Newbie to quineas

[ther00ster'scr0w]

I was thinking to add a guinea hen or two to my flock of 11 chickens (including one roo). Should I get one guinea hen or would I need another so it will have someone of its own kind?

And how can you tell the difference between male keets and female keets? or is there not real obvious difference until they're older?

Thanks

 

[Waldo]

I haven't tried this myself but will with this seasons hatch. I understand it takes some practice, but I have heard if you pick them up and feel the bones just before the vent, with experience and patience you can tell by the width between them. The widest being female, with the male hardy any room between, even in very young keets.

 

[nissa_loves_cats]

The female guinea has a two-syllable cry that the male can not make. The male cry is one syllable (but females can make it, too.) According to Stromberg's guinea book they start making the cries at about 2 months old.

I bought two guineas last year from a couple that could sex them by the wattles. They gave me one that they said was female and one that was male. I put a red leg band on the female and blue on the male. The male got lost in a snowstorm but the red-banded female really grew up to be a female.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I'm wanting to get some too. I hope a hatchery close by will have some keets that I can put under a broody that is due to hatch her eggs approx. Wed. My plan (like everything goes as planned

) Is to have mama chicken hen raise them till she leaves them--then put them in thier own rabbit hutch till older--then let them out to free range and move them to a cedar tree. I have read that guineas are rough with chickens and I'm not sure I want them cooped together. I'm sure it will be a "learn as I go" process.