Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[R2elk]

Ok, totally taking ya'lls advice and not going to get any adults, just let the keets find their way. Wow about the ostracism! Ok tiny keets-- are you saying they can walk out of 1" poultry wire? We'll have 1/2 hardware cloth as armor on the coop in any case. Thanks for the info on square footage, rafters, and hatch rates.

Free ranging: When we lived in rural Northern California our next door neighbor had guinea fowl that had totally naturalized-- they lived in his tall trees, reproduced on their own. He gave them grain each day, but that was all. They increased their numbers. I guess I was hoping it would be possible to have that happen for us, but everyone keeps saying it's impossible. For sure we've got predators of all kinds here (Southwest Mississippi). Have not lived here long so just getting everything established.

Thanks again, everyone. Any advice anyone thinks of, please feel free!

Yes, newly hatched keets can walk right through 1" poultry wire like it isn't even there.

I don't know how the predators are where you live but where I live I would not have any live guineas if I allowed them to stay out at night. I have Great Horned Owls that live here year round. They completely cleaned out my first flock of guineas. I also have raccoons, skunks, coyotes and of course the neighbor's cats and dogs. I have lost more poultry to dogs whose owners couldn't be bothered to keep them at home than any other single predator.

Good luck.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have the same problem, If I let them stay outside overnight they are dead...


I had one particularly troubled lad, most likely a brother of the one doing life in prison, I chased him for about an hour or so trying to put him into the coop. He went from roof top to roof top, tree to tree. Then would run infront of me to tease me. Finally I gave up on him when he was sitting on the roof of the coop.

I said " fine you little bbbbbb,,,wait, I do not think I can say the name I called him on here...but it was what kings had a lot of in medieval times......... then I added, I hope the owl gets you!"......


In the morning I found his head and a wing about 4 ft apart, the owl had got him. I almost felt bad about the last thing I said to him, but instead I used it as a teaching moment for the rest of them. I showed them what happened to bad little guineas...

 

[Victoria-nola]

I have the same problem, If I let them stay outside overnight they are dead...


I had one particularly troubled lad, most likely a brother of the one doing life in prison, I chased him for about an hour or so trying to put him into the coop. He went from roof top to roof top, tree to tree. Then would run infront of me to tease me. Finally I gave up on him when he was sitting on the roof of the coop.

I said " fine you little bbbbbb,,,wait, I do not think I can say the name I called him on here...but it was what kings had a lot of in medieval times......... then I added, I hope the owl gets you!"......


In the morning I found his head and a wing about 4 ft apart, the owl had got him. I almost felt bad about the last thing I said to him, but instead I used it as a teaching moment for the rest of them. I showed them what happened to bad little guineas...

ACK. Yeah. I just saw your sig line. What's all this about water fowl? Did your guineas kill your ducks? I'm starting to worry that I've done a very dumb thing getting these eggs to hatch (I have no ducks, but I really don't want my chickens harassed or harmed).

--V

 

[MeepBeep]

I'm starting to worry that I've done a very dumb thing getting these eggs to hatch (I have no ducks, but I really don't want my chickens harassed or harmed).

My guineas only harass the pompous showboating roosters and actually defend the hens from the pushy aggressive roosters... In that regard I welcome their thug attitude as it keep the roosters in line...

 

[Victoria-nola]

Quote:
ok, I'll think on this. But:

I know this isn't a guinea topic, but do you have more than one rooster out and about with access to other roosters? I'm already in love with a couple of the 3-week old cockerels, they are just so charming to me. I love all of the chicks, every single one (10 total) has made a connection with me, and I remember certain ones of them (the 2 main cockerels among them) from the hatch itself. I really would like to keep at least a couple of them. Sorry if I sound whiny, but this is beginning to seriously trouble me.

 

[Pyxis]

ok, I'll think on this.  But:

I know this isn't a guinea topic, but do you have more than one rooster out and about with access to other roosters?  I'm already in love with a couple of the 3-week old cockerels, they are just so charming to me. I love all of the chicks, every single one (10 total) has made a connection with me, and I remember certain ones of them (the 2 main cockerels among them) from the hatch itself. I really would like to keep at least a couple of them. Sorry if I sound whiny, but this is beginning to seriously trouble me.

I've always kept multiple roosters and had no problems, especially if they're raised together like yours are. Currently I have two roosters protecting my layer flock that were not raised together and they work together fine. I also keep two roosters in my cemani pen that are fine together. Just make sure you have enough hens for them all.

On the guinea front, I have guineas, ducks, geese, and chickens. The guineas do not bother the ducks at all, rather they ignore them. They wouldn't dare think of challenging a goose. They do occasionally have a small spat with my roosters (usually the male guineas asserting dominance) but it's not even really a fight - the guinea will charge at the rooster, the rooster will move away, and all is well.

