Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[Granny Hatchet]

I have had guineas for several years. I have incubated their eggs and raised keets and put guinea eggs under broody chickens and raised keets. Now, I have a guinea sitting on a nest of guinea eggs in my coop. I have never allowed any of my guineas to hatch out keets. All of their nests have been out in the elements. If I let this one do this, do I need to try to separate her from the rest of the chickens and guineas or will she be able to protect the little ones in the coop?

i had 2 sitting in the coop, one was sharing with a rir. lol she hatched none. the other hatched 2 by herself and both were killed. i dont know if she did it but i suspect. i pulled the rest of the eggs and most were not good a lot of them were in the wrong position and i had/have a staggered hatch. out of 40 eggs each hen, i got 2 from one hen and 5 from the single sitter. a lot of times they say they dont make good mamas is because if a keet gets chilled /wet it will die and mamas take them in the wet grass. they are an African bird so think of the weather/ climate there. the reason for the staggered hatch is because none of her eggs were good, the other guineas laid in her nest after she started sitting. they have to be able to hatch their own or there would be no guineas.

 

[mandtroof]

I am so interested in these guineas. I live on 20 acres, which are infested with ticks. I have 2 dogs, 2 kids, 10 hens, and 1 rooster. My chickens free range from about 7:00 am to 8:00 pm ( or when they put themselves to bed). I go out every morning to let them out, and go out every night to count them and shut them in for the evening. My dogs have been raised with the chickens and don't bother the birds at all. Question is...should I get some guineas? We would get about 10 keets. We would build them their own coop next to our chickens, and I would follow the 2 month lock down recommendation with them. My concerns are, will they hurt my chickens even if being raised right next to them? Will they go to their own coop or try to coop with the chickens? My chickens stay really close to the house, don't wander into the woods at all, would having the guineas change that? Would the chickens follow them into the woods, or would the guineas stay with the chickens? I am very concerned with them hurting my chickens, lol. My chicks are our babies, we absolutly love them dearly. With our two kids and dogs coming in with ticks Every minute of the day, I feel these guineas could help. Also, I am not interested in the guineas eggs at all. I don't have an incubator, and at this point I am not interested in getting one. What would happen if I didn't go searching for their eggs? If I found them and didn't incubate them? What does everyone think? Please do tell!!!

 

[R2elk]

I am so interested in these guineas. I live on 20 acres, which are infested with ticks. I have 2 dogs, 2 kids, 10 hens, and 1 rooster. My chickens free range from about 7:00 am to 8:00 pm ( or when they put themselves to bed). I go out every morning to let them out, and go out every night to count them and shut them in for the evening. My dogs have been raised with the chickens and don't bother the birds at all. Question is...should I get some guineas? We would get about 10 keets. We would build them their own coop next to our chickens, and I would follow the 2 month lock down recommendation with them. My concerns are, will they hurt my chickens even if being raised right next to them? Will they go to their own coop or try to coop with the chickens? My chickens stay really close to the house, don't wander into the woods at all, would having the guineas change that? Would the chickens follow them into the woods, or would the guineas stay with the chickens? I am very concerned with them hurting my chickens, lol. My chicks are our babies, we absolutly love them dearly. With our two kids and dogs coming in with ticks Every minute of the day, I feel these guineas could help. Also, I am not interested in the guineas eggs at all. I don't have an incubator, and at this point I am not interested in getting one. What would happen if I didn't go searching for their eggs? If I found them and didn't incubate them? What does everyone think? Please do tell!!!

Guineas should give you a relief from the ticks. Starting with at least ten is a good idea and with your acreage, you may want to consider getting even more. Building them their own coop is a very good idea. My guinea coop is probably at least 60' from my chicken coop but that is simply where it was convenient for me to put the coop. You will have to train the guineas to return to the coop in the evening. With a good sized group of guineas they will keep to themselves and leave your chickens alone. I can free range my guineas and chickens at the same time and each group keeps to themselves and they do not intermingle.

If you leave the guineas to their own means with their eggs, they will set on them and hatch some and some of the keets may actually survive to adulthood. If you don't want them to reproduce you need to locate and gather their eggs. It has been stated that 2 guinea eggs are the equivalent of one chicken egg. If you don't have a use for the eggs, you can hard boil them and chop them up and feed them back to your poultry. You really don't want to leave them lying around as an attractant to predators.

Allowing the guineas to nest wherever they want to will make the setting hens prime predator targets.

While you really love your chickens, it is entirely possible for you to develop as strong an attachment to your guineas.

Good luck.

 

[potagergirl]

It might not keep it as 'fresh' as a air tight plastic container, but I will never use anything less than old fashioned metal garbage cans for my feed/seed nowadays if it's to be stored in an outdoor structure like a barn or shed vs in the house... I have seen way too many people lose whole bags of seed/feed to rodents eating through plastic containers, the small investment up front for the metal garbage can easily saves money down the road...

Got it metal trash cans.
Next month hubby is going to put a solid box car out there for me to keep all my feed and seed in. It's nice having a recycle yard where you can get things like that.
Pop in a door and table and you have your very own pet/animal kitchen

his idea I think its rather sweet!
Thank you for the trash can idea I'll make sure I get a few when I am out shopping again.

 

[cackler]

Thanks, granny. I may just take out the possibility of letting her raise them. I have a broody chicken that should be hatching some chicks next week. I may try to catch the guinea hatch and put them in with the broody and her lil ones. There will be a week or so difference in age but id hate to see them (keets) all expire.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

i have heard, dont know, that they are so protective that they sometimes kill them thinking they are protecting. if i had a spot where only mama and babys could stay out of the elements i would give it a try but thats not always possible. like a whole different coop and dry run. ya, its just easier to pull them. she will continue to set if you take them as they hatch. guinea keets are not like chicken, they have to eat and drink fast or they wont make it. thats why mama leaves the eggs after the first few.

 

[cackler]

Very interesting. I think it would be fun to have them raised by their mama since this is the only time i have ever had them lay anywhere even near the coop. However broody chickens seem to be quite a bit more reliable.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

yes, it would be nice to watch, i agree

 

[nate1the1great1]

My guinea boys used to attack my ducks badly they almost killed my female they made her a naked duck so then i got rid of all of my guineas

 

[Tikkijane]

i have heard, dont know, that they are so protective that they sometimes kill them thinking they are protecting. if i had a spot where only mama and babys could stay out of the elements i would give it a try but thats not always possible. like a whole different coop and dry run. ya, its just easier to pull them. she will continue to set if you take them as they hatch. guinea keets are not like chicken, they have to eat and drink fast or they wont make it. thats why mama leaves the eggs after the first few.

I have a grow out coop, although mama and baby do just fine in with the bigs overall. I actually moved her and her one baby back at night.