Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[guineapeeps]

Guineas are pretty hardy so they should do pretty well over the winter, depending on where you live. I live in SE Iowa. It's fairly cold here and mine do pretty well. They free range during the day and are in a coop at night. I have heated water for winter but rarely provide any other heat souce (unless it's bitterly cold). As for predators, you may lose a few, but hopefully no more than that! I think you will find they help a lot with ticks and other bugs. Mine go through my garden and pick bugs and pests off my plants but don't eat any of my veggies (they love grasshoppers, crickets, and ticks). I really enjoy my Guineas....they aren't the brightest crayons in the box as far as birds go, but they're goofy and a lot of fun!

 

[Serenade1]

I've wanted Guineas for years and just finally have the space to have them (along with the bugs and ticks!) So I'm just really excited to finally be able to add them to our farm.

 

[GhislaineDel]

I've just set up my incubator tonight in preparation for 24 guinea eggs. It's a Brinsea Octagon 20 Advance and has settings for 99.4F or 99.6F. The recommendations I have seen for guineas give a temp of 99.5F so I am trying to decide what to set mine too. I'd prefer if they didn't hatch early so I am leaning towards 99.4F. Any opinions?

I have had guineas before but I got them as keets so this is my first time hatching them.

 

[MeepBeep]

I've just set up my incubator tonight in preparation for 24 guinea eggs. It's a Brinsea Octagon 20 Advance and has settings for 99.4F or 99.6F. The recommendations I have seen for guineas give a temp of 99.5F so I am trying to decide what to set mine too. I'd prefer if they didn't hatch early so I am leaning towards 99.4F. Any opinions?

I have had guineas before but I got them as keets so this is my first time hatching them.

My incubator runs an internal egg temp of pretty much dead on 99.5°... Chicken eggs always hatching on day 21, but my guinea fowl eggs always hatch on day 25/26...

This year I just tossed a few dozen guinea eggs under the determined broody birds in my coop to give them something to do I'm not real concerned if they hatch or not...

 

[Rock Sister]

I always keep my guineas up at least 8 weeks. We have one of the new round metal dog cages and they stay in that until 10 weeks. It took me 4 guineas commiting suicide by logging truck before I realized lol. Also, I raise mine like the Brits do. Place in small area to sort of break their wildness .... Never cut or pinion because although they can still fly like that at around 12 ft high, thats how I just lost my two Lavendars. They got wings cut and I was going to put up for nesting time. I cut wings, and they looked at me like "goodbye lady, got to sit on nest and hopped fence and dissapeared. No sound, no buzzards, nothing but an air rifle sound and a screech. Up till then, no problems. I bought keets for first time. Hoping the hamd rearing will help.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

My keets always hatch at day 25, 99.5 in my sportsman cabinet.

 

[Rock Sister]

I did try eggs not to long ago. They didn't make it. A man I got Lavendars later told me that guinea eggs need to be treated like water fowl because shells are so hard. Anyone else here this?

 

[MeepBeep]

I did try eggs not to long ago. They didn't make it. A man I got Lavendars later told me that guinea eggs need to be treated like water fowl because shells are so hard. Anyone else here this?

The shells are incredibly hard, but I have never had any issues with them getting out and I don't do anything special...

 

[Rock Sister]

Ticks and bugs, protecting my now eaten potato green tops and the BEST of all snakes! One of mine killed a 5 ft racer by ripping it in half then they both took an end and played with it until muscles quit moving. I have actually seen my RIR rooster eat 2-3 ft ones like they were spaghetti lol. He is 2 ft tall and 23 lbs... Thats like a worm to him lol

 

[Rock Sister]

I don't know what happened. I also incubated with duck eggs which someone told me later not to put small and large eggs in because temp too uneven. I'm putting in 6 Wyandotte eggs tomorrow. I haven't felt this nervous since my water broke on my 27 yr old. Eggcited and worried and ugggh good grief Charlie Brown!