Newish to guineas

[CLSranch]

They have lots of traps. I live in the country down a dead end dirt road. So gun shots are normal from my house. I like cheap canned cat food as bait. Dry dog food does well to. I trap a lot if you'd like help and don't have neighbors who do or experience yourself.

 

[CLSranch]

I'm not familiar with the vulterines. I have/had several colors. Still don't know about them.

 

[R2elk]

I'm not familiar with the vulturines. I have/had several colors. Still don't know about them.

Check out this thread for info on Vulturine guinea fowl.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/901319/vulturine-guineas

 

[chickbird]

...Good lord. Are you totally sure you've got guineas? I can't even catch the things any time during the day, much less get them to sit on my shoulders or even come near me, no matter how good of treats I have.

Guineas do tend to have a somewhat high mortality rate due to their outdoor roosting - mine are 100% wild and still have this issue, so I doubt it's to do with their friendliness. A lot of it happens in the early morning, since they fly down at the crack of dawn when predators are still out.

If the birds are very important to you, then yes, pen them up. While they do use a lot more space than chickens, they don't need it, so there's nothing wrong with confining pet guineas. I personally keep mine for meat and their silly looks and watchdog tendencies, so I allow them to roost outside and just cycle hatchlings and new bloodlines through frequently. (I've had maybe 40 guineas through my flock over the last year and I have maybe only 3 that were here his time last year).

How do you prepare/cook them, I have 40 and would like to try one. Thanks

 

[chickbird]

They have lots of traps. I live in the country down a dead end dirt road. So gun shots are normal from my house. I like cheap canned cat food as bait. Dry dog food does well to. I trap a lot if you'd like help and don't have neighbors who do or experience yourself.

I have a guinea hen that has started sitting outside the coop, any suggestions on how to protect her , I don't think she would continue setting if I tried to move her, I live in town but we have foxes and possums and I don't want to lose her. Thanks

 

[CLSranch]

Live traps. Not AS good on foxes, great on possums. You could also put leg traps up near anything that will half cover your bait. Inside a block up against a wall, under a log. Then set the trap in front of/behind that. The point being so they have to stick their head in or under something and them stepping in the trap while their nose is busy in front of them. You have to unset these every morning. The live traps are not a problem if your quineas get them.

 

[CLSranch]

Wow those vulterines are a neat site. I wouldn't mind having a few. According to that thread they are outta my price range though.
Thanks for the thread info R2elk.

 

[guineagirl0124]

This is buggy boo, the only guinea I own with its own name. I'm not sure if its a hen or not, I was told she was so I have been calling it a girl. This is the one I found hanging from a tree tangled in plastic bailing twine. They told me she wouldn't gain use of her leg again and even tho she didn't seem in pain she would be picked off because she couldn't use her leg. (Slipped tendons and we couldn't tell how long circulation was cut off from her leg) for 3 weeks buggy went everywhere with me, EVERYWHERE! We went shopping, took baths together and she slept in a dresser drawer next to me on my bed.(even when my husband demanded it was him or her when she screamed to the other guineas who took to sleeping on my garage roof next to my window) today I decided it was time to let her go back to being a guinea and reintegrated her with her flock. She is roosting in the rafters, flying and running with the rest of my guineas like nothing ever happened

 

[CLSranch]

The only guinea I had left after the coons got this springs flock, lost it's leg at the knee. Runs around just fine. I had a flock last year of standard chickens, guineas and some bantams. The bantams and guineas roosted in the trees. I sprayed the guineas with a water hose until they went back into the coop. I had a bantam get her leg broke off in a coon foot trap. Everything but the bantams got ate one night while I was gone. 30 total (no bantams). My little 1 legged bantam got around better and out lived almost everything.

 

[guineagirl0124]

My nine left are staying in for the winter now. Visiting with them most of the day cleaning out and shop vacing the the out building they roost in, they were all puffed up and huddled above the light. I swapped it out with a heat bulb and shield and they instantly went to the roosting box under it and huddled together. I bought some meal worms and black berries and hid them in the hay for them to find. This is them wondering why I am coming in to bug them while they were napping