Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[TarheelBirdy]

When the Hens in your flock are old enough to lay (the Spring after they are hatched) try to keep them all penned until they lay each day before you let them out to free range so they learn to lay in the coop right from the start (and not out in the bushes). Makes collecting eggs way less of a chore (and you can replenish your flock much easier too).

Hey Peeps, I have a question. I have a group of guinea hens (1 yr old) and 2 guinea roosters in a 14x14 lot. The entire pen is covered, and half of it has walls, the rest is chain link. It has six nesting boxes filled with hay (chicken nesting boxes), and I have provided a sterilite tub filled with hay. There are two rafters for roosting, along with some smaller roosting poles.

Is there anything in this picture that would prohibit them from laying? (No eggs yet.....all one-year-old hens)

 

[PeepsCA]

Sounds like a flock of comfy Guineas to me Tar, unless maybe they aren't getting enough direct sunlight. If there's too much aggression in the pen that in itself can keep the Hens from laying tho. I pen my breeding flocks too, but I try to give them free range time (separate from the rest of my other flocks) to encourage breeding and to get/keep the hormones raging.

This is a strange year for eggs/laying with my flocks too, you aren't alone .My egg supply/flow has been coming and going.

I did get my first Turkey egg today tho, lol (from a 1st timer).


Toss them lots of greens and weeds, maybe they will get the hint that it is Spring and time to lay.

 

[TarheelBirdy]

Sounds like a flock of comfy Guineas to me Tar, unless maybe they aren't getting enough direct sunlight. If there's too much aggression in the pen that in itself can keep the Hens from laying tho. I pen my breeding flocks too, but I try to give them free range time (separate from the rest of my other flocks) to encourage breeding and to get/keep the hormones raging.

This is a strange year for eggs/laying with my flocks too, you aren't alone .My egg supply/flow has been coming and going.

I did get my first Turkey egg today tho, lol (from a 1st timer).


Toss them lots of greens and weeds, maybe they will get the hint that it is Spring and time to lay.

I just don't know that they would go back in if I gave them "outside" time.....I wonder if they would just join my free-range flock and go roost in trees. What do you think?

 

[PeepsCA]

I just don't know that they would go back in if I gave them "outside" time.....I wonder if they would just join my free-range flock and go roost in trees. What do you think?

Were the birds in your breeding flock part of the free range flock and roosting in the trees before they were penned up? If they were they will probably want to rejoin that flock and their old routine (if the free rangers will let them).

Has the breeding flock been in their current breeding pen at least 6wks yet? I'd wait at least that long before you attempt at letting them out. Then the flock would need to be herded and/or called back into their pen for a treat or food each evening (or whatever method works for you) and you'd need to make a routine of it just as you would do to condition/train any flock to return to their coop.

I forgot that you have a free range flock running around... unless you can contain the free rangers to your barn or another pen while the breeding flock is let out it may be more hassle than it is worth, plus the 2 flocks may breed with each other. (I am pretty lucky when it comes to free ranging my breeding flocks, my birds respect my fences and stay in their own pastures... took a lot of work/correction to get to that point tho, lol).

 

[JLeigh]

It has also been cold down here (at least in GA) so I'm thinking that may have something to do with egg laying - or lack of egg laying - in the Southeast. Tar, is this your flock's first spring as mature adults? My hens and roos are 7.5 months old and haven't started laying yet, so I'm not concerned at all since this is their first spring, but I think rolling back the tarp cover they're under to get them more sunlight will be helpful. They have sunlight now, but it's morning light. In the afternoon, it's pretty well gone for them. I think my hens are also a bit stressed due to an "assertive" male.

I need to get out there and take care of a few things for them, but it's just so darned cold!

 

[TarheelBirdy]

Were the birds in your breeding flock part of the free range flock and roosting in the trees before they were penned up? If they were they will probably want to rejoin that flock and their old routine (if the free rangers will let them).

Has the breeding flock been in their current breeding pen at least 6wks yet? I'd wait at least that long before you attempt at letting them out. Then the flock would need to be herded and/or called back into their pen for a treat or food each evening (or whatever method works for you) and you'd need to make a routine of it just as you would do to condition/train any flock to return to their coop.

I forgot that you have a free range flock running around... unless you can contain the free rangers to your barn or another pen while the breeding flock is let out it may be more hassle than it is worth, plus the 2 flocks may breed with each other. (I am pretty lucky when it comes to free ranging my breeding flocks, my birds respect my fences and stay in their own pastures... took a lot of work/correction to get to that point tho, lol).

That's what I thought. Sounding like too much trouble. Maybe I'll let some of them out after breeding season is over. I just don't know.

 

[TarheelBirdy]

It has also been cold down here (at least in GA) so I'm thinking that may have something to do with egg laying - or lack of egg laying - in the Southeast. Tar, is this your flock's first spring as mature adults? My hens and roos are 7.5 months old and haven't started laying yet, so I'm not concerned at all since this is their first spring, but I think rolling back the tarp cover they're under to get them more sunlight will be helpful. They have sunlight now, but it's morning light. In the afternoon, it's pretty well gone for them. I think my hens are also a bit stressed due to an "assertive" male.

I need to get out there and take care of a few things for them, but it's just so darned cold!

It is the first year for three of them, but two of them are in their second spring.

I tried "extending" their sunlight with a large light in their pen, giving them 5 extra hours a day for about two months. It doesn't seem to help like it does with chickens.

Mine could be stressed, too....but then again, guineas always seem "stressed" to me, lol.

 

[RavenWood]

Do male guineas fight like roosters do? I am getting 5 guineas today, from 2 different sources, and have no idea how many are male/female. I'm hoping for a majority of females of course, but that is rarely the case! LOL

 

[PeepsCA]

Do male guineas fight like roosters do? I am getting 5 guineas today, from 2 different sources, and have no idea how many are male/female. I'm hoping for a majority of females of course, but that is rarely the case! LOL

If you have (adult) males from 2 different sources chances are they will fight, and the Hens may join in too... adult Guinea flocks usually are not very accepting of new additions without an introduction period. So if possible I'd house them side by side for at least several weeks to let them get used to each other first, but thru the protection of the wire separating them. With both groups being new, and in a new situation you may not have any issues (plus there only being 5 of them), their fear and stress of being re-homed may over ride their naturally aggressive/protective behavior and they may accept each other fine and stick close together for security. See how it goes, but be ready to separate everybody if you need to. Once they start fighting and blood is drawn it can continue to the death, or the worst injured bird can end up being cannibalized by the rest (both male and females Guineas are attracted to peck at blood/wounds).

 

[ms4runr]

Hey Peeps, I have a question. I have a group of guinea hens (1 yr old) and 2 guinea roosters in a 14x14 lot. The entire pen is covered, and half of it has walls, the rest is chain link. It has six nesting boxes filled with hay (chicken nesting boxes), and I have provided a sterilite tub filled with hay. There are two rafters for roosting, along with some smaller roosting poles.

Is there anything in this picture that would prohibit them from laying? (No eggs yet.....all one-year-old hens)

My experience is that they will lay on the ground only. Not any kind of area that is off the floor. Even letting mine out every day the hen did lay in a nest that was under just a board laid up next to a wall , with hay underneath, that was in a corner of their pen. They look for some kind of cover.