Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[coturnixlover]

Is it really true that the guines must be cooped until they are 12 weeks old

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

No, if they are raised with other fowl like chickens, they stay with the flock. They are just a little more confused about where the door is to get back in the coop. I always take eggs and hatch mine with other poultry so they have tutors.

 

[coturnixlover]

I don't raise mine with other fowl. On what age can I open the door ? And on 16 February they will be cooped for 6 wks

 

[JimArcher]

We had a pair of guineas in Colombia, South America. The male guarded the female while she was incubating in the flower garden. Just like a gander. I had a hen that hatched 2 or three guinea chicks from this pair's eggs. The male knew they were guinea chicks so he went around with the hen and chicks. When the guinea hatched hers (in a rainstorm - they had to be saved from a flooded nest by my parents), the male, his female, their 16 chicks, and the hen with her 2 or 3, always went around together, The male brooded the chicks at night and was a great father.The guineas used to fly across the big chainlink fence (about 8 or 8 feet high) and forage in the woods and grassland for the day.At night they all flew across the fence and came home to roost. Great birds.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

My younger flock is pretty much "wild" and do roost with the chickens at night, but are in the fields and all over the woods during the day. We sure don't have ants, ticks or bumble bees around much anymore, pretty happy about that. I like best what alarms they can be when a stray dog comes around or a predator.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I don't raise mine with other fowl. On what age can I open the door ? And on 16 February they will be cooped for 6 wks

Start training them now to come to a call. Some people put millet or scratch in a can, and call ginny ginny ginny but its whatever you decide to use. Toss out the feed a little keep shaking it in the can, and calling them. Once they realize your call means food you can start them free ranging, only let half out the first few days. They catch on fairly fast. This has worked with all my young birds in most of my poultry, and waterfowl too.

 

[Pennae]

when am i able to let my guinea fowl out to free range there about 2 months old

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

when am i able to let my guinea fowl out to free range there about 2 months old

They are ready, do you have a method to call them back? If not start teaching before you do. every day twice a day, make a call, it can be your voice saying ginny ginny ginny, a bell, does not really matter but loud enough they hear it. When you call them, feed them a treat. After a week or so they know that means food and will come running.
Then, you can let a small group out each day. Eventually after a week or so, they are ready. Good luck!

 

[Pennae]

They are ready, do you have a method to call them back? If not start teaching before you do. every day twice a day, make a call, it can be your voice saying ginny ginny ginny, a bell, does not really matter but loud enough they hear it. When you call them, feed them a treat. After a week or so they know that means food and will come running.
Then, you can let a small group out each day. Eventually after a week or so, they are ready. Good luck!

even if there are hawks, goannas and snakes

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: If you have predatory issues then you have to decide, do I free range or pen? I am not sure what a goanna is. Hawks really depends on the size birds they are. Snakes are unlikely to get a guinea, but depends where you live. I don't have a large enough snake here to take on guineas, they usually eat them.