Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[kynewbchickie]

I've heard and read stories about flocks of guinea ganging up on, and escorting coyotes off property...ganging up on and attacking foxes, dogs, even cats that come near a flock of chickens they were raised with. Our main reason for getting guinea fowl is for the warning system...our dog doesn't bark unless he's heck-bent to get at something he's been given permission to chase (like the coyotes last night)

 

[TarheelBirdy]

In my experience guineas make great food for owls.

That, too.

 

[weeshanti]

Is a guinea a good substitute for a rooster when it comes to protecting the chickens from a small dog or owls?

We had been told that they would protect the hens, but so far ours are only danger alarms. They haven't gone after anything, but they sure have a lot to say about anything out of the ordinary. They will set off the alarm when a leaf blows by sideways, so it's hard to tell if it's a possum in the coop or just the wind blowing a different direction. We have lost one to some kind of predator already (only found feathers in a nearby field) and the darn guineas are bound and determined to get hit by cars even though there is an enormous bug-laden field between them and the road. I would say they need more protection than they protect.

 

[lizzybaxter]

I just got my first pair of guineas, and have them in with my chickens. I am planning to let them out (during the day) in a couple of months. Most of my chickens are hand-raised and very tame, several aren't. Do you think I will be able to "tame" the guineas? In terms of being able to touch them as I do the chickens?

 

[JLeigh]

lizzybaxter, not unless you're prepared to spend an hour or more a day training them - and doing this for a while. Guineas are still "wild" with all of their wild instincts intact, and it's tough to overcome them. It's been done, but rarely, and with a lot of difficulty. You CAN, however, get them to trust you to the point where a) they don't freak out when you're around and b) will take treats from your hands.

That's not too hard to do, and just requires that you spend a lot of time around them, very very still, and giving them their favorite treat from your hand. It took me about two weeks to accomplish that with mine. They'll come up and peck my jeans, shoes....but if I reach out to touch them, they dart away. They do freak out if I try to catch them though. That's best done at night when they're on their perch/roost. LOL.

I say, and this is only my opinion, get your "lap bird" needs met by your chickens and let guineas be guineas. You'll be crazy about them whether you can pet them or not anyway. They grow on ya.

 

[lizzybaxter]

Thanks so much for your quick response! Yes, I have quite the collection of lap birds already! The chicks I incubated are especially very lovey. I actually have 2 coops going, and the guineas are in with some newer chickens. The others free range during the day, and I was hoping to alternate days/coops, but everyone in the guineas' cage will just have to wait until they settle down a bit. I don't want to open the door and then they never go back in! We do have predators on occasion, although usually my dogs are out at night and that helps.

I love them already. They are fairly young, one traditional black speckled and a white one.

Thanks again.

 

[TarheelBirdy]

lizzybaxter, not unless you're prepared to spend an hour or more a day training them - and doing this for a while. Guineas are still "wild" with all of their wild instincts intact, and it's tough to overcome them. It's been done, but rarely, and with a lot of difficulty. You CAN, however, get them to trust you to the point where a) they don't freak out when you're around and b) will take treats from your hands.

That's not too hard to do, and just requires that you spend a lot of time around them, very very still, and giving them their favorite treat from your hand. It took me about two weeks to accomplish that with mine. They'll come up and peck my jeans, shoes....but if I reach out to touch them, they dart away. They do freak out if I try to catch them though. That's best done at night when they're on their perch/roost. LOL.

I say, and this is only my opinion, get your "lap bird" needs met by your chickens and let guineas be guineas. You'll be crazy about them whether you can pet them or not anyway. They grow on ya.

x2.

 

[KrisH]

lizzybaxter, not unless you're prepared to spend an hour or more a day training them - and doing this for a while. Guineas are still "wild" with all of their wild instincts intact, and it's tough to overcome them. It's been done, but rarely, and with a lot of difficulty. You CAN, however, get them to trust you to the point where a) they don't freak out when you're around and b) will take treats from your hands.

That's not too hard to do, and just requires that you spend a lot of time around them, very very still, and giving them their favorite treat from your hand. It took me about two weeks to accomplish that with mine. They'll come up and peck my jeans, shoes....but if I reach out to touch them, they dart away. They do freak out if I try to catch them though. That's best done at night when they're on their perch/roost. LOL.

I say, and this is only my opinion, get your "lap bird" needs met by your chickens and let guineas be guineas. You'll be crazy about them whether you can pet them or not anyway. They grow on ya.

Turkey hens make great lap birds too.

RobertH

 

[amberr]

Keets arrived today aren't they cute! So different from the chicks but going to be exactly what I needed. Loud little things lol, everyone talks about them being loud but man do they jabber, I don't mind, just different.

 

[JLeigh]

Awwww....cute healthy looking little keets. Congratulations! How many do you have total? I see seven...