 

[duluthralphie]

ok, I'll think on this. But:

I know this isn't a guinea topic, but do you have more than one rooster out and about with access to other roosters? I'm already in love with a couple of the 3-week old cockerels, they are just so charming to me. I love all of the chicks, every single one (10 total) has made a connection with me, and I remember certain ones of them (the 2 main cockerels among them) from the hatch itself. I really would like to keep at least a couple of them. Sorry if I sound whiny, but this is beginning to seriously trouble me.

Relax on the tag line... It is meant for certain Duck and Gees people...they are not normal like us guinea people.....



I have several roosters once they mature they are ok, it is the teenagers that drive us nuts. I have a rooster and a back up for each breed I hatch and sell. There are some moments but over all they do great. I also have turkeys and keep a Tom or two of each line I breed, The head Tom keeps the roosters in line. I have several pecking orders and they all seem to work out. The Toms and Roosters are in one pecking order, the hens in another and the Guineas have their own.


The only time things get chaotic is this time of year when the young roosters are trying to fit in. The hens do it with little problem. The cockerels seem to fight more and jockey more for position. A brave cockerel will even try to impress himself upon a mature hen that belongs to an older rooster, that seldom ends well for the kid.

 

[MeepBeep]

I know this isn't a guinea topic, but do you have more than one rooster out and about with access to other roosters?  I'm already in love with a couple of the 3-week old cockerels, they are just so charming to me. I love all of the chicks, every single one (10 total) has made a connection with me, and I remember certain ones of them (the 2 main cockerels among them) from the hatch itself. I really would like to keep at least a couple of them. Sorry if I sound whiny, but this is beginning to seriously trouble me.

I have give or take 10 roosters in the general population coop right now, time to thin it back down to about 5 simply because I don't want to feed them and get nothing in return... Most have been grown up in the coop, but I have a few that were introduced later, but not at a full mature age... Your biggest problem is when you introduce an already mature outside rooster to your mature roosters territory, they really don't tollerate that well...

Mine all get along as best one could expect... As many people say and has been said here, there is their hormone raged 'teenage' period, say give or take 6-10 months where they refuse to accept their place and will try to climb the pecking order ladder and establish themselves.. During this same time they will mate anything they can catch as many times as they can catch it, and they will generally become unsociable towards you... But once the hormones settle down and they accept their position they get along pretty well with the other roosters and will generally become a little more sociable...

In my coop it's easy to single out the trouble makers as the guineas pluck all their tail feathers, the settled in mature roosters still have tails

The other day when I was collecting eggs I go to see the guineas first hand re-align a rooster, the spunky young rooster tried to mount an unwilling guinea and all the sudden 4 other guineas ganged up on him started to pluck his feathers, the rooster ran around the coop the entire time I was collecting eggs with 4 guineas in hot pursuit plucking his rump, and if you have ever seen guineas 'hunt' you would know that rooster didn't' stand a chance as they work together like a pack of wolves...

 

[Tikkijane]

I think you would find Oregon and Washington to have similar weather to England. But I agree you need to do lots of research. It is a big country and every area is different.

Bear in mind, though - Wa state has a desert. The Yakima Valley/ Tri- Cities area is surrounded by the mountains and gets about 7 inches of annual precip. Because that area is literally in a bowl, it also traps the smog, so there are a good many days out of they yesr with air advisories, telling folks yo stay in and not, for example, go running in it. And the last week, they've been in the triple digits.

A bit further west, there's the only rain forest in the US....

But ya, the US is huge. Brings to mind the great state of Texas, which has pretty much every climate possible, lol. Every location will have its own pros and cons, honestly. I'm really happy where I am right now in NE NC. 2 hours from the beach; 2 hours from the mountains. Lots and lots of water locally {like right down the road} for fishing, tubing, recreation in general; we get rain, some snow every now and then, some heat {cooler than the NMican desert we moved from} although there is humidity; GREAT cost of living {even though it's the poorest county in the state}; good medical near by {Raleigh/Durham/Wake Forest}; airport, etc.

Used to be a website where there was extensive q&a that would then give you living suggestions. Findmyspot.com, i think it was.

 

[Tikkijane]

Bear in mind, though - Wa state has a desert. The Yakima Valley/ Tri- Cities area is surrounded by the mountains and gets about 7 inches of annual precip. Because that area is literally in a bowl, it also traps the smog, so there are a good many days out of they yesr with air advisories, telling folks yo stay in and not, for example, go running in it. And the last week, they've been in the triple digits.

A bit further west, there's the only rain forest in the US....

But ya, the US is huge. Brings to mind the great state of Texas, which has pretty much every climate possible, lol. Every location will have its own pros and cons, honestly. I'm really happy where I am right now in NE NC. 2 hours from the beach; 2 hours from the mountains. Lots and lots of water locally {like right down the road} for fishing, tubing, recreation in general; we get rain, some snow every now and then, some heat {cooler than the NMican desert we moved from} although there is humidity; GREAT cost of living {even though it's the poorest county in the state}; good medical near by {Raleigh/Durham/Wake Forest}; airport, etc.

Used to be a website where there was extensive q&a that would then give you living suggestions. Findmyspot.com, i think it was.

Sorry- it's this one: http://www.findyourspot.com/