Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[susanj]

i have a male guinea whom I had to remove from the flock because the other guineas were attacking him. he can get around but his legs and feet are very misshapen. his left leq is the worst. its swollen as big as a quarter around at the ankle and his toes are very thin. he holds it up quite a bit. when he does step on it he limps. sometimes he falls over and catches himself with his wing. his right leg seems to be strong but his middle toe is swollen as large as dime in diameter. his other two toes are very thin. I have had quineas who have hurt their legs and feet because of a bad landing feom flying. I've put them in a small pen for a couple of weeks, then let them out sometimes they would limp a little but usually in about 6-8 weeks they would be walking fine. I have checked for mites but I do not think that's it. also the spur toe on the left foot curls under when he walks on that foot. he talks to me, cuddles with me, pulls my hair and my earrings. . he does not seem to be in pain excepts when he falls over. his poop is a little runny small amount of formed material. he is eating well about 1/4-1/2 cup a day including throwing some around. the next thing i'm going to try is vitamin B. i'm giving 6 wks after that I will re evaluate.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

i have a male guinea whom I had to remove from the flock because the other guineas were attacking him. he can get around but his legs and feet are very misshapen. his left leq is the worst. its swollen as big as a quarter around at the ankle and his toes are very thin. he holds it up quite a bit. when he does step on it he limps. sometimes he falls over and catches himself with his wing. his right leg seems to be strong but his middle toe is swollen as large as dime in diameter. his other two toes are very thin. I have had quineas who have hurt their legs and feet because of a bad landing feom flying. I've put them in a small pen for a couple of weeks, then let them out sometimes they would limp a little but usually in about 6-8 weeks they would be walking fine. I have checked for mites but I do not think that's it. also the spur toe on the left foot curls under when he walks on that foot. he talks to me, cuddles with me, pulls my hair and my earrings. . he does not seem to be in pain excepts when he falls over. his poop is a little runny small amount of formed material. he is eating well about 1/4-1/2 cup a day including throwing some around. the next thing i'm going to try is vitamin B. i'm giving 6 wks after that I will re evaluate.

Good luck, hope he improves

 

[Susiederkins]

someone told me that old tires make good nest areas...is this so? (If it is I need to get them in there soon so the little buggers get used to the change before time to make babeez....

 

[Tacampbell1973]

YES. Guineas are LOUD. LOUD, LOUD, LOUD. I sure love them, but would never have them in town.

Lord isnt that the truth! I have 10 keets now almost grown. They hatched together and for some ungodly reason there is five boys and five girls so they paired off to mate....And loud. For no apparent reason the girls started shrieking when the males got that "look in their eye" a few weeks ago and havent stopped yet. Not even at night. They sleep in the same coop they were raised in, have a heat lamp at night for warmth and safety same as all my birds and yet when I unplugged the light to see if it helped they broke out of the coop and I was running all over the yard in a bathrobe at 3 am with a flashlight scooping Guineas up and recooping them....Are they loud. bah. Loud is an understatement. I love them to pieces even though they have systematically uprooted every one of my potted plants to dustbath in. Nevermind that we live on 53 acres and they have many other places to dustbath. I even made them a dust-spa in their outside run that they use when its too rainy to freerange or snowy. We just had snow for three days and they were horrified. They took one step out into the snow and turned around and went back in the run....big babies....still there is no other bird like them on earth and they have a strange prehistoric beauty to them almost like an eagle... and they make the cutest cooing noises at me when i go out to check on them at night. AND we have had hardly any bugs, snails .slugs or wasps this year since having chickens and guineas. Now i just need a pygmy goat to round out my groundskeeping team...

 

[Granny Hatchet]

i dont think anyone could have described the guinea as accurate or as beautifully as you just did.

 

[Tikkijane]

Doont give up yet. They will get it. I swear they are just slow to learn. Mine still have to be ushered in at night but when it rains or it snowed last week they went in every day during the day all by themselves. I have great faith that they will get it. Its just a battle of the wills i think. Sorta like a two year old.

I can't remember if I updated or not. Night 4, they all went in, same as the chickens. I was impressed.

I adore my guineas. I am really hoping to get some keets this spring without adult loss. Anyone have luck with nesting nox training?

 

[Tacampbell1973]

I can't remember if I updated or not. Night 4, they all went in, same as the chickens. I was impressed.

I adore my guineas. I am really hoping to get some keets this spring without adult loss. Anyone have luck with nesting nox training?

I knew they would get it... but dont be surprised if they forget some days... I have days where i have to go look for a pair or two at twilight. I always feed at 3:30 or 4 pm and then coop them in the \run at 430 to 5pm then shut the actual coop door at 6 to 8 pm depending on weather. they are like two year olds. some days they go in with no prob, some days i get two in and four run back out. I love them dearly though. dont get me wrong. I raised these babies from hatch and each one has a name and a legband and an identity that is completley unique. just like kids. of those i raised three... ask Granny Hatchett, and Starkasm too. These are some of the craziest fowl you will ever encounter but also they are the sweetest and the most primitive too. Dont expect a lap pet like a chicken. But do expect a beautiful strange bird that will shreik to make your eardrum bleed for no reason whatsoever, but that will look to you for food, comfort, safety and guidance, beyond that, not much more than a big pearl bug catcher that will make you love it.....and you will, guaranteed... have fun

 

[Tacampbell1973]

i dont think anyone could have described the guinea as accurate or as beautifully as you just did.

ThanksGH, You know I wouldnt have got here without you

 

[Tacampbell1973]

someone told me that old tires make good nest areas...is this so? (If it is I need to get them in there soon so the little buggers get used to the change before time to make babeez....

too late... guaranteed your keetsare lready looking for love. they mature sexually way before chickens do.... i was shocked to see my "babies" already out on the lawn giving 'piggy back rides" to the little girl guineas. way before the little girls were ready... best to get a hustle on it cuz for some reason they dont wait for textbook ages to start breeding for some reason. At least mine didn't. four months old they were....man was i shocked,

 

[Tacampbell1973]

Good luck, hope he improves

Hi Jchny, Mind you I m not an expert but i would get your little guy out of harms way for a bit until he can hold his own or he might get hurt. poulty are funny about "outsiders: and if anything seems off or diffferent they will pick on the different one even to the point of killing them. i dont mean to alarm you, but in my case, i have guineas and chickens that free range together. periodically i have two whitecochin banties that get eggbound. when this occurs i bring them in and cage them and medicate them (calcium and D3) for a day until they are right otherwise the others pick on them as they will bring the whole group down,,,,nature sucks sometiems this is why we are here to step in... that is how i handle it... i just don't want to see you lose a favored animal if not necessary. I could be wrong. in my case my two white cochins are my two favorite hens so i take extra precaution....good luck.