Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[duluthralphie]

Did you guys see the video of the guinea fowl roosting on the donkey? Not just perching... Literally roosting... as in, sleeping there, all night... XD

He was most likely not sleeping...

He is eating the donkey, and just stopped to nap before the next course of donkey.

 

[perchie.girl]

Did you guys see the video of the guinea fowl roosting on the donkey? Not just perching... Literally roosting... as in, sleeping there, all night... XD

The donkey was just a BIG foot warmer....

 

[guineapeeps]

My two hens hatched 18 keets over the last couple of days.......

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

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.
I have several roosters, no real count on them, honestly. Guinea will target an aggressive or dominant rooster if he goes anywhere near a guinea hen.

My 2 guineas are 11 weeks old and I couldn't be any happier with them. They are much tamer then my ducks and most of my chickens. My only complaint would be and I know it's because their still young is when it rains they won't go in the coop for shelter. They walk around crying in the rain. I let them in the house and they perched on the back on their chair and I covered them with a big bath towel. They sit there until they dried and it quit raining.

They look like real pets!

Guineas in the house, ummm heck no! Lilbrats would roost on the beams!

Love your house, wow!

Thanks to everyone for your input about keeping more than 1 rooster, your descriptions of the guineas keeping obnoxious roosters in check is amusing and acceptable, for sure, and I love the images of them hunting cooperatively. Although, my EE/Ameracaunas like to spread out in a line and walk across the lawns scaring up everything in their path. My 10 new chicks are 4.5 weeks old and totally integrating with the adults, but still sleeping on the ground, starting to seriously wonder if I shouldn't be encouraging them up to the lower roosts.

QUESTION: Have 36 guinea eggs in my incubator currently. Candled at day 7 and four-five are possible clears but left them in place, and the air cells are developing fine. But my concern is the length of the hatch and when to "lock down". The official length for guinea hatches is 28 days, but several people on BYC have said their guineas come at 26 days. If this is true, when should I lock down-- i.e. remove turner, increase humidity, don't turn/don't disturb?

ONE MORE: I've been assuming that the air cell development/size should be about the same ratio as for chicken eggs. I didn't weigh the eggs, just going by sight of air cell. Same ratio as chicken eggs?

Thanks for any info and insights.

I have to agree with others, all my hatches are about 26 days. I lock down at day 23. I do get day 25 hatches often, so it catches those early keets too.

Did you guys see the video of the guinea fowl roosting on the donkey? Not just perching... Literally roosting... as in, sleeping there, all night... XD

LOL, I missed that one but can believe it. All my critters comingle, and guinea, Muscovy and turkey all will nap on my cows, goats and the mini donkey.

My two hens hatched 18 keets over the last couple of days.......

Precious picture!

 

[Nizzanlady]

Howdy everyone! I'm new to this forum and definitely new to having guinea

. We've had our 20 lil darlings for almost 2 weeks (they were 2-3 days old when we got them).

I've been reading through this thread for a couple of hours (takes me some time, I also care for lil humans too), so sorry if this is a repeat topic or question....

My question is when can I start giving them meal worms, clovers or hard boiled eggs? I'd love to start giving them treats and begin training them with a bell, for easier wrangling when I want them back in when they are old enough to free range.

Oh! And another question - how old until I can start using a natural animal bedding? Currently have the bedding down, but covered with a thin cloth and layered with paper towels to prevent splaying.

 

[duluthralphie]

Howdy everyone! I'm new to this forum and definitely new to having guinea

. We've had our 20 lil darlings for almost 2 weeks (they were 2-3 days old when we got them).

I've been reading through this thread for a couple of hours (takes me some time, I also care for lil humans too), so sorry if this is a repeat topic or question....

My question is when can I start giving them meal worms, clovers or hard boiled eggs? I'd love to start giving them treats and begin training them with a bell, for easier wrangling when I want them back in when they are old enough to free range.

Oh! And another question - how old until I can start using a natural animal bedding? Currently have the bedding down, but covered with a thin cloth and layered with paper towels to prevent splaying.

Wow all the questions...


Welcome to BYC. Enjoy your time here..

2 weeks old and you still consider them darlings! You must have special guineas. At two weeks I would have mine on wood chips and nothing covering them. Like all birds, IMHO you need to have them on grit for a day or two before giving them something other than feed. I assume you are giving them game bird starter something around 27% protein.

A lot of the questions depend on where you live and what other birds and animals you have. I did not know they ate clover, mine seem to prefer eating bugs. But I seldom watch what they eat. I am too busy protecting life, limb and property from them to watch them eat.

I have never had keets that were not deathly afraid of us. No matter how much we try to be with them. They are always so flighty we find it best to leave ours alone as much as we can.


You are going to train them to go in every day/evening? Interesting, mine go in when they want, they stay out when they want. We use to try and force them in every night. It was a 2 hour event we normally lost. What they seem to like to do is have all the flock go into the coop except for one or two. Then while we spend our time chasing the lone wolf guinea around from roof top to roof top, to tree tops and then under something the others sneak out again. The ones that sneak out will quietly go sit on another roof and watch the excitement of the chase. I think they like to see if they can get me to swear at them. Normally they can.

