Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[perchie.girl]

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even better

 

[charid]

So I have just started out with chicks and got talked into a keet as the hubby thought the parents were awesome. What have I gotten myself into?? lol

Too funny.

 

[charid]

I am doubting the structure that I have built to contain my guineas at night. I have 18 birds and a 10' X 12' X 9' tall pen. The roof and ...box thingy for winter... was to be constructed this morning but down pour intervened. Anyway as I look at the coop it seems very small. I just dont know. Right now they are in temporary housing. A raccoon killed all of my original 6. Fortunately I had found a nest and now have 18 babies.

Permanent housing -

Temporary housing 1 (until coop construction is completed) -

Temporary housing 2 -

The small ones will move into temporary house 1 in a week when the big ones move to coop.

They will be free range like their folks. I guess if need be I can add on. I hope its adequate for the first year at least...

 

[charid]

Forgot...can anyone recommend where to buy 25-28% protein feed? I asked local agri if they would order it but he said they dont do that. Not sure if buying feed off amazon is safe. Currently have only found 24%, supplement with boiled eggs, mealworm, and spinach.

 

[Victoria-nola]

Forgot...can anyone recommend where to buy 25-28% protein feed? I asked local agri if they would order it but he said they dont do that. Not sure if buying feed off amazon is safe. Currently have only found 24%, supplement with boiled eggs, mealworm, and spinach.

I just ordered the following 28% and feel very confident, I've ordered lots of feed online:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NJDCGM0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Locally I could only get MannaPro Gamebird/Showbird 24% which I've been supplementing. The feed I bought via Amazon meets my criteria for quality feed (organic, nonsoy, nutritionally advanced) I can feel good about for longterm, except I have to order it online and it's not cheap. So I don't know what my longterm solution is going to be. One thing is that I was told here on this forum that adult guineas usually don't eat a lot of feed and mainly feed themselves free-ranging, so it may be that this feed will work simply because they won't demand too much of it, and also was told that in summer and fall I can drop the feed quality back to normal chicken feed, so that will help a lot. (I buy my chicken feed through a membership buying club called AzureStandard.com which if you're on one of their routes, is a great source for organic/natural food and products.)

--Victoria

 

[Victoria-nola]

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Ok great, thank you! Glad to hear about all of this, thank you so much.

Length of time suggested to keep the guineas confined seems to vary a lot.

 

[duluthralphie]

Ok great, thank you! Glad to hear about all of this, thank you so much.

Length of time suggested to keep the guineas confined seems to vary a lot.

I think it might have to do with the age of the Guineas and the history of the person owning guineas and whether they have had trouble keeping the little outlaws from trespassing, Or as in my case playing "chicken" with the Brinks trucks.

 

[duluthralphie]

I am doubting the structure that I have built to contain my guineas at night. I have 18 birds and a 10' X 12' X 9' tall pen. The roof and ...box thingy for winter... was to be constructed this morning but down pour intervened. Anyway as I look at the coop it seems very small. I just dont know. Right now they are in temporary housing. A raccoon killed all of my original 6. Fortunately I had found a nest and now have 18 babies.

Permanent housing -

Temporary housing 1 (until coop construction is completed) -

Temporary housing 2 - The small ones will move into temporary house 1 in a week when the big ones move to coop.

They will be free range like their folks. I guess if need be I can add on. I hope its adequate for the first year at least...

Please feel free to bring your lumber, tools and skills and coming here to "teach" me how to build one like this. I will sign your community service slip if you need one signed ( after all you are a guinea parent )






That means I really like the coop!

 

[postalpoultry]

well I think your pen looks great! It will certainly sacrifice until they get alittle bigger and thats all you where tryin for so GOOD JOB! By the way I know this sounds insane but I was having an issue with neighborhood dogs and I had ENOUGH so I laid out about $500 and surrounded this place with 42" tall welded wire a couple of years ago the holes are 3 and 4 inches wide so guinea or chickens ect could go through it if they wanted but for some reason nobody does!!! I'm not sure if I have super smart birds that know they are safe or if I have super dumb birds LOL but it works for me

 

[duluthralphie]

well I think your pen looks great! It will certainly sacrifice until they get alittle bigger and thats all you where tryin for so GOOD JOB! By the way I know this sounds insane but I was having an issue with neighborhood dogs and I had ENOUGH so I laid out about $500 and surrounded this place with 42" tall welded wire a couple of years ago the holes are 3 and 4 inches wide so guinea or chickens ect could go through it if they wanted but for some reason nobody does!!! I'm not sure if I have super smart birds that know they are safe or if I have super dumb birds LOL but it works for me

I am pretty sure my birds would strip the wire off the poles and sell it with the copper wire they get from stealing telephone lines.