Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[Chaneys Ranch]

Totally agree with broody hen idea! I found a nest in the guinea house this weekend, she has at least 13 eggs under her. Vicious lil rattlesnake, very determined lil guinea

She squeezed behind my 55 gallon feed barrel into the corner. So, I will be stealing keets in a few weeks, or eggs if the barrel is empty enough to move.
Anyone know much about color genetics, I have 2 shades of chocolates feathering in on some of my keets. Will try to get pictures.

 

[perchie.girl]

Totally agree with broody hen idea! I found a nest in the guinea house this weekend, she has at least 13 eggs under her. Vicious lil rattlesnake, very determined lil guinea

She squeezed behind my 55 gallon feed barrel into the corner. So, I will be stealing keets in a few weeks, or eggs if the barrel is empty enough to move.
Anyone know much about color genetics, I have 2 shades of chocolates feathering in on some of my keets. Will try to get pictures.

Id fence her off so no more guineas lay in her nest.... and leave her be.... use large sized holes so when the keets come out you can nab em without getting injured....

Talk Color Genetics with @PeepsCA if she is ever on line... Or look up some of her threads... She is amazing with color definition and identification.

deb

 

[pactricolor]

I have 15 Guinea Hens ( 7 weeks old) and 15 Chick Hens (6 weeks old). The Guinea's do not seem to want to free range, I have to chase them out of outside pen now, chicks come right out. Are they to dependent on the food? I am new to this. When I had them in garage they were in separate brooders beside each other. I would put them outside in separate chicken tractors because of size constraints. To get them in at night I enticed them with food. Then when they were together in coop and outside pen they stay separate. Chicks are going on roosts, Guinea's are on top of cage brooder in coop. Until permanent outside run done, I open coop and put food and water into temporary run. Guinea's come and eat then sit, chicken eat and go and free range. I chase Guinea's out and they go sit around. The Guinea's seem afraid of chicks but the chicks will go sit with them. Thank you in advance.

 

[leslea]

Just stopping by to say I am on keet watch...this weekend should be right about 28 days that my hen has been sitting on about 28 eggs. This is our first hatch of *anything ever* and I am kind of sick with eggcitement.

She and her mate are Royal Purples.

 

[leslea]

I have 15 Guinea Hens ( 7 weeks old) and 15 Chick Hens (6 weeks old). The Guinea's do not seem to want to free range, I have to chase them out of outside pen now, chicks come right out. Are they to dependent on the food? I am new to this. When I had them in garage they were in separate brooders beside each other. I would put them outside in separate chicken tractors because of size constraints. To get them in at night I enticed them with food. Then when they were together in coop and outside pen they stay separate. Chicks are going on roosts, Guinea's are on top of cage brooder in coop. Until permanent outside run done, I open coop and put food and water into temporary run. Guinea's come and eat then sit, chicken eat and go and free range. I chase Guinea's out and they go sit around. The Guinea's seem afraid of chicks but the chicks will go sit with them. Thank you in advance.

That seems pretty young still. I would let the guineas acclimate to their home. In time they will definitely go out and explore. You will be glad you trained them to come to you for food when it is time to put them in at night.

 

[BlueShadow]

I have been raising chickens a few years, but am new to guineas. We just got a batch of 17 Partridge Barnevelder chicks and 10 lavender, chocolate, and royal purple keets, they are doing GREAT (hatched Monday, so 5 days old now).

My question is about when to move them from the brooder house to the chicken coop. Our chicken coop currently houses our laying hens, so I do not want to depopulate that flock sooner than I need to. However, I really would like these guineas to live with the chickens, be coop trained, and come back to roost at night! When they are older, I don't mind if they fly out of the chicken yard and free range, as long as they come back at night.

Any helpful advice on when/how to best accomplish my goals? I have read various things from "get them in their permanent housing ASAP, preferably by 4 weeks, definitely by 6 weeks" to "as long as they are confined in the coop for 8 weeks they will come back to it" to "only let half of the birds out at once" (nice idea, just don't think I would be able to do it!)