I would never train mine to the sound of a bell, unless the bell was so heavy they could not carry it off and sell it for drugs and alcohol. I really want to hear how this goes. I am sure it can be done. Ours pick up on clues of things we do, if we set a lawn chair up in the areas we normally give out treats, they will come running. Unless they think we want them to come running. then they won't.

When we throw the kitchen scraps to the birds we just yell "Girls" and they all come running, but I am not sure they are not following the chickens and turkeys so maybe you can train them with the bell. I read all the nice things people say about their guineas, and to be honest, I do not recognize the behavior as guinea behavior.

I love my Guineas, but then I am sure Ted Bundy's Mother loved him too. Outlaw motorcycle gangs members are loved by someone normally. They serve a function, they entertain us with their antics. They keep the ticks at bay, they keep cabbage moths and worms out of my garden. We have box elder bugs by the billions if we do not have them around. They seldom if ever eat commercial feed for 7 months a year, so they are cheap to raise. They just forage for themselves.


They remind me if I have not opened the coop door early enough, (on the days they go in). They force my roosters to be better behaved. They have no remorse about teaching a bird that violates bird etiquette to not do it again.

I had some eggs that were pipped yesterday, I have not looked at them in 20 hours, I am going to look shortly. I need to get my courage up before opening the hatcher and reaching into it. I have 5 fingers on each hand this morning, I am hoping to have the same 5 this afternoon. I also have turkey eggs in another drawer on the hatcher and I hate to open it too often during hatching time, So that is part of the reason I have not looked in, there is nothing I can do anyways. I will get them out either today or tomorrow. I like to raise them with other birds because they seem to be better behaved.


I wish I could have answered your questions better. Maybe some of the people that own the nicer suburban guineas will be able to help you.

 

[Tikkijane]

He was most likely not sleeping...

He is eating the donkey, and just stopped to nap before the next course of donkey.

There were 3 of them roosting. It was hilarious!

 

[cabinchicky]

Duluthralphie you have some of the best posts! I almost had hot coffee spurt out my nose! But you are right on,vicious lil buggers.

 

[pattyhen]

My two hens hatched 18 keets over the last couple of days.......

I love the babies they are so cute. They look like good mothers to me. Thanks for sharing the pics.

 

[Tikkijane]

Wow all the questions...


Welcome to BYC.  Enjoy your time here..

2 weeks old and you still consider them darlings!  You must have special guineas.   At two weeks I would have mine on wood chips and nothing covering them. Like all birds, IMHO you need to have them on grit for a day or two before giving them something other than feed. I assume you are giving them game bird starter something around 27% protein.

A lot of the questions depend on where you live and what other birds and animals you have.   I did not know they ate clover, mine seem to prefer eating bugs. But I seldom watch what they eat.  I am too busy protecting life, limb and property from them to watch them eat.

I have never had keets that were not deathly afraid of us. No matter how much we try to be with them. They are always so flighty we find it best to leave ours alone as much as we can.


You are going to train them to go in every day/evening?    Interesting,  mine go in when they want, they stay out when they want. We use to try and force them in every night.  It  was a 2 hour event we normally lost. What they seem to like to do is have all the flock go into the coop except for one or two.  Then while we spend our time chasing the lone wolf guinea around from roof top to roof top, to tree tops and then under something the others sneak out again.  The ones that sneak out will quietly go sit on another roof and watch the excitement of the chase.  I think they like to see if they can get me to swear at them.  Normally they can.

I would never train mine to the sound of a bell, unless the bell was so heavy they could not carry it off and sell it for drugs and alcohol. I really want to hear how this goes. I am sure it can be done. Ours pick up on clues of things we do, if we set a lawn chair up in the areas we normally give out treats, they will come running.  Unless they think we want them to come running. then they won't.

When we throw the kitchen scraps to the birds we just yell "Girls" and they all come running, but I am not sure they are not following the chickens and turkeys so maybe you can train them with the bell.      I read all the nice things people say about their guineas, and to be honest, I do not recognize the behavior as guinea behavior. 

I love my Guineas, but then I am sure Ted Bundy's Mother loved him too. Outlaw motorcycle gangs members are loved by someone normally.  They serve a function, they entertain us with their antics. They keep the ticks at bay, they keep cabbage moths and worms out of my garden.  We have box elder bugs by the billions if we do not have them around. They seldom if ever eat commercial feed for 7 months a year, so they are cheap to raise. They just forage for themselves.


They remind me if I have not opened the coop door early enough, (on the days they go in).  They force my roosters to be better behaved.  They have no remorse about teaching a bird that violates bird etiquette to not do it again.  

I had some eggs that were pipped yesterday, I have not looked at them in 20 hours, I am going to look shortly. I need to get my courage up before opening the hatcher and reaching into it.  I have 5 fingers on each hand this morning, I am hoping to have the same 5 this afternoon. I also have turkey eggs in another drawer on the hatcher and I hate to open it too often during hatching time, So that is part of the reason I have not looked in, there is nothing I can do anyways.  I will get them out either today or tomorrow.  I like to raise them with other birds because they seem to be better behaved.


I wish I could have answered your questions better. Maybe some of the people that own the nicer suburban guineas will be able to help you.