Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[duluthralphie]

I did my testing for NPIP yesterday. The AI testing which requires swabbing the trachea and palette. The guineas were the only birds that attacked me. I was bitten by half of them. The refused to open their beaks for me. When I did get them open the closed them on my pinkies.

I told the friend helping me, I was thinking of making this my last year with guineas. He reminded me I have said that the last couple years. He thinks I will be keeping them.

I am thinking 30 guineas in the freezer would be kind of great.

 

[DASRanch]

We live in North Dakota in an area with extreme winds (reason I guess we were the first wind farm in the state) I need help with breeds. Is the Pearl the only cold hardy variety? They will have a 4 x 8 enclosed coop available to them year around. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[guineapeeps]

We live in North Dakota in an area with extreme winds (reason I guess we were the first wind farm in the state) I need help with breeds. Is the Pearl the only cold hardy variety? They will have a 4 x 8 enclosed coop available to them year around. Thanks for the feedback!

I'm guessing you are asking about domesticated guinea fowl as opposed to pearl (which is a variation of guinea fowl color). I have these types of Guineas in a variety of colors and they do well here in Iowa which can be very cold and windy. I would think they would do just fine where you live if you provide them shelter to get out of the weather and protect them from predators. Do you plan to keep them locked up in the coop all of the time? Guineas like a lot of area to roam and may not be very happy being locked in a pen all of the time. Although, I know some people keep their Guineas penned all the time and they say it works ok, I let mine free range during they day and lock them in a coop at night and this plan works well for me.

 

[DASRanch]

Actually they will have 10 acres to roam all they want and yes they will be free range. We do intend on coop training them for nights. This farm has been abandoned for 10 years lots of bugs and ticks to keep them busy!

 

[perchie.girl]

We live in North Dakota in an area with extreme winds (reason I guess we were the first wind farm in the state) I need help with breeds. Is the Pearl the only cold hardy variety? They will have a 4 x 8 enclosed coop available to them year around. Thanks for the feedback!

all domesticated Guineas are cold hearty... and they come in a wide range of colors including the natural pearl.

The ones that wont handle the heat cold are prohibitive to purchase and need proper enclosures.

deb

 

[guineapeeps]

Actually they will have 10 acres to roam all they want and yes they will be free range. We do intend on coop training them for nights. This farm has been abandoned for 10 years lots of bugs and ticks to keep them busy!

Sounds like the perfect place for guineas. They will love it there with all the bugs! We have 5 acres here in Iowa that was not lived in for quite some time as well. When we moved in, the place was overrun with ticks, crickets, and grasshoppers. I've had my guineas for almost 4 years now and I rarely see a tick and the other pests are under control. They do an awesome job in the garden as well. Mine pick the bugs off the plants and don't ever touch the fuits or veggies. They make a great alarm system, too! They certainly let you know if there is anything new in the area, like a fox, coyote, hawk, eagle, etc. (but will occasionally freak out someone pulling in the driveway or even a paper blowing across the yard!). I think you will be happy with them if you end up getting them, not only for the pest problem you mentioned, but for the added entertainment this quirky birds provide! (Can you tell that I really like mine?)

 

[red horse ranch]

We live in North Dakota in an area with extreme winds (reason I guess we were the first wind farm in the state) I need help with breeds. Is the Pearl the only cold hardy variety? They will have a 4 x 8 enclosed coop available to them year around. Thanks for the feedback!

I live in northern Wyoming so I know what you mean about winds. I have a variety of colors and I see no difference in their ability to stand the bitter cold and wind. NONE of them like it! I have found that when it's windy, snowing or raining, they all stay inside. We have snow on the ground right now and the guineas are all out trying to find a little green grass starting to show in bare areas. But the wind isn't blowing and it's around 30 degrees. So they can stand a little cold. I see them eating the snow sometimes. But when it is bitter cold like the temps we've had in December and January the guineas won't go out for more than a few minutes. So it's important to have a coop that's big enough for them to spend a lot of time confined in the winter. Mine were confined most of December in the same henhouse as the chickens and peafowl. Very few problems. Just make sure you don't overcrowd them in your coop and Always keep them shut in when the weather is bad. I've had guineas for 6 years now and haven't lost any due to the weather.

 

[Tacampbell1973]

My sales have been up and down as well. I will sell really well one weekend and then it will be weeks with no interest and I start panicking about what to do with them all. I am trying to expand my advertising methods. Put up a sign at tractor supply and feed store, craigslist, as many local Facebook buy/sell groups as you can (that allow animals), etc.

Yesterday I sold a woman 21 keets. As she was leaving, she told me she had picked up a rabbit breeding cage from a guy who was retiring and she was going to keep them in that with it up off the ground so all the poo would fall through the wire, and she was going to place this (metal) cage in the sun to keep them warm. I was dumbstruck and speechless. Now I'm stressed out about having sent these poor birds to a concentration camp of painful flooring with poo buildup (because as we know, the poo is not going to drop through nice and neat like a rabbit turd) while they slowly cook to death (its supposed to be in the hundreds this weekend). Why can't people have some common sense??? 

omg! If anyone wa ts a good safe loving home for an experienced (5 yrs) Guinea mama, text or message me! My favorite bird, such an adorable intelligent animal will always have a place in my heart and my home,

 

[guineapeeps]

omg! If anyone wa ts a good safe loving home for an experienced (5 yrs) Guinea mama, text or message me! My favorite bird, such an adorable intelligent animal will always have a place in my heart and my home,

What part of Washington State do you live in? I grew up in SE Washington and most of my family still lives there. I keep trying to convince my dad that he needs some guineas to keep his bug population down but he hasn't bought into the idea yet. Not sure how I'd be able to get him some from where I live, but if I do, I'll drop some off at your house too!

 

[Vermont Poultry]

Anyone's guineas laying eggs for them? Mine are starting to make nests in the coop but no eggs yet...