Introducing chicken chicks to a guinea fowl flock

[TooManySteves]

This is my first post, so thanks for having me here and please be gentle!

I have a flock of about 20 guinea fowl, and for the first time purchased 5 chicken chicks (3 Barred Rock, 1 Easter Egger, and Whitings True Green or Blue - not sure yet - all of these chicks may or more likely may not be pure bred).

I intend to keep them all in the same coop, which is an 8x12 insulated shed with plenty of roosts and a wall I’m dedicating to the chickens’ nesting boxes; it’s got a door out to a ramp down to a 10x20’ pen made of kennel panels covered with hardware cloth going down 12” below ground and a roof made of chainlink fence.

The chicks are about 4 weeks old. I am wondering about several things that maybe can be addressed in one post:

1) General commentary and advice on establishing/integrating the chickens into the currently guinea fowl only coop.

2) Specifically when to do this. Right now the chicks are in a cage in my house with a heat lamp and my kids handling them regularly. The coop does have a smaller area with a screen door that I use to isolate new birds from the rest of the flock at first. I also start all baby GF in there for a few days or weeks before opening the door and letting them out into the main coop.

Thanks in advance!

 

[R2elk]

This is my first post, so thanks for having me here and please be gentle!

I have a flock of about 20 guinea fowl, and for the first time purchased 5 chicken chicks (3 Barred Rock, 1 Easter Egger, and Whitings True Green or Blue - not sure yet - all of these chicks may or more likely may not be pure bred).

I intend to keep them all in the same coop, which is an 8x12 insulated shed with plenty of roosts and a wall I’m dedicating to the chickens’ nesting boxes; it’s got a door out to a ramp down to a 10x20’ pen made of kennel panels covered with hardware cloth going down 12” below ground and a roof made of chainlink fence.

The chicks are about 4 weeks old. I am wondering about several things that maybe can be addressed in one post:

1) General commentary and advice on establishing/integrating the chickens into the currently guinea fowl only coop.

2) Specifically when to do this. Right now the chicks are in a cage in my house with a heat lamp and my kids handling them regularly. The coop does have a smaller area with a screen door that I use to isolate new birds from the rest of the flock at first. I also start all baby GF in there for a few days or weeks before opening the door and letting them out into the main coop.

Thanks in advance!

I would not add chickens to a flock of guineas. Guineas have entirely different mannerisms than chickens and can cause extreme stress to chickens that cannot understand why the guineas do what they do.

It is best to brood and house your chickens and guineas separately from each other.

 

[TooManySteves]

I would not add chickens to a flock of guineas. Guineas have entirely different mannerisms than chickens and can cause extreme stress to chickens that cannot understand why the guineas do what they do.

It is best to brood and house your chickens and guineas separately from each other.

Hi, thanks for this reply. I do understand they are different. I have had guinea fowl for 9 years, and am familiar with chickens enough to know how very different they are, biologically, behaviorally, etc. That said I know a number of people who have large GF flocks with a smaller flock of chickens co-existing in the same barn, pen, and field, with complete success. The chickens are happy, the Guineas are indifferent, so it’s win-win. I also know many people will have even more mixes of birds - guineas, turkeys, chickens, etc.

So, I’m hoping people still have suggestions how to do this, even it’s not as optimal an approach as dedicated coops and pens for each species.

 

[R2elk]

Hi, thanks for this reply. I do understand they are different. I have had guinea fowl for 9 years, and am familiar with chickens enough to know how very different they are, biologically, behaviorally, etc. That said I know a number of people who have large GF flocks with a smaller flock of chickens co-existing in the same barn, pen, and field, with complete success. The chickens are happy, the Guineas are indifferent, so it’s win-win. I also know many people will have even more mixes of birds - guineas, turkeys, chickens, etc.

So, I’m hoping people still have suggestions how to do this, even it’s not as optimal an approach as dedicated coops and pens for each species.

The only way it might work is if there is a lot of room since guineas need a lot more personal space than chickens.

I know people who keep guineas and chickens in the same conditions. I kow what they post online about them getting along together. I also know what they tell me privately when the right questions are asked. I will not house guineas and chickens together nor will I house guineas with any other poultry. I have had guineas with turkeys and with chickens. I now house my guineas separately. It makes it easier on the rest of the poultry.