Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[bbelflower]

Ok my guinea hens have FINALLY hatched 3 of her 30 eggs. Am I suppose to take them away from her now that they've hatched and are all fuzzy and dry OR does she keep them and feed them???

 

[perchie.girl]

Ok my guinea hens have FINALLY hatched 3 of her 30 eggs. Am I suppose to take them away from her now that they've hatched and are all fuzzy and dry OR does she keep them and feed them???

If it were me.... Id keep em together if the hen is in an enclosure of her own like a broody partition. Its when the hens go out to forage that the littleuns get forgotten...

shes probably got more pipin and working on getting out... Give it two more days... Unless shes already hopped off the nest.

deb

 

[bbelflower]

Well she's under some junk. She didn't stay in her enclosure to lay the eggs. I've started collecting them and now have 7 in a brooder. All is well so far....

 

[perchie.girl]

Well she's under some junk. She didn't stay in her enclosure to lay the eggs. I've started collecting them and now have 7 in a brooder. All is well so far....

Awesome.... she will stick and hatch and wont see you grabbing them up....

deb

 

[bbelflower]

Not anymore keets so far this evening so we are still at 7!! They are all eating and drinking and I introduced crushed meal worms

to the scratch all scattered on a clean motel bath mat.

love my babies!!!

 

[perchie.girl]

Not anymore keets so far this evening so we are still at 7!! They are all eating and drinking and I introduced crushed meal worms

to the scratch all scattered on a clean motel bath mat.

love my babies!!!

if you give them something other than starter food, you need to give em some grit.... actually a clump of sod is supposed to help with beneficial bacterial and grit all at the same time.

With out grit they cant chew the crunchy bits...

deb

 

[bbelflower]

I didn't mean scratch but actually chick starter. BUT you mean put a clump of dirt in there for them too??

 

[perchie.girl]

I didn't mean scratch but actually chick starter. BUT you mean put a clump of dirt in there for them too??

actually a chunk of dirt.... they will mess with it a little taste it a little...

But seriously you should be feeding them Game bird starter... its higher in protien and has more of the vitimines and minerals they need for their RAPID growth.... You can compensate some with hardboiled egg finely chopped.... I mean very finely chopped. I wouldnt feed meal worms at all in any manner till they are a week or so old. We are talking newborn babies... Who only got egg yolk to eat for the past 28 days...

so Game bird starter or Chick starter if you have to with added hardboiled egg for more protien.... for at least that first week. Then you can start with some crushed meal worms and grit ..... Or a clump of garden dirt...

I know someone that does the clump of dirt and her chicks never get sick. A broody would be having them out on dirt right away....

deb

 

[a crime most]

We have had guineas for a little over two weeks now and I just want to add that a large fishing net might be something that you want to get if you plan on getting guineas, we have had ours get out now and again and a net makes things so much easier it's ridiculous. Another thing about guineas is that they seem to like to roam for a good while if they get out too soon after being purchased. Our guineas ran off after I accidently let them out of the pen on a Sunday and we didn't see them again till Thursday, we thought they were dead for sure (unfortunately one of our five guineas didn't come back and I found a trail of feathers leading off to the woods, that's never good) but the rest just came walking back into our yard looking skinnier then when they left.

 

[perchie.girl]

Catch nets are a godsend.... I bought mine at Walmart.... the kind you use to bring in fish you have caught on a hook. they have an extendable handle and for me who has limited mobility the ONLY way I can catch a guinea or a chicken...

Oh and dont use poultry hooks on Guineas unless you are very very careful...

deb