Looking for recommendations...

[geckolas]

On my hunt for new chickens, I ran across two guineas today- one of them is very blurry. I've been doing a little research and I am thinking about getting them. So I guess I just have a few questions.

How loud are they? Like rooster loud or peacock loud.

Are they going to chase my kids around the yard? I am just thinking of my pet goose that chased me around the yard growing up.

Would/ should I coop them with my chickens? I have two girls (the boy is about to go).

I am considering peacocks (I am just trying to decide if their noise is going to out-weight their beauty). Are they all going to get along or should I just stick to chickens?

What breed/ age do you think these are? I was thinking lavender and I haven't a clue on the age.

Feel free to tell me that I shouldn't get them because of my lack of education on guinea fowl. I really have only been thinking about them for the last three hours and have a tendency to dive right into any idea that gets into my head.

 

[OHSpartan]

"How loud are they?" This seems to depend....mine are quiet. If one gets separated, it calls in a high-pitch chirp to locate the others. Mine don't go crazy everytime a robin lands the yard. Others do.

"Are they going to chase my kids around the yard? " Guinea that are imprinted and handled early (especially if treat trained with millet or similar) will want to hang around you. I don't know of them getting aggressive with kids and chasing them. Not in my experience, perhaps others experience differs.


"What breed/ age do you think these are?" I am not an expert on naming color from keet. It looks to be about a month old.


"Feel free to tell me that I shouldn't get them because of my lack of education on guinea fowl. I really have only been thinking about them for the last three hours and have a tendency to dive right into any idea that gets into my head.".....I WILL NOT TELL YOU THAT!!! In fact, I would tell you to do your research then jump in with both feet. I love my guinea! Bug eaters, good eggs, comic relief.

 

[inthesticks]

From the angle of the pic it looks like my coral did when it was a few weeks old. Yes I do agree, do some research & take a dive! The ones I have-> live with my ducks, chickens, and a few of my rabbits - they do pretty well together - no fighting. So far so good with not being loud crazies

 

[geckolas]

I had to get them. The shop told me they were a week old but they look like 2-3 to me. I'm so excited!

Here is Pig and New:

 

[PeepsCA]

They are Lavenders, and going by their feather growth they are about 2 weeks old (depending on if they were being fed high protein game bird/turkey starter or not tho).

They may get along fine with your chickens once they are integrated when they are old enough, but by next Spring when breeding/laying season comes around there may be some aggression from them. Usually the males are the issue, or start the issue. If you have a pair or 2 Hens, then you may not have any issues at all... but every bird and coop/run set up is different so it's difficult to say if they'll do ok with your chickens or not.

Usually Guineas prefer to keep a safe distance between you and them at all times, so they shouldn't chase your kids, but during breeding season the males get raging hormones (and can act pretty cocky at times) and the Hens if laying will be very defensive of their nest area and eggs. If a Hen hatches out keets, she'll turn into pure evil tho and can attack anything that gets within a few feet of her and her babies.

Guineas are loud... they scream the alarm call when startled or they see anything new, a predator, trespasser, UPS or mailman, etc... and the Hens sometimes buck-wheat non-stop. You get used to it tho, and 2 birds shouldn't make that much noise... they do tend to quiet down their 2nd year, after they've been "seasoned" to the normal sights and sounds of your land.

I don't tell people not to get Guineas, if you know how to deal with them they can more than earn their keep with the benefits of their pest controlling and effective alarm system, but having a plan B (like a separate coop/pen for them) if they do get aggressive towards your chickens or become difficult to deal with is always a good idea.

 

[geckolas]

They were just fed chick starter.

Thats what happened to our goose. After one died, my mom put a new gosling into her nest and from then on, she would chase me around the yard. I still loved her though...she just didn't care for me

My husband built our coop so I don't think I'll have a problem asking him to build me another. Though he wants nothing to do with the birds except to eat their eggs. I don't even eat eggs. I just love them for their beauty.

 

[wolfpak]

Hi geckolas, Your cute little "Pig & New" guineas look just like my 2.5 wk olds! I've been feeding 28% protein Game Bird feed (Prince) from the local Pet Food store we frequent. Chick starter we use is 23%, so if the lower protein slows down development, possibly yours are a bit older, but not by much. You got them at a good age - plenty young. From my limited experience with guineas, but much with chickens & other species, handling them young is key to taming a bit. Temperment is a huge factor, too. That's pretty much an inherited trait, from what we've seen.

You need to get them off of that shaving type bedding, ASAP, from what I've read. Mine tried to eat a few pieces that were in the stock tank they're kept in, cleaned out every last speck, so as to not cause digestive issues with them eating the stuff. Better to use piddle pads, or shelf liner that PeepsCA recommends. But these things are stinky-poo makers! With just 2 it shouldn't be much to keep up with... my 15, wow.

Just a couple birds shouldn't be too difficult to manage, as you're already experienced with keeping chickens, etc. These guys are endlessly entertaining... don't have the time to do so, but could easily observe their antics for hours! Love sitting & watching the chickens out in the yard & woods too... their behaviors & interactions are fascinating.

My little bunch is my first experience with guineas also. Pretty exciting to watch them grow & learn to fly. Looking forward to learning more as they eventually grow & can make a dent in the nasty tick population around here. The chickens help, but guineas are supposed to have a voracious appetite for ticks, bugs, & weed seeds.... time will tell!

Congrats & enjoy!

 

[barbiegirl]

The guineas are loud. I have 4 of them. I found this clip on youtube so you can hear what they sound like.

This is what the hens sound like.

I have mine cooped in a seperate area from my chickens. Mine were too rough with my chickens and I didn't want them to get hurt. I got mine because every time I went down to see my chickens I had ticks on me. Since I had them, not one tick on me. Hope this helps you decide.