Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[BlueShadow]

I got eggs at Lake Isabella, CA. I get 4 a day.... I was away and I have about 40 that have been layered in the corner of the coop with straw and shavings almost like someone was preserving them.... I notice 2 hens sitting on them so I left em.

So my question now what will happen? I imagine the eggs will reach a temperature of ???? and start to develop if fertilized????? and then from there I have to wait 21 days???? I haven't a clue...

Last summer, my guinea hens all happily sat on eggs until something happened - huge rainstorm, predator attack, predator ate them, etc. Except one, she nested right by the house (that flower bed was full of tall weeds, oops!) and hatched out 23 keets.

I found both parents to be fairly good parents, except for the thing already noted - the adults will drag the keets out into the wet grass, and that will eventually kill the keets. We locked mama and babies up in a pen for 4 weeks. I think they could have come out after 3 weeks (maybe even 2) but we were out of town during that 3rd week so for simplicity we kept them in until we were back. After that, mama and papa both did a great job of raising the babies. You can read the story here, if interested: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/lavender-guinea-keets-2016

 

[BlueShadow]

I sure wish my guineas were well behaved and were good mothers. Mine refuse to learn any rules or follow them. They go into a coop, when the mood strikes their fancy. They kill each other for fun.

They are loud and noisy and refuse to stay home..


They will be no more as of May 13th.

So you finally set a date? Made up your mind? You know you might miss them...

 

[BlueShadow]

My little gangsters are enjoying the spring weather. They are roaming the roads, trespassing in the neighbor's field, loitering in the roadside ditches, chasing garter snakes, hiding nests, and up to their general no good. Husband heard a screeching-scratching skittering noise the other night. Looked all around, couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Then he looked up. A guinea had landed on the roof of one of the grain bins. Those roofs are pretty steep and the guinea was using its claws trying to keep from sliding off. When it reached the edge, it decided that it had wings and it was going to use them.

I don't know why the local wildlife is so interested in the little troublemakers, but this tom turkey visited them for several days in a row. He kept showing off for them, I guess he eventually figured out they