Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[BantyChooks]

  Guineas are contrary birds. they will like anything you do not want them to like.


There is a person on here @BantyChooks
  Talk to her about guineas. She had them for a short time. Many people have them a SHORT time.

He speaks truth.

I had read up on guineas, fully planned on them not setting foot in the coop after they were grown, and I was fine with that. Guess what? My guineas wouldn't go OUT of the coop!!

They would go into screaming hysterics if chased out, the only time they would go out was when I let the chooks out, which completely made the guineas useless. I wanted to have them be free range and my chooks stay penned.

Lost quite a bit of money on them, but I was so sick of them trying to kill my birds I didn't care.

Best of luck!

 

[BiophiliaDJT]

Guineas like to roost 15-40 ft in the air, not 3-4.

Guineas would not take kindly to being moved like a common chicken in a tractor.

They do great in a garden if allowed to come and go. Guineas are contrary birds. they will like anything you do not want them to like.

They will attack other birds, dogs, cats and almost anything. They are fearless.

They really need a lot of room to roam. A tractor would not be good for them.


Read this ad from Craigslist. It is not mine but I got a chuckle out of it

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/csw/grd/5918291881.html

I am not sure you are prepared for the guinea adventure. When Breeding season comes Guinea behavior goes from contrary to rude, mean and dangerous to other critters.

There is a person on here @BantyChooks Talk to her about guineas. She had them for a short time. Many people have them a SHORT time.

How close are your neighbors? If it is not 1/4 mile or your neighbors do not mind the noise I would say do not get them, I have seen mine over 1/4 mile from the coop. Training a guinea does not happen..\

Sorry if this seems cruel but it is a fact. I have a friend that got guineas from me, until they decided to have a turkey dinner. A turkey is no match for guineas... They are the piranha of the bird world.

I may have to increase the height of the tractor in that case, but I think you misunderstood. The tractor isn't going to be the run, just a unit to move them from run to run, which will be quite large and will have perches if they decide to roost outside. The tractor is a way I can move them all at once instead of having to catch them by hand. They will not be kept with other birds as I am aware of their aggression and tenacity. The will be (predominantly) meat birds and a source of pest control.

 

[BiophiliaDJT]

He speaks truth.

I had read up on guineas, fully planned on them not setting foot in the coop after they were grown, and I was fine with that. Guess what? My guineas wouldn't go OUT of the coop!!

They would go into screaming hysterics if chased out, the only time they would go out was when I let the chooks out, which completely made the guineas useless. I wanted to have them be free range and my chooks stay penned.

Lost quite a bit of money on them, but I was so sick of them trying to kill my birds I didn't care.

Best of luck!

Thank you! I posted a reply to him but it is apparently awaiting moderation. New members are a bit hamstrung on here.

The gist of it was, though, that the tractor is not their home, just a unit to move them to the much larger (but still enclosed) runs, where they will spend the majority of their time. The runs will have perches for those that prefer to roost outside, but I want to have a method via which the whole flock may be moved at once.

 

[BantyChooks]

Should have added.... The major mistake I made was keeping them penned in the same spot whilst young for too long. Move 'em a bunch and maybe they'll be less neurotic....

 

[BantyChooks]

Thank you! I posted a reply to him but it is apparently awaiting moderation. New members are a bit hamstrung on here.

The gist of it was, though, that the tractor is not their home, just a unit to move them to the much larger (but still enclosed) runs, where they will spend the majority of their time. The runs will have perches for those that prefer to roost outside, but I want to have a method via which the whole flock may be moved at once.

Lol, they sure are, it's just to prevent spam tho. Keep posting and limits will be lifted in no time

That sounds more doable, but how are you getting the guineas to go in a coop? Food?

 

[BiophiliaDJT]

Lol, they sure are, it's just to prevent spam tho. Keep posting and limits will be lifted in no time

That sounds more doable, but how are you getting the guineas to go in a coop? Food?

Thought so! Still, I want my lists done and so far the only thing Ive been allowed to add is african geese, which is a little annoying.

And yes, I figure putting food in the coop for the days before the move will encourage them to enter, wherein I can close them up and move them out.

 

[BiophiliaDJT]

Should have added.... The major mistake I made was keeping them penned in the same spot whilst young for too long. Move 'em a bunch and maybe they'll be less neurotic....

