Anyway, the poor thing is spazzing out. We think it’s a male based on his vocals and he looks to be an adult. I’m not sure if he can fly or not. My three oldest hens seem indifferent to it, kind of ignoring him, although he was free ranging with them. He hasn’t showed any aggression. Two of my younger hens (1 and 2 yo) are afraid of him, they were across the property and hiding in the brush, luckily my hubby found them. I collected the girls (8 total, two are broody right now, no roosters) put them in the hen yard and closed the gate so they would be near their coop. The poor Guinea keeps running up and down the fence and loudly calling to them. I wouldn’t mind keeping him as long as my flock accepts him, as I understand they are good for bug control and as an alarm system. He isn’t very smart and was trying to run through the fence rather than fly over it. He has access to waterers but I think he’s too dumb to figure that out. He won’t let me come near him and runs away from me at an impressive speed. I have some questions for those of you who are experienced with this bird.

1) Is it possible to integrate him into my existing flock?
2) Will he try to mate with my hens?
3) My girls are fed pelleted feed, how do you go about feeding a solitary guinea, as I’ve read they should be fed crumbles?
4) If he sticks around, would he need his own coop or would he roost with the hens in their coop? We live in North Central Ohio, so it does get cold here in the winter.

Thank you for any input and advice you can offer!

 

[R2elk]

1) Is it possible to integrate him into my existing flock?

If at all possible try to rehome it to someone that has guineas.

2) Will he try to mate with my hens?

Possibly.

3) My girls are fed pelleted feed, how do you go about feeding a solitary guinea, as I’ve read they should be fed crumbles?

I feed my guineas pelleted feed.

4) If he sticks around, would he need his own coop or would he roost with the hens in their coop? We live in North Central Ohio, so it does get cold here in the winter.

If at all possible, try to rehome it to someone who already has guineas.

It is most likely that it just lost its mate to a predator and got lost while trying to escape.

 

[jeepgrrl]

If at all possible try to rehome it to someone that has guineas.

Possibly.

I feed my guineas pelleted feed.

If at all possible, try to rehome it to someone who already has guineas.

It is most likely that it just lost its mate to a predator and got lost while trying to escape.

Thank you for the replies. I have already posted on NextDoor, so hopefully someone will look there. I’ll post a sign in our front yard too.

 

[R2elk]

Thank you for the replies. I have already posted on NextDoor, so hopefully someone will look there. I’ll post a sign in our front yard too.

You can also post it on your local craigslist.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I'd be wary of craigslist. Someone might just try to get a free guinea

 

[R2elk]

I'd be wary of craigslist. Someone might just try to get a free guinea

That is the idea.

 

[Flockincrazy]

Hi y’all, I’m in need of some quick advice. Sometime this afternoon a Helmeted Guinea Fowl made its way onto our property; I have a feeling he was dumped here. Anyway, the poor thing is spazzing out. We think it’s a male based on his vocals and he looks to be an adult. I’m not sure if he can fly or not. My three oldest hens seem indifferent to it, kind of ignoring him, although he was free ranging with them. He hasn’t showed any aggression. Two of my younger hens (1 and 2 yo) are afraid of him, they were across the property and hiding in the brush, luckily my hubby found them. I collected the girls (8 total, two are broody right now, no roosters) put them in the hen yard and closed the gate so they would be near their coop. The poor Guinea keeps running up and down the fence and loudly calling to them. I wouldn’t mind keeping him as long as my flock accepts him, as I understand they are good for bug control and as an alarm system. He isn’t very smart and was trying to run through the fence rather than fly over it. He has access to waterers but I think he’s too dumb to figure that out. He won’t let me come near him and runs away from me at an impressive speed. I have some questions for those of you who are experienced with this bird.

1) Is it possible to integrate him into my existing flock?
2) Will he try to mate with my hens?
3) My girls are fed pelleted feed, how do you go about feeding a solitary guinea, as I’ve read they should be fed crumbles?
4) If he sticks around, would he need his own coop or would he roost with the hens in their coop? We live in North Central Ohio, so it does get cold here in the winter.

Thank you for any input and advice you can offer!

1 yes
2 yes
3 they can not eat pellets they will choke so if you keep him you would have to switch to crumbles
4 he will roost with the hens and guineas are very protective of their flock against predators
We live in Northern Ohio and never had an issue with guineas survival in winter they are just as hearty as chickens are in low temperatures

 

[R2elk]

3 they can not eat pellets they will choke so if you keep him you would have to switch to crumbles

This is an adult guinea. They can and will eat pellets. I feed my adult guineas All Flock in pellet form.

Please stop spreading false information.

 

[jeepgrrl]

So I was just outside checking on him. He can fly, he flew over the fence into the hen yard. We have several large trees nearby, plus a giant willow tree that has suckered and looks like a willow tree shrub. He chose to roost on the gate to the hen yard instead of one of the trees. There is even a large brush pile with a large tree limb sticking out in the fire pit front of him, but nope, he’s on the gate to the hen yard under the pole light, an open target for the owls. The word is out throughout the neighborhood via other neighbors, so hopefully someone will take him if he manages to make it through the night. I feel bad he‘s not in the coop, but the girls would be freaked and I can’t catch him to put him in there myself anyway. I’ll try craigslist as a last resort. Thanks again to those who replied! I just want to do what is right for this sad fellow.

 

[Flockincrazy]

This is an adult guinea. They can and will eat pellets. I feed my adult guineas All Flock in pellet form.

Please stop spreading false information.

No need to be nasty last time i gave my guineas pellets they choked its just my opinion