Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[Tikkijane]

The Northwestern part of Washington State may be similar. I grew up in the Southeastern part of Washington state which can be very hot in the summer with snow in the winter, but the NW part (Puget Sound area) may be similar in climate and is very nice. I would avoid Seattle.....it rains a lot, is crowded, and expensive. Port Angeles area is nice, as is Anacortes, Port Townsend, and some of those area islands. The land is more expensive in that part of the state but will probably be considerably less than California.

Even the Yakima Valley area {Sunnyside; Prosser} is super spendy. And because it's desert, hay costs are high. The last time I priced hay, it was literally 4 times higher there than it is here.

And Wa- no state income tax {like Texas, but legal marijuana, if that matters.

Once you cross west of the Mississippi River {St. Louis, Mo} WATER become am actual issue. Take that part of Wa, for example. Sure, you've got the rivers, but even if you dig your own well, you are limited to how much you can use {it's like an acrea domestically} unless you have water rights. Same goes for NM, except the water there in places is so hard the full mineral content doesn't even register {volcanic rock} because it maxes out on test strips right away.

But ya. Stay away from Seattle. Land is hard to come by anyhow, and they are really proud of their prices. Not necessarily as proud as, say, California, but pretty close.

 

[Tikkijane]

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

deb

Minnesota.... lololol

 

[Tikkijane]

ok, I'll think on this.  But:

I know this isn't a guinea topic, but do you have more than one rooster out and about with access to other roosters?  I'm already in love with a couple of the 3-week old cockerels, they are just so charming to me. I love all of the chicks, every single one (10 total) has made a connection with me, and I remember certain ones of them (the 2 main cockerels among them) from the hatch itself. I really would like to keep at least a couple of them. Sorry if I sound whiny, but this is beginning to seriously trouble me.

I do. I usually have at least 15 boys. Right now, I've only got 5 large fowl boys. I have a ton of cockerels right now in my bantams, but I recently lost a lot of them {stray dog we kept for a few years but rehomed because he went off the rails} so I need to take a head count at some point. They usually get along fine with each other and the guineas and ducks.

 

[duluthralphie]

Minnesota.... lololol

''Sure laugh at our temps, But it slows the mosquitoes down for a little bit in the middle of the winter....

 

[guineapeeps]

Even the Yakima Valley area {Sunnyside; Prosser} is super spendy. And because it's desert, hay costs are high. The last time I priced hay, it was literally 4 times higher there than it is here.

And Wa- no state income tax {like Texas, but legal marijuana, if that matters.

Once you cross west of the Mississippi River {St. Louis, Mo} WATER become am actual issue. Take that part of Wa, for example. Sure, you've got the rivers, but even if you dig your own well, you are limited to how much you can use {it's like an acrea domestically} unless you have water rights. Same goes for NM, except the water there in places is so hard the full mineral content doesn't even register {volcanic rock} because it maxes out on test strips right away.

But ya. Stay away from Seattle. Land is hard to come by anyhow, and they are really proud of their prices. Not necessarily as proud as, say, California, but pretty close.

Did you grow up and/or live in that area? I grew up in the Walla Walla valley. It was mostly wheat, onions, and asparagus when I lived there, but has turned into nothing but wineries....I think there are around 300 in the area now! The farmland there is good but completely useless if you don't get irrigation rights, which are hard to come by anymore. When I lived there, hay was around $80 to $100 per ton, but my dad says its double that now (he still lives there). From what I hear, the crime rate and gang activity in the Yakima area is terrible, so I would not live there if you paid me. In fact, I don't think I would ever move back to Washington state...its very pretty in some areas, but the greater Seattle area decides the the agenda for the rest of the state! I normally would not advocate for people to move there but made the suggestion because the weather on the west side of the state would be similar to some areas in the UK, and if you look hard enough, there may be a few rural areas where it is still a decent place to live!

 

[Tikkijane]

ok, I'll think on this.  But:

I know this isn't a guinea topic, but do you have more than one rooster out and about with access to other roosters?  I'm already in love with a couple of the 3-week old cockerels, they are just so charming to me. I love all of the chicks, every single one (10 total) has made a connection with me, and I remember certain ones of them (the 2 main cockerels among them) from the hatch itself. I really would like to keep at least a couple of them. Sorry if I sound whiny, but this is beginning to seriously trouble me.

Ahhhh, I'm from Mi. I actually love Mn. I'd move there in a heartbeat! I've not had good luck convincing my Ca hubby, though.

 

[Tikkijane]

Did you grow up and/or live in that area? I grew up in the Walla Walla valley. It was mostly wheat, onions, and asparagus when I lived there, but has turned into nothing but wineries....I think there are around 300 in the area now!  The farmland there is good  but completely useless if you don't get irrigation rights, which are hard to come by anymore.  When I  lived there, hay was around $80 to $100 per ton, but my dad says its double that now (he still lives there).  From what I hear, the crime rate and gang activity in the Yakima area is terrible, so I would not live there if you paid me.  In fact, I don't think I would ever move back to Washington state...its very pretty in some areas, but the greater Seattle area decides the the agenda for the rest of the state!  I normally would not advocate for people to move there but made the suggestion because the weather on the west side of the state would be similar to some areas in the UK, and if you look hard enough, there may be a few rural areas where it is still a decent place to live!

My hubby has been working in Sunnyside {living in Prosser} for the last 2.5 years. I've made numerous trips there, at several weeks at a time. We considered moving there- looked at several houses, etc. One of the bigger issues is hay- now it's at least $200 a ton. We've got 7 horses. I just can't see moving the farm that direction, especially since I LOVE it here. We lived in the desert in NM for over 17 years, and I HATED the climate. Give me rain and snow any day!

At any rate, they are supposed to move him to the Idaho region for the last year. Looks like it will happen next month, they say. Wa is a no-go. Could not pay me to live there!

 

[guineapeeps]

My hubby has been working in Sunnyside {living in Prosser} for the last 2.5 years. I've made numerous trips there, at several weeks at a time. We considered moving there- looked at several houses, etc. One of the bigger issues is hay- now it's at least $200 a ton. We've got 7 horses. I just can't see moving the farm that direction, especially since I LOVE it here. We lived in the desert in NM for over 17 years, and I HATED the climate. Give me rain and snow any day!

At any rate, they are supposed to move him to the Idaho region for the last year. Looks like it will happen next month, they say. Wa is a no-go. Could not pay me to live there!

That has got to be hard, having him work/live so far away...hopefully it will all work out for both of you! I like Idaho and would probably move there if I had the chance, depending on the area, of course! Northern Idaho is very nice.....I like the Sandpoint area. Coeur d' Alene is really pretty too but has gotten touristy and crowded. There are still quite a few decent places to live in Idaho and, overall, it is still a pretty quiet and conservative place to live. I think it is a whole lot better than the Prosser/Sunnyside area which grows good apples and cherries, but not much else going for it anymore!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Just one horse here.... Bermuda here is 17 dollars a bale.... 3 strand 125 lbs. I go trough ten bales a month. Baby girl needs to keep up her strength....VBG so hay here is appx 340 a ton.

feed prices is a big issue on choosing where to live as well. and not all feeds are available in all places. Regional differences and the availability of having a feed mill close by would be one of my chriteria.

deb

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

I am not recommending NE, weather wise would be very different from England. But jumping in on cost comparisons. Land here is still expensive, roughly 1500 an acre of pasture, crop land is much higher. We do not have to worry about water very much, we have the aquifer.
Hay varies by quality. The best goes about $110 a ton, alfalfa. Brome grass is $75 a ton.