Ive read that they tend to be like that. Ill raise them with a lot of coop time, but enough outside time that they don't get to attached.

 

[duluthralphie]

Sorry, I was out gathering frozen eggs and begging my Guineas to not peck my eyes out for being to slow in feeding them.

Other might have different experiences, in my case guineas do not respond to food as a motivator if there are bugs to eat. They only want what I give them during the winter months. I have a true winter here. During the summer they refuse to do anything I want.

If I give the turkeys or chickens treats, they might come over and they might not. I think it is as much to keep the turkeys and chickens from having the treats as it is to get the treats.

I have labs, huge 100 pound labs, the gentlest dogs known to mankind. One of my labs was lying on her back about 15 ft from where I was feeding treats to the chickens and turkeys. The dog was just minding her own business maybe scratching her back on the grass.

A guinea decided the turkeys were no fun to harass so it ran over to the dog and jumped on her stomach just to tick the dog off or because the dog was too comfortable. The Dog jumped up the Guinea flew off. The dog had that "what the H" look on her face.


I am not against anyone having guineas, I love them. I hatch and sell 500 a year (I am a NPIP hatchery) I just do not want people to have false impressions of what they are getting. I can tell you I get about 8-10 calls a year from people wanting me to take the guineas back,,,Not get a refund, just take them back.

I cannot do that as it is illegal for me to take a bird back once it is touched by someone else...


I just do not think the pen to pen idea sounds feasible..

Sorry it took so long, The birds really wanted to see me and the feed I brought them.






Edited to add: If you have owls and raise them outside they will get picked off. I am down to 3 left from last years breeders. Luckily I have 30 more for this year.

 

[BiophiliaDJT]

Sorry, I was out gathering frozen eggs and begging my Guineas to not peck my eyes out for being to slow in feeding them.

Other might have different experiences, in my case guineas do not respond to food as a motivator if there are bugs to eat. They only want what I give them during the winter months. I have a true winter here. During the summer they refuse to do anything I want.

If I give the turkeys or chickens treats, they might come over and they might not. I think it is as much to keep the turkeys and chickens from having the treats as it is to get the treats.

I have labs, huge 100 pound labs, the gentlest dogs known to mankind. One of my labs was lying on her back about 15 ft from where I was feeding treats to the chickens and turkeys. The dog was just minding her own business maybe scratching her back on the grass.

A guinea decided the turkeys were no fun to harass so it ran over to the dog and jumped on her stomach just to tick the dog off or because the dog was too comfortable. The Dog jumped up the Guinea flew off. The dog had that "what the H" look on her face.


I am not against anyone having guineas, I love them. I hatch and sell 500 a year (I am a NPIP hatchery) I just do not want people to have false impressions of what they are getting. I can tell you I get about 8-10 calls a year from people wanting me to take the guineas back,,,Not get a refund, just take them back.

I cannot do that as it is illegal for me to take a bird back once it is touched by someone else...


I just do not think the pen to pen idea sounds feasible..

Sorry it took so long, The birds really wanted to see me and the feed I brought them.






Edited to add: If you have owls and raise them outside they will get picked off. I am down to 3 left from last years breeders. Luckily I have 30 more for this year.

The guineas come first of course, late replies are just fine if ya have birds to care for.
And we do have owls, and hawks. Thats why there will be netting over the runs.

 

[duluthralphie]

The guineas come first of course, late replies are just fine if ya have birds to care for.
And we do have owls, and hawks. Thats why there will be netting over the runs.

I have a pen. I use on my young breeders. They do not free range until I get my 500 eggs from them. It is 50x50 or 50x60 something like that, Huge pen. I have the net 15ft high in the middle. I have an attached coop out of wire and plastic with high roosts 10-12 feet up. The building is 20x10 and 16 feet high.

I have cross bars on the posts holding the netting up about 3 ft from the netting. The birds stay in this pen about 8 months before they get freed. I lose a few even in the pen to owls, they will hit the net hard and fast and it stretches to the point the owl gets the head of the guinea.

I really wish you luck, you sound determined to make it work. That is a good thing. Be flexible and adjust as need be. The Guineas will return to their coop at night for me. most the time. However, there are nights they refuse to go inside. Full moons are the worst. Just get extra birds knowing some will die.

Good luck!