Raising Guinea Fowl 101

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Victoria-nola said:
Hey SHK-- outside McComb on 29 acres with cold creeks and mature mixed hardwood/pine forest with a large meadow. I found I needed rolling hills and needed to leave the city (where we had a microfarm), so we left New Orleans and came here.  Spent most of my life in northern Calif, but my mom's family is from Louisiana and she's been ailing, moved to NOLA to be nearer her and other family, but then came here and expect to stay, we're just finishing a little cabin for my mom to move into here on our farm. I find that the temps and humidity is much easier to handle out in the countryside than being in the city or the flatlands, even the Gulf Coast.  I love having lots of water and not having to worry about fire as we did in the country in the West.  Anyway, I understand your decision, but I'm so so happy with ours. My biggest challenge is learning to garden before and after the hottest summer months when most things collapse. We are well situated to have a farmstand and have a lot of interest in anything we might offer so are gearing toward that.

And to stay on topic, let me say that our keets have been free-ranging now for 3 weeks or more and we LOVE LOVE them. I already see a difference in the tick population-- they love me so anytime I would work in the garden I'd come in with ticks on me.  Not happening now. And they are just a blast to have around.  They run to me when I call, just to say hello (no food involved), I totally didn't expect that. 
--V
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That sounds fantastic. I hope someday to have a big plot of land like that. It's great your were able to get out of the city. I went to Tulane for grad school and don't miss the smell lol. We are a military family which is what took us down there to begin with and is what brought us here. New adventures await next summer.

Guineas are great. I really like my chickens but the guineas bring a new "flavor" to the flock, in looks and behavior. How old are your keets now?
 
SunHwaKwon said:
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I've wanted to own a big chunk of property all my life, finally just happened this year. So, it will happen for you. New adventure sounds great, and thank you to your family for your service.

Our keets are now 13 weeks. Totally, we had chickens back in the city on on our micro-farm and the addition of the guineas is such a delight. As you say, a new "flavor" in looks and behavior. We have 2 pet potbelly pigs (the oldest is 19 years old) and they are really enjoying the guineas too. I love watching their flock dynamics as they move over the land. As people have said, they tend to stay around the curtilage, the fenced area or just outside the fenced area around the house. They seem to enjoy being close to where the people and other animals are. They aren't tending to march off across the property. I'm wondering if they will follow us when we start hiking in the woods again (in their height of summer the woods became less enjoyable).
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Our 1 keet gets along now with the older ones and is 2 mo.ths but he is really small and he was before he came into their pen. Any help so I can get him to a healthy weight? I guess he is smaller because we fed him a special game bird chow because I plan to show him off. And to those of you that do not know, I raised 2 big ones earlier this year and decided ti get some more but then out of the 6 that shiped, only 1 survived.
 
Mysterious said:
Our 1 keet gets along now with the older ones and is 2 mo.ths but he is really small and he was before he came into their pen. Any help so I can get him to a healthy weight? I guess he is smaller because we fed him a special game bird chow because I plan to show him off. And to those of you that do not know, I raised 2 big ones earlier this year and decided ti get some more but then out of the 6 that shiped, only 1 survived.
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How small is really small? I have some that age as well and will post pics tomorrow for you to compare with.
 
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Mysterious said:
Our 1 keet gets along now with the older ones and is 2 mo.ths but he is really small and he was before he came into their pen. Any help so I can get him to a healthy weight? I guess he is smaller because we fed him a special game bird chow because I plan to show him off. And to those of you that do not know, I raised 2 big ones earlier this year and decided ti get some more but then out of the 6 that shiped, only 1 survived.
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Does your little one have access to bugs, crickets, grasshoppers, etc? I try to let all my keets free range and I find that they grow much faster than the ones who I have had confined in a coop/run. The high protein gamebird food is good but fresh bugs provide an even better source of protein and may help your little keet grow faster.
 
I was going to say, at 2 months do not expect a full size bird. I have some 2-3 months old and they are still teens. they are not filled out like adults and do not have their white heads or adult plumage. They are scrawny and ugly at that age.


I sold the rest of mine yesterday, so I am down to next years breeding stock. I am a happy soul now.
 
generaldsherman said:
Yep. @TJChickens eggs. Looking good so far. Got 10 veining, one of those w rolling air cell. 4 maybes and 1 looks clear. Still 10/15 ain't a bad start for week 1 shipped eggs
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