Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Exactly!

Quote:

They sure are hard to catch!

I recently found out that my DH used to raise Guineas as a boy. He has no problem if i want to raise a few myself.
From the sound of it he left them to roost in the trees and be mostly wild. I have a barn i use to house my chickens and could easily house them in there as well.
I have been told that you can allow Guineas to range in your garden and they will leave your plants alone. Is this true? If so I may have to get a couple of these birds immediately.

Mine just pick the bugs off. But I allow them full free range so they prefer insects. My worst culprits were the ducks eating the corn ears.

Quote: So they will eat plants. I may still eventually get a few (I appreciate your advice on getting a flock) but they go back into the someday pile, my hands are full enough.
I will just continue to encourage the girls to throw all the frogs they catch into the garden

Mine just picked at bugs. I only offer them pumpkin broke open in the fall. I had cucumber, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, corn, onion etc a lot! Had more issues with my ducks than the guinea.

 

[cabinchicky]

I was trying to catch b. australorp cockerel who the Guinea thought was part of their flock.Wing hit to the eye twice.It's not blackened thankfully! Lesson learned, wear head protection next round. No video then hopefully!

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I agree with R2elk you need lots of guineas,  10-20.

They are not that rough on our garden. They prefer the bugs to the veggies. Plant cabbage and cabbage moths will keep them full, as will potato bugs,

 

I have a question. I just bought two adult Guineas one make and one female, I want to know on how to unstress them. They are free range but they are fences in about half a hector of land. I also have about 150 chickens with the Guineas. I just need help on how to relax them so they are not always going crazy and being relaxed. Please help.

'When you figure this out let me know too. Guineas live to be stressed. They are the drama queen gangsters of the bird world...not to mention secret society assassins..

Exactly!

 

Did not heed warning of Guinea wings as I should have. Oww, safety glasses and a hockey mask next time. Was trying to catch Black Australorp cockerel that was bought same day as keets. Just say the Guinea thought he was one of their family.

Did you happen to get this on video?

Guinea wrassling is my second favorite spectator sport behind Broody turkey hen wrassling..

They sure are hard to catch!

I recently found out that my DH used to raise Guineas as a boy. He has no problem if i want to raise a few myself.

From the sound of it he left them to roost in the trees and be mostly wild. I have a barn i use to house my chickens and could easily house them in there as well.

I have been told that you can allow Guineas to range in your garden and they will leave your plants alone. Is this true? If so I may have to get a couple of these birds immediately.

Mine just pick the bugs off. But I allow them full free range so they prefer insects. My worst culprits were the ducks eating the corn ears.

 

 

I recently found out that my DH used to raise Guineas as a boy. He has no problem if i want to raise a few myself.


From the sound of it he left them to roost in the trees and be mostly wild. I have a barn i use to house my chickens and could easily house them in there as well.


I have been told that you can allow Guineas to range in your garden and they will leave your plants alone. Is this true? If so I may have to get a couple of these birds immediately.

If you want guineas to leave your garden plants alone, NEVER feed them treats from the garden.  If you feed them treats from your garden they will go after those plants when given the opportunity.  They can be much easier on your garden because they do not dig as severely as chickens.


Guineas are a flock bird and do much better in large groups.  I never recommend that a person get a couple of guineas.

So they will eat plants. I may still eventually get a few (I appreciate your advice on getting a flock) but they go back into the someday pile, my hands are full enough.

I will just continue to encourage the girls to throw all the frogs they catch into the garden

Mine just picked at bugs. I only offer them pumpkin broke open in the fall. I had cucumber, squash, tomatoes, potatoes, corn, onion etc a lot! Had more issues with my ducks than the guinea.

So you would let them range unsupervised in your garden? They will be free range, all my birds are free range. I have alot of birds over the summer months but I also allow them 20 acres to potentially graze (10 of it is an open field so nothing's spends much time there, trying to set it up for the meat birds)
Originally I thought I would allow a couple chickens in under supervised visits daily to keep the insect population from getting out of control, once the plants become mature. Then I thought perhaps my 2 ducks would be kinder to my plants. Someone said Guineas were kinder then ducks. Guineas are currently on the someday list but if they are kinder to plants then ducks and chickens, they may get bumped up.

 

[harley587]

These are my guineas doing what they love to do. I call this rooftop races because they race back and forth across our rooftop. They're really good at cleaning out our gutters too!! And they do stick together, when one is not with them they will "buck wheat" endlessly.

 

[pattyhen]

Oh my goodness they are cute. Not only do they patrol the yard they patrol your roof. Roof top races is to funny.

 

[harley587]

Oh my goodness they are cute. Not only do they patrol the yard they patrol your roof. Roof top races is to funny.

Thankies, they are very cool! OMG! to be in my house when they're racing is hilarious! They are excellent at patrolling our property and will let us know if there is anything amiss. And they really are great fun to watch.

 

[harley587]

Hubbie describes our guineas as the mafia of the bird world!

 

[duluthralphie]

So you would let them range unsupervised in your garden? They will be free range, all my birds are free range. I have alot of birds over the summer months but I also allow them 20 acres to potentially graze (10 of it is an open field so nothing's spends much time there, trying to set it up for the meat birds)
Originally I thought I would allow a couple chickens in under supervised visits daily to keep the insect population from getting out of control, once the plants become mature. Then I thought perhaps my 2 ducks would be kinder to my plants. Someone said Guineas were kinder then ducks. Guineas are currently on the someday list but if they are kinder to plants then ducks and chickens, they may get bumped up.

Yep, sort of, I would not really say I let them range unsupervised, they just do it. Have you ever tried to supervise a Guinea? They have authority issues with supervision...


I have 5 acres of choice grasshopper pickings, they go everywhere but there, because they know I want them in it...


As Harley said, they are the Mafia of the bird world!

These are my guineas doing what they love to do. I call this rooftop races because they race back and forth across our rooftop. They're really good at cleaning out our gutters too!! And they do stick together, when one is not with them they will "buck wheat" endlessly.

I can see your roof top games and raise you one video..Be sure to turn the volume way up for full effect..

 

[harley587]

Yep, sort of, I would not really say I let them range unsupervised, they just do it. Have you ever tried to supervise a Guinea? They have authority issues with supervision...

I have 5 acres of choice grasshopper pickings, they go everywhere but there, because they know I want them in it...

As Harley said, they are the Mafia of the bird world!

I can see your roof top games and raise you one video..Be sure to turn the volume way up for full effect..

Are my guineas hanging at your house?!! They sound like it! Do you hear yours racing back and forth? The best part is, if I don't hear them cackling in the evening (like they do and it is different from their alarm), I can't fall asleep. It's like they're my soft bubbling creek background noise!

 

[duluthralphie]

They are. When I first got them they scared me with their night noises. I was use to turkeys and Chickens that do not say a peep at night. Guineas never shut up. Ever. It becomes reassuring after a while. I am convinced they would take on a bear if one came into the coop. They have no fear of anything.