Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[perchie.girl]

I am pretty much the same way to all my poultry... I care for them try to keep them safe but dont get too upset when I loose one. but I have lost many critters over 61 years The big ones for me are the horses and dogs. You can never replace them only find one that fills another new niche in your heart.


I think thats the beauty of having a flock because you really dont have individuals you have a group. With group dynamics and all its nuance and comics and the Alphas and the Betas and everything in between. I think Guinea personality is awesome because the flock dynamics is so different from chickens. My plan is to do like Ralphie though my layout will be somewhat different 25 x 100 run Lots of height protected by net. because I may not be able to free range.

deb

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I had the same flock of 30 some guinea for 3 years. Mine are always locked up tight at night. I train them to come in to eat in the evening, so they would coop up just like chickens This spring, I started to see numbers decline. Mom went through heart surgery, and without being home much, I discovered I was down to 1 cock.

Theres a small hawk breed here that was picking them off. And an owl that was hunting before dark.

I had a small group of eggs set and purchased more from a good breeder I knew. So, we rebuilt. If I can't be home and actively outdoors I will not release them for free range anymore.

 

[Mysterious]

Never order from cackle hatchery for Guineas, I got 6 and already 4 have died I'm so mad.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I ordered 30 last summer through efowl and they came from cackle. They sent 32 and 2 died. Sorry about your luck.

 

[duluthralphie]

Never order from cackle hatchery for Guineas, I got 6 and already 4 have died I'm so mad.

INHO.... 6 is not very many, Keets like to die, you actually need more. Keets are very fragile, if they get wet or cold they die. If they get too hot, they die, if you look at them too much, they die... If you do not look at them enough they die.

I do not lose many or did not this year, I raise them in batches of 30 or more, I put feed and water in and leave them alone and they turn into the perfect little sociopathic schizophrenic guineas all on their own.

 

[redsoxs]

INHO....  6 is not very many, Keets like to die, you actually need more.  Keets are very fragile, if they get wet or cold they die. If they get too hot, they die, if you look at them too much, they die...  If you do not look at them enough they die.

I do not lose many or did not this year,  I raise them in batches of 30 or more,  I put feed and water in and leave them alone and they turn into the perfect little sociopathic schizophrenic guineas all   on their own.

I'm not laughing at guineas dying but your description of what makes them die made me smile.

 

[cabinchicky]

INHO....  6 is not very many, Keets like to die, you actually need more.  Keets are very fragile, if they get wet or cold they die. If they get too hot, they die, if you look at them too much, they die...  If you do not look at them enough they die.

I do not lose many or did not this year,  I raise them in batches of 30 or more,  I put feed and water in and leave them alone and they turn into the perfect little sociopathic schizophrenic guineas all   on their own.

I'm not laughing at guineas dying but your description of what makes them die made me smile.

Ralphie has the best posts, I love his humor!

 

[harley587]

Ralphie has the best posts, I love his humor!

Soooo very true cabinchicky!!!

 

[charid]

@duluthralphie

Yea. I try to stay detached but all that changed when I hatched my own eggs and had to nurse a sick one. My batch was unusually curious I think because of my lingering presence. I will never hatch my own eggs unless my numbers become greatly reduced again.

And these guys still walk right up to me. They are 6 wks now, not sure of age in pics.

Their dad, Tink, same way. Come right up and tilt his head cock eyed. But then I got 9 older babies that would break their legs before letting me near them. I never intervened with them.

Much easier to observe from a distance.

 

[Nickeyo]

Anyone have any ideas on how to get Guinea fowl to perch in trees at night. I'm trying to train my guineas to live out in an old oak tree at night (my only predator is the red fox) but they don't want to go up, they all stand outside the run at the bottom of the tree and wait to be let in, there are some chickens mixed in with them and the chickens all go into the tree but the guineas don't, at all, they will still be down when it's almost pitch black so I end up having to let them in the run. Any ideas on how to solve this???