How many guinea fowl in a flock?

[Isyovi]

We have a flock of 11 chickens now and next summer we will be adding some turkeys! But i really like guinea fowl and we do have a lot of ticks where i live. My question was, what is the minimum number of guinea fowl you need to have? I have read so many oppinions online so i thought i should ask it here

 

[MysteryChicken]

We have a flock of 11 chickens now and next summer we will be adding some turkeys! But i really like guinea fowl and we do have a lot of ticks where i live. My question was, what is the minimum number of guinea fowl you need to have? I have read so many oppinions online so i thought i should ask it here

We have 5. 4 Guinea Pullets, & one Cock.

The cocks can be really aggressive. When ours gets mean, & starts beating on our roosters, & cockerels we call him the Nightmare of the coop. He's relentless.

They're also really loud. You get used to the loudness after awhile.

Mine don't free range, they're in our flock for security, & rodent control.

 

[R2elk]

We have a flock of 11 chickens now and next summer we will be adding some turkeys! But i really like guinea fowl and we do have a lot of ticks where i live. My question was, what is the minimum number of guinea fowl you need to have? I have read so many opinions online so i thought i should ask it here

Read the thread Raising Guinea Fowl 101 and pay particular attention to posts made by @PeepsCA .

I never recommend having fewer than 10 guineas. I do not recommend brooding or housing guineas with chickens. My guineas have their own coop.

 

[R2elk]

We have 5. 4 Guinea Pullets, & one Cock.

The cocks can be really aggressive. When ours gets mean, & starts beating on our roosters, & cockerels we call him the Nightmare of the coop. He's relentless.

They're also really loud. You get used to the loudness after awhile.

Mine don't free range, they're in our flock for security, & rodent control.

Unlike chickens, the ideal ratio of guinea hens to guinea cocks is 1:1. You do not have sufficient guineas or guinea cocks for your guineas to have proper guinea flock dynamics.

You should also read the thread Raising Guinea Fowl 101 and pay particular attention to posts made by @PeepsCA.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Unlike chickens, the ideal ratio of guineas hen to guinea cocks is 1:1. You do not have suffi9cient guineas or guinea cocks for your guineas to have proper guinea flock dynamics.

You should also read the thread Raising Guinea Fowl 101 and pay particular attention to posts made by @PeepsCA.

It was my dad's idea to get guineas. We had eight, 2 were killed by the turkeys. The two killed were a couple males.
I'll check out the link, but I've always seen people with flocks of multiples.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Unlike chickens, the ideal ratio of guineas hen to guinea cocks is 1:1. You do not have suffi9cient guineas or guinea cocks for your guineas to have proper guinea flock dynamics.

You should also read the thread Raising Guinea Fowl 101 and pay particular attention to posts made by @PeepsCA.

I don't see where it says the ratio.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I can hatch a few extra guineas next spring if ratio is the problem. The females started laying at 5 months, but stopped laying a few months back.

 

[R2elk]

I can hatch a few extra guineas next spring if ratio is the problem. The females started laying at 5 months, but stopped laying a few months back.

Guineas are seasonal layers. If no supplemental light is provided they will typically lay from spring through fall.

 

[R2elk]

I can hatch a few extra guineas next spring if ratio is the problem. The females started laying at 5 months, but stopped laying a few months back.

The total number and the ratio of males to females is only part of your problems.

Keets that are brooded with chicks get imprinted. The imprinting removes their ability to understand that chickens are not guineas. Everything can seem fine right up until the first breeding season. At that time the true guinea behavior kicks in. Chickens do not understand the running and chasing and attacks from behind that go hand in hand with the feather pulling and breaking that is part of their instinctive behavior.

Guineas also need more "personal space" than chickens need.

I brood and house my guineas separately. I can let them, the chickens and the turkeys free range in the same area at the same time and each group will keep to themselves. My guineas leave my chickens and turkeys alone.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

It was my dad's idea to get guineas. We had eight, 2 were killed by the turkeys. The two killed were a couple males.
I'll check out the link, but I've always seen people with flocks of multiples.

Wow - I’m sorry to hear about that! Picking on a turkey seems like a bad idea! Were the two guineas trying to gang up on a turkey and it went ballistic?