 

[perchie.girl]

I have 15 Guinea Hens ( 7 weeks old) and 15 Chick Hens (6 weeks old). The Guinea's do not seem to want to free range, I have to chase them out of outside pen now, chicks come right out. Are they to dependent on the food? I am new to this. When I had them in garage they were in separate brooders beside each other. I would put them outside in separate chicken tractors because of size constraints. To get them in at night I enticed them with food. Then when they were together in coop and outside pen they stay separate. Chicks are going on roosts, Guinea's are on top of cage brooder in coop. Until permanent outside run done, I open coop and put food and water into temporary run. Guinea's come and eat then sit, chicken eat and go and free range. I chase Guinea's out and they go sit around. The Guinea's seem afraid of chicks but the chicks will go sit with them. Thank you in advance.

they are still pretty young and afraid of the outside world.... let them go out on their own. For what its worth At seven weeks Guineas can fly..... I mean shoot up in the air about six feet and fly. If they get frightened. I had to fish a seven week old off the roof one time. Right now its Safety in numbers.... Like I said before.... Guineas may act like chickens and do chickony things but they are NOT chickens....

And be aware they will prefer the highest roosts when they do start roosting. The best way to train them to come back to the coop is to use a bell or a whistle or a noise that carries when you offer them treats... That way when you need them all home later on that noise will call them from acres away.

I have eighteen acres of high desert Chaparal and Big Rocks. They would be off in the distance carrying on doing Guinea things.... but When I did my TREAT TREAT TREAT call... I could hear them Flying and talking amongst themselves they would arc up over the top of the house and come in for a landing in the yard.

give it time and be aware you may not be able to keep your guineas and Chickens to gether later on.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Just stopping by to say I am on keet watch...this weekend should be right about 28 days that my hen has been sitting on about 28 eggs. This is our first hatch of *anything ever* and I am kind of sick with eggcitement.

She and her mate are Royal Purples.

Oooh I love Royal Purples and their keets will look like they are wearing Shrug Sweaters once hatched.

deb

 

[BlueShadow]

give it time and be aware you may not be able to keep your guineas and Chickens to gether later on.

What sorts of troubles might I run into with guineas and chickens housed together, other than the guineas harassing roosters? I am not certain if we will keep any roosters with this new flock or not. I am planning to put up a new set of higher roosts for the guineas.

 

[perchie.girl]

I have been raising chickens a few years, but am new to guineas. We just got a batch of 17 Partridge Barnevelder chicks and 10 lavender, chocolate, and royal purple keets, they are doing GREAT (hatched Monday, so 5 days old now).

My question is about when to move them from the brooder house to the chicken coop. Our chicken coop currently houses our laying hens, so I do not want to depopulate that flock sooner than I need to. However, I really would like these guineas to live with the chickens, be coop trained, and come back to roost at night! When they are older, I don't mind if they fly out of the chicken yard and free range, as long as they come back at night.

Any helpful advice on when/how to best accomplish my goals? I have read various things from "get them in their permanent housing ASAP, preferably by 4 weeks, definitely by 6 weeks" to "as long as they are confined in the coop for 8 weeks they will come back to it" to "only let half of the birds out at once" (nice idea, just don't think I would be able to do it!)

it depends on your weather temps.... Guineas Grow Quick... I hope you are feeding them Game bird Starter because they need the higher protein. My Guinea Keets could fly six feet straight up by about two weeks... but that doesnt mean they dont need a brooder... just a lid...

As adults they will want high perches... I set my perches for them at six feet up... and If I had a higher coop they would have liked eight to ten feet up.... I even had a couple of roosters that would fly that high and roost with them. But you will find they pretty much keep to each other... While they are young.

Space is important when you keep chickens and guineas together... They may accept each other before the guineas reach sexual maturity but keep an eye on them next spring... Thats when Aggression appears.... when the Guineas start pairing off. getting through that and everything pretty much settles down.

But be aware always... Guineas are Not Chickens and when they attack they attack with the whole flock. Unlike chickens who go one on one.

I had success in keeping them together... My chickens out numbered the Guineas 3-1 and I had an all male flock of Guineas.

deb