Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[Victoria-nola]

Quote: Excellent, thank you, Ralphie, and thanks for the info on your humidity levels. I'm just thankful all my keets are still thriving and happy.
--V

 

[Mysterious]

Guineas are great in areas that do not allow roosters.

After hearing the guineas no neighbor would complain about a rooster again.

Turn the volume up to get the full effect..

Here they are resting in the coop. nice and calm...

That's how u tell the city to stop banning roosters.

 

[duluthralphie]

That's how u tell the city to stop banning roosters.

Yeppers.. You tell them you will get rid of the Guineas if they allow roosters..They will jump on the chance to just have roosters!

 

[Mysterious]

Yeppers.. You tell them you will get rid of the Guineas if they allow roosters..They will jump on the chance to just have roosters!

Exactly

 

[generaldsherman]

How long does it take to tell if a guinea egg is viable? Got 16 from my aunt. the last guinea hen she has left has already let 3 chicks die from cold and she wanted me to incubate the other eggs. (Her flock was attacked 2 weeks ago. We thought the hens were all goners but one was sitting on a clutch of eggs in the field). It seems like one egg is within a few days of hatching and 6 more show clear development at different stages. Can't see a thing in 9 of them, but I thought maybe it was too soon to see anything.
BTW: broody guinea hens are scary. I'm glad there was a tractor part between me and the hen after I stole her eggs. She was nesting under the tractor attachment, and I pushed her off the nest from the back. Glad I pushed her rear. MAN she was mad....

 

[cabinchicky]

How long does it take to tell if a guinea egg is viable? Got 16 from my aunt. the last guinea hen she has left has already let 3 chicks die from cold and she wanted me to incubate the other eggs. (Her flock was attacked 2 weeks ago. We thought the hens were all goners but one was sitting on a clutch of eggs in the field). It seems like one egg is within a few days of hatching and 6 more show clear development at different stages. Can't see a thing in 9 of them, but I thought maybe it was too soon to see anything.
BTW: broody guinea hens are scary. I'm glad there was a tractor part between me and the hen after I stole her eggs. She was nesting under the tractor attachment, and I pushed her off the nest from the back. Glad I pushed her rear. MAN she was mad....

You are one brave or your crazy to get near a broody guinea in my opinion. I won't get near my two without body armor and motorcycle goggles anymore. Those birds are crazy evil ninjas!

 

[duluthralphie]

How long does it take to tell if a guinea egg is viable? Got 16 from my aunt. the last guinea hen she has left has already let 3 chicks die from cold and she wanted me to incubate the other eggs. (Her flock was attacked 2 weeks ago. We thought the hens were all goners but one was sitting on a clutch of eggs in the field). It seems like one egg is within a few days of hatching and 6 more show clear development at different stages. Can't see a thing in 9 of them, but I thought maybe it was too soon to see anything.
BTW: broody guinea hens are scary. I'm glad there was a tractor part between me and the hen after I stole her eggs. She was nesting under the tractor attachment, and I pushed her off the nest from the back. Glad I pushed her rear. MAN she was mad....

It depends on the egg.

How long have they been in the incubator?

I have not (knocking on wood) had a guinea egg explode on me yet in the incubator. That does not mean they can't. The shells just seem tougher than most shells (even turkey eggs have done bad things to me).

Guinea eggs are the hardest I have to candle. by day 18 I can see in them but I am not always sure of their development. I moved 77 to the hatcher the other day. One looked like it might have been a quitter but I could not really tell, the blood was still red and in vessels. It almost looked like it was 5-6 days behind the rest. BUT I could not tell for sure.


I know this is the longest "non-answer" in history. I was just trying to relate how hard they are to see in. I will tell you in a couple days if I was right or wrong. Usually I can get it pretty close, I just hatched 20 eggs, one I marked as a "not gonna hatch" but was unsure it did not hatch. Another one was a late quitter internal pip and died. The rest all hatched.

 

[generaldsherman]

It depends on the egg.

How long have they been in the incubator?

I have not  (knocking on wood)  had a guinea egg explode on me yet in the incubator.  That does not mean they can't. The shells just seem tougher than most shells (even turkey eggs have done bad things to me).

Guinea eggs are the hardest I have to candle. by day 18 I can see in them but I am not always sure of their development.   I moved 77 to the hatcher the other day.  One looked like it might have been a quitter but I could not really tell, the blood was still red and in vessels.  It almost looked like it was 5-6 days behind the rest.  BUT I could not tell for sure.


I know this is the longest "non-answer" in history.  I was just trying to relate how hard they are to see in.   I will tell you in a couple days if I was right or wrong. Usually I can get it pretty close, I just hatched 20 eggs, one I marked as a "not gonna hatch" but was unsure it did not hatch. Another one was a late quitter internal pip and died. The rest all hatched.

just stuck them in yesterday. Figured I'd give them another week and candle again before deciding anything

 

[duluthralphie]

just stuck them in yesterday. Figured I'd give them another week and candle again before deciding anything

I doubt you will see anything in a week. I normally leave turkey and guinea eggs for at least 14 days before I candle. I will throw chicken eggs at 14 days, I would never throw them at 14 days. they are just too hard to see into.



BTW I lost a guinea yesterday. My wife and I went to town last night around 7pm and we saw a dead guinea on the edge of the road about 1/8 mile down the road. It appears it was a robbery gone awry. From what I can piece together, the guineas laid in wait for a Brinks truck. When the truck came by this one stepped in front of the truck to stop it so the others could open the locked rear doors.


Apparently this driver had seen this move before by these little gangsters and stepped on it hitting and killing my Guinea. After the FBI left I asked my guineas what they knew about this. For the first time in history a deafening silence came over them.


It is a good thing I have 20 replacements being raised by a turkey and chicken at this time and another 11 eggs under a hen.

 

[harley587]

I doubt you will see anything in a week. I normally leave turkey and guinea eggs for at least 14 days before I candle. I will throw chicken eggs at 14 days, I would never throw them at 14 days. they are just too hard to see into.



BTW I lost a guinea yesterday. My wife and I went to town last night around 7pm and we saw a dead guinea on the edge of the road about 1/8 mile down the road. It appears it was a robbery gone awry. From what I can piece together, the guineas laid in wait for a Brinks truck. When the truck came by this one stepped in front of the truck to stop it so the others could open the locked rear doors.


Apparently this driver had seen this move before by these little gangsters and stepped on it hitting and killing my Guinea. After the FBI left I asked my guineas what they knew about this. For the first time in history a deafening silence came over them.


It is a good thing I have 20 replacements being raised by a turkey and chicken at this time and another 11 eggs under a hen.

A defining silence...they were just showing you that none of them are snitches!

Sorry to hear about your guinea though...