Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[cabinchicky]

yep any where your poultry will come to rest or roost within a foot and a half from the fence should be fortified with hardware cloth.  As long as your wire is welded wire or beefier for the main construction the raccoons cant get in....  But if you are using chicken wire scrap it.  Or cover it with welded wire ASAP

Chicken wire is only good for keeping chickens in....  Heck I lost all my keets through Chainlink.  

An alternative to hardware cloth is ply wood.  May be cheaper too.   Just drill a few holes along the edges and you can wire it straight to the welded wire of the run...  Over head that is.

deb 

I listened well to the talk on chicken wire from here. No chicken wire at all. Welded wire fence with 1"x2" spaces here and hardware cloth. I put my foot down on the fence and my husband gave in. I worked extra to make up for it so my kids were safe. I don't know if the guinea will ever get out in the yard the way they are now. Stubborn lil butts. Have a roll full of fence left and half a large roll of hardware cloth.Rather use that instead of trying to put plywood 10 ft back from the edge.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: Awesome.... I always try to offer up alternatives, I dont always know peoples situations.... IN my case I can take a sheet of plywood and drag it across the top with ropes till I get it in position then wire it to the chainlink on the roof from the inside of the run. In my case coop. My coops are all chainlink dog kennel panels hardware cloth for me would be prohibitive to put up. not the cost but logistics.

Hmmm... I think I just solved my own roof issues with my coop rebuild...

deb

 

[pattyhen]

Thanks for the information on the guineas. I will check out the nostrels and listen for the voices. I got them at the feed store and I only have 2 guineas. I have 12 chickens and 15 ducks and I hope they go in the coop with the chickens at night. I have them in a cage in the house if they don't outgrow the cage first I plan on keeping them until 6 weeks old then they will be going to the coop to be locked in for two weeks. Right now they are going out during the day in a pen outside that they share with the turtle.

I had no idea the thing on top of their head is hard like a beak. It just adds to their cuteness. I live in the city so I hope they stay in our yard because the neighbors are not going to like them getting lose.

Thanks again for all the info I've read as much as I can about them.

 

[MeepBeep]

I live in the city so I hope they stay in our yard because the neighbors are not going to like them getting lose.

I hope your neighbors don't mind the noise, they can easily be far worse then any rooster and even most barking dogs...

As for staying in your yard, unless you clip their wings and/or net the entire yard, unlikely... They can fly quite well and love to explore and wander...

 

[cabinchicky]

Perchie.girl you are right. We each have our own set ups and ways we must do things. I use a rope to pull my tarps up myself and that job gives me enough of a back ache. A partial sheet of plywood would probably take me out for a day or two. Now large rocks I use the tractor bucket , spud bar and 2x4s. It's no wonder I hurt.

 

[pattyhen]

I think they are pearl guineas this a pic of them taken a couple of weeks ago.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Yup and Yup...

 

[pattyhen]

I think I'm going to be clipping wings. Should I just clip one side or both? As far as the noise goes maybe I'll get lucky and have two boys. They are quieter?

 

[perchie.girl]

Perchie.girl you are right. We each have our own set ups and ways we must do things. I use a rope to pull my tarps up myself and that job gives me enough of a back ache. A partial sheet of plywood would probably take me out for a day or two. Now large rocks I use the tractor bucket , spud bar and 2x4s. It's no wonder I hurt.

I am somewhat disabled.... I have to overthink all jobs because I cant stand for very long. I drag a chair with me or Use my Rolling walker. I am headed for a wheel chair eventually. The last tarp I put up was 20 by 40. No small feat. And the ONLY roof material I have had for thirteen years now. the trick is to lay it out in the orientation you need on the ground then fan fold it so it will open out easier. Then fold it one third over one third back. Now you can oompfh it up on the roof with some boards leaned up to help support it as it goes. Now you unfold the thirds and fasten the ropes and a lenght of pvc between them to keep the tarp from wadding up.

Then its a matter of throwing the ropes over the whole thing to the otherside and getting over there to pull.... Assuming nothing snaggs and the wind doesnt catch it. the whole process took me about an hour to set up and an hour to pull and an hour to fasten down. Divide each hour to ten minute segments for me to rest.

Climbing a ladder is a nogo... Dont have a tractor... I wish. Have a big horse but shes a froot loop.... Takes more time to get her hitched up to do a job than it takes to do the job without help.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

I think I'm going to be clipping wings. Should I just clip one side or both? As far as the noise goes maybe I'll get lucky and have two boys. They are quieter?

clip two and they can still fly enough to get on the perches. Also scramble up cage wire.... Flapping the whole way.

Guinea Fowl are consumate fliers. When I would go out and holler TREAT TREAT TREAT.... I could hear them up in the rocks behind the house and here they would come landing on the roof then they would swoop down into the yard for dinner. Squaking and chattering the whole time. One nice thing about that is when you go outside you can hear where they are usually.

deb