Help with Guineas

[4H kids and mom]

I am also newer to raising keets and I will tell you one thing, they do better with LESS handling. We started with 10, all perfectly healthy. Three of them were very nice and would come to us when we'd put our hands in the brooder. Those 3 died in the first week. All remaining 7 are not held, and are doing great! Guineas are one thing that are better left a little more "wild" anyway if you want them to fear predators and sound their alarms. We are raising our 7 (now 4.5 weeks old) with our 2 blue slate turkeys (3 weeks old) and they are all doing wonderfully. We feed the higher protien gamebird/meat producer feed because guineas are made to grow quickly and feeding normal chick starter can slow their growth.

 

[okiechick57]

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thanks for sharing.............interesting about the ones that didn't make it.um.......... also heard these can NOT get wet in the first few months of life? I had not read that in all the researching I had done? anyone? this coming from the man....selling mine to me...thanks all

 

[Hotwings]

I hope people here didn't get the wrong idea about my advise about Guineas. I will say I don't have any personal experience but it is just alot of people get animals on a whim only to find out they are not what they were led to believe. I see this happen all the time. Especially with dogs and cats. People just gotta have a Jack Russel cause they are so cute and all the media only to find out this dogs are a handful, only to stick them in the backyard where they becaome little tyrants. People don't understand that the Jacks are a hunting breed and will be dog aggressive, hyper and very vocal. These dogs need to researched. Same with cats, people love persians only to find out they can't deal with the coat. Not to get off base, Ididn't want to mean my advise on Guineas to come off as snotty or anything. It is I want everyone to be happy with their choices and the animals to be cared for.

 

[ozark hen]

Okiechick, go for it! I love my guineas and no one is near for them to bother with their noise. After awhile, like anything else, you learn to tune them out unless it is an alarm call. If you have a good brooding hen, like I do, then put the eggs under her and when they hatch let the hen raise them or do as I did and bring them in and raise them as you do your chicks. They aren't as tame as chicks but that is ok with me. I want them for tick and insect, weed control so that is their job. I have one that will follow me around the yard if he out of the chicken run but I can't touch him. He lost his mate and mostly stays with a little black hen.

 

[ann]

Question How long do you keep adult guineas up when you first get them.I just got four adults.I don`t want them to be turn loose and run away.I have heard a couple of weeks to about a month.

 

[ozark hen]

I kept my four up for a week and when I turned them loose, only two returned the next day. I left the other two up for another week and the male is still around. The female was laying eggs and wouldn't stay on the nest so I took them to a brooding hen for her to hatch and then I brought the keets into the house to raise like I did the chicks so I could be sure of having some more guineas. in the meantime, the female adult guinea went off and came back the next day to her mate but left right away again. I haven't seen her since? So either something got her or she is sitting a new batch of eggs. Bottom line, keep adult guineas up for at least two weeks to be sure they know where home is.

 

[okiechick57]

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I sure didn't take your words wrong..........good sound advice, I feel the same way..... I have spent alot of time considering Guineas, kept chickens first..... so I would be sure I could and should do it...........so thank you.always good to get well rounded pieces of advice.don't hold back........

 

[okiechick57]

Here they are.....cute uh.......... I know have 4 hens, 1 roo, and 4 chicks...and the new Guineas.

 

[ozark hen]

how sweet! Are they the 7week old ones? thanks for posting pics as we love looking at everyone's chicks/ducks/guineas or whatever. I love all the advice on this forum as you really do learn a lot and also learn there is more than one way to do something.

 

[okiechick57]

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Hey, yes these are the new gals on the block, 7weeks old tomorrow.........kinda shy today, but so far so good. my children make fun of me , taking pics..........I couldn't wait to get on here and post them