Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[msladyhawke]

Well, I am new to guineas. Got 3 last night at auction. They appear to be only a day or 2 old. I have them in the brooder with my 2 day old bantam langshan chicks. Hope this works. I got 2 whites and a chocolate according to the seller. They are VERY cute! Wish me luck. Trying to read everything on here in a crash course lesson!
Michelle

 

[nailladi]

I wish everybody would.. I hate the questions after it is too late.

 

[starlingdaly]

I have 10 adult guineas but I'm not positive of all their colors lol when I bought them as keats I was like I want 2 of this color 4 of this etc. As they got older is was obvious I didn't have what I ask for and through research have I think I no all their colors now lol some of them are to similar in the pics to tell apart. Luckily I'm not picky I just wanted to no so I can get some more of the ones that I have only 1 of now. And maybe add a few colors? Lol guinea math is just as bad as chicken math I think? Lol

Hehehe, guinea math is worse than chicken math because guineas are so self sufficient when adults!

 

[itsjustme]

Hehehe, guinea math is worse than chicken math because guineas are so self sufficient when adults!

I had never thought of that but its true and I like it lol

 

[starlingdaly]

I had never thought of that but its true and I like it lol

I know if I could just get my keets to reach adulthood I'd be begging my friend for more guineas!!
Which by the way, despite my bugging him, he says none have hatched yet. v.v They are letting he guineas hatch them this year and I suppose some clutches will be due to hatch soon.

 

[itsjustme]

Well I hope they make it to adulthood! They are fun to watch I think. And your friend is a brave 1. Lol maybe he has his in a coop or pen? I have a guinea sitting on a clutch due any time and iv been a nervous wreck lol she is not in a pen though she and the others found some tall grass made a community nest and 3 started sitting together the 1 guinea out there now decided not to share and run the other 2 off so she's alone trying to incubate all 3 of their eggs. I'm afraid some will hatch she will wonder off with them and I will never see them again

 

[starlingdaly]

Hahah, no his guineas are pretty wild. They roost in huge oak trees and have several community nests in many different places around the yard. He does feed them something at night, but other than that they are pretty free from human intervention.
They usually grab eggs from the nests to incubate inside but for some reason they gave most of their incubators to me this year!

 

[itsjustme]

I guess that's how mine are kinda. But mine roost on my house :/ do as they please and I will call them up in the evening feed them( I think they just come up to humor me?) They will eat a bit until I walk about then they are back to doing whatever guineas do. It seems right now the boys just like to chasr eavh other all over the place the girls will hang out in their dirt bath they made in the horse lot lol and the 1 little stingy hen continues to sit. Lol I'm still scared for them babies lol I had a guy tell me he does his peafowl like that they free range all year round he doesn't collect eggs sell chicks etc. He said his hens will hatch and raise their babies and they just stay there. He said if a hen hatches 10 about 6 will make it to adult hood. I was like I couldn't do it. If they went off to roost at night and come back the nect day with 1 less baby I would be out there with a net trying to catch the rest of the babies lol or id be hiding in the woods in the evening snatch em. While they were roosting. Lol my broody hen is still on her nest and iv not seen any more than the 2 she had yesterday but she's a grump growles when I walk in and starts tucking the chicks back under her lol

 

[nailladi]

I put all my hens inside in the spring. To many preditors. When they set the eggs the male will guard all day but he leaves her at night and goes to roost when she needs him the most. 28 nights out in the bushes is a long time, easy for something to get her and eggs. I lost all my hens one year as I was out trucking and my help neglected to pen them. They all got killed trying to set. Never again.

 

[starlingdaly]

I guess that's how mine are kinda. But mine roost on my house :/ do as they please and I will call them up in the evening feed them( I think they just come up to humor me?) They will eat a bit until I walk about then they are back to doing whatever guineas do. It seems right now the boys just like to chasr eavh other all over the place the girls will hang out in their dirt bath they made in the horse lot lol and the 1 little stingy hen continues to sit. Lol I'm still scared for them babies lol I had a guy tell me he does his peafowl like that they free range all year round he doesn't collect eggs sell chicks etc. He said his hens will hatch and raise their babies and they just stay there. He said if a hen hatches 10 about 6 will make it to adult hood. I was like I couldn't do it. If they went off to roost at night and come back the nect day with 1 less baby I would be out there with a net trying to catch the rest of the babies lol or id be hiding in the woods in the evening snatch em. While they were roosting. Lol my broody hen is still on her nest and iv not seen any more than the 2 she had yesterday but she's a grump growles when I walk in and starts tucking the chicks back under her lol

I agree, I would be stealing those chicks!! Even if they were confined to a coop with the babies I still would worry too much since guinea keets are so sensitive to moisture.

[COLOR=006400]I put all my hens inside in the spring. To many preditors. When they set the eggs the male will guard all day but he leaves her at night and goes to roost when she needs him the most. 28 nights out in the bushes is a long time, easy for something to get her and eggs. I lost all my hens one year as I was out trucking and my help neglected to pen them. They all got killed trying to set. Never again.[/COLOR]

So sorry to hear that
My friend had a few outside dogs that are confined in an area but that has probably kept most predators away. However, I am quite sure they will or have lost hens to predators. They occasionally lose none-setting guineas so it would only make sense if they lost a few of the easy target brooding hens.