Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[MeepBeep]

This has, unfortunately, brought a lot of gang activity and crime into our small farming towns!

Been there and done that, I'm up on the IL/WI border and it's still pretty urban in many areas, in the 90s Chicago/Illinois decided to 'urbanize' the inner city low income neighborhoods and residents they started knocking down the low income housing like Cabrini–Green and re-homing them into newly build government subsidized neighborhoods in the suburbs... As you have experienced the gangs, crime and basic 'thug life' came along for the ride...

 

[guineapeeps]

Been there and done that, I'm up on the IL/WI border and it's still pretty urban in many areas, in the 90s Chicago/Illinois decided to 'urbanize' the inner city low income neighborhoods and residents they started knocking down the low income housing like Cabrini–Green and re-homing them into newly build government subsidized neighborhoods in the suburbs... As you have experienced the gangs, crime and basic 'thug life' came along for the ride...

I think that is the plan for the whole country! (When Iowa expanded medicaid and public assistance people started flooding into the state....and the bad things are coming along for the ride here as well!)
In one of your previous posts you mentioned you wanted to retire in one of the "Bible Belt" states. I was curious what state your were thinking of and/or recommending? My husband grew up in Texas and we thought of eventually moving there (not having a state tax would be nice). We also lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee for 3 years and liked it there as well, but don't think we would move back there due to the crime. We don't plan to live in Iowa forever and would like to retire to a quiet, inexpensive, no state tax, state. It sounds like you've done your homework on good places to retire and wondered if you had any recommendations?

 

[MeepBeep]

In one of your previous posts you mentioned you wanted to retire in one of the "Bible Belt" states.  I was curious what state your were thinking of and/or recommending?

Probably just outside of IL, in say Kentucky, Tennessee or Missouri... But, I also have a draw to Louisiana, I don't know why but every time I visit I thoroughly enjoy the area, but so much changed after Katrina and crime has skyrocketed so the draw for Louisiana has lessened quite a bit over what it was...

A lot of people I know in my area have relocated to Tennessee already, and rant and rave about how much easier life is for them now...

 

[perchie.girl]

Was it Wisconsin or Minnesota that gets -50F below zero. or -46C

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

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people around me rant and rave about living in Mexico for their retirement years....

deb

 

[MeepBeep]

Was it Wisconsin or Minnesota  that gets -50F below zero.  or -46C

Both, can get that cold, even northern IL will get to -30°F and further with wind chill a few days each year on average...

 

[duluthralphie]

Both, can get that cold, even northern IL will get to -30°F and further with wind chill a few days each year on average...

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We consider 40 below a nice winter day. 50 below makes good ice for ice fishing though.

 

[perchie.girl]

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isnt that where you make snotcicles..... just by breathing..... Gimme 120 degrees before that....

deb

 

[MeepBeep]

We consider 40 below a nice winter day.  50 below makes good ice for ice fishing though.

Reminds me of a trip I took to Fargo, ND several years ago for a concert for one of the bands I was working for at the time... We show up at the venue for load in and it's something like -30°F without the wind chill and several of the local roadies were wearing cargo shorts, as if the street signs under the stop lights that read 'Red Means Stop" wasn't enough to make me believe I was in an alternate reality...

 

[Victoria-nola]

I would not get older birds to put with the keets. They would just start them on their life of crime and debauchery earlier than they will learn on their own. By the time you get the adults to stay at your place the keets would be 3-4 months old. Not worth the effort. I hated bringing in older birds. The only time it worked was when I had older birds here for them to bond with and after months in a cage.

A guinea in a cage is a worthless guinea. They need to free range to eat bugs and ticks. Also they do not protect the other birds much from inside a pen.

I doubt you will have much luck getting them to reproduce on there own, but others say it happens. I think I just have neer do well guineas. They refuse to have anything to do with a nest.

If you want good Guineas (an Oxymoron for sure) Try to graft them to a broody hen. It makes for the best Guineas...

Ok, Yes you and R2elk both recommend against adults so we won't do that. Yes, we want them specifically because they are such excellent tick foragers. And we don't mind that they are an alarm system.

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That's a good strategy for keeping them inside until after laying-- but are they like chickens where the laying happens an hour later each day until it starts over again in early morning? Sumatras sound great if only because the roos get along-- the friendliest chicks in my current batch, I mean, they approach me and are cuddly and affectionate, I'm afraid are all males. I may have 6 males out of the 10 chicks. I find this hard to deal with, the need to get rid of roosters. I've only had chickens for 4 years and so far have never made a meal of one. Having fantasies of our current roo accepting his offspring males.

I don't have any broody hens! Never in 4 years have I had a hen go broody. If I had, I would have let her sit and hatch and not used the incubator. So I don't think I can pass off guinea keets to any hens. Besides which, we don't want the guineas to free range the same area as the chickens, we want them actually *outside* the curtilage fence instead of inside like the chickens. But I hear you, and I am worried about the guineas being mean to the chickens.

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Ok, totally taking ya'lls advice and not going to get any adults, just let the keets find their way. Wow about the ostracism! Ok tiny keets-- are you saying they can walk out of 1" poultry wire? We'll have 1/2 hardware cloth as armor on the coop in any case. Thanks for the info on square footage, rafters, and hatch rates.

Free ranging: When we lived in rural Northern California our next door neighbor had guinea fowl that had totally naturalized-- they lived in his tall trees, reproduced on their own. He gave them grain each day, but that was all. They increased their numbers. I guess I was hoping it would be possible to have that happen for us, but everyone keeps saying it's impossible. For sure we've got predators of all kinds here (Southwest Mississippi). Have not lived here long so just getting everything established.

Thanks again, everyone. Any advice anyone thinks of, please feel free!