Questions about guineas.

[Vermont Poultry]

I have 6, 11 week old guineas which I have housed with chickens, I'm going to have to move the chickens out of the coop into a new one because the guineas are being aggressive towards the chickens. I am also in the process of moving so my question is how will the guineas handle being in a new environment? I think our chickens will do just fine but guineas seem like quite the wild card. Another quick question, based on the fact they are 11 weeks old, when should I expect eggs?

 

[redsoxs]

Hey again, Vermont Poultry...no, I'm not stalking you! . I am attaching a link to the Guinea Fowl "sticky" topics index. It will answer a couple of the questions in your post https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/312682/raising-guinea-fowl-101
Unsure on how they will adjust to the move. My experience would suggest they would do as well or better than chickens. Mine range into new areas all the time so maybe a new locale won't be a big deal. Gathering them up into a cage might be a bid deal for you, though. . Mine are tame but HATE to be handled. They bust out the claws, beaks, and wings when I grab one!

 

[pearlGuinea]

I have read and experienced that guineas are harder to move into a new environment than chickens. Guineas start laying anywhere from 16 to 20 weeks of age, from what I've read.

 

[Vermont Poultry]

Thanks for the info redsoxs and pearlGuinea. I guess we will have too see what the future holds.

 

[mommaguinea]

If you are moving, be certain to coop up the crazy guineas for about three weeks.

ALso, I have found aggressive guineas "benefit" by a change of venue! WHen I am ready to introduce new ones into my free range flock, I "reverse release". Basically_ I herd some of my free range birds into the pen where the young, or new birds have been comfortable. This makes the free range boys quite unsure and less likely to be aggressive. They stay in there and are released with the new ones. If I am herding up the new releases in the evening, I will include new or repeat free rangers. When it is all said and done, they new releases are accepted without as much harassment.

I don't run chickens and guineas together and not sure if you are free ranging, but I do put peepers on my agressive males if they are kept in a pen. WOrks like a charm.

 

[Vermont Poultry]

I noticed our 2 males were being defensive, then the females decided to attack the chickens. The males will chase the chickens off but the females will just pull at their tail feathers. Putting peepers on them sounds like a good idea. I don't believe our guineas are sexually active because they are still technically keets, so I was confused as to why the males were aggressive. We have them currently paddocked in an electric fence, we cannot free range them due to the insane amount of predators, but we will be free ranging in our next house. I found raising the chickens and guineas together made it way easier getting them back into the coop at night. They were well behaved until 2 weeks ago, now our Plymouth rocks are terrified of the guineas. I wonder If the guineas will calm down as it gets further into fall and winter. My previous house was in Talbot County less than an hour drive from Chestertown, I only knew of 1 person in Maryland that owned guineas haha, and only 2 who owned chickens, BYC doesn't seem too big in Maryland.

 

[R2elk]

I noticed our 2 males were being defensive, then the females decided to attack the chickens. The males will chase the chickens off but the females will just pull at their tail feathers. Putting peepers on them sounds like a good idea. I don't believe our guineas are sexually active because they are still technically keets, so I was confused as to why the males were aggressive. We have them currently paddocked in an electric fence, we cannot free range them due to the insane amount of predators, but we will be free ranging in our next house. I found raising the chickens and guineas together made it way easier getting them back into the coop at night. They were well behaved until 2 weeks ago, now our Plymouth rocks are terrified of the guineas. I wonder If the guineas will calm down as it gets further into fall and winter. My previous house was in Talbot County less than an hour drive from Chestertown, I only knew of 1 person in Maryland that owned guineas haha, and only 2 who owned chickens, BYC doesn't seem too big in Maryland.

If you think they are bad now, wait until breeding season.

Here is the link to one of the Maryland threads.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/63745/maryland-thread

 

[sarahandjay]

Like others have said lock the guineas up after the move for about 3 weeks so they get accustomed to their new home.. If you don't do that there is a good chance they will wonder off trying to find home. I think they start to lay around 16-18 weeks but don't expect any this year as they normally will start to lay in the spring after they have hatched. They are seasonal and unless you keep them confined good luck finding their nest lol. They are sneaky.

 

[pearlGuinea]

If you want to free range them you can just keep them locked up until noon each day during laying season, because they lay most of their eggs before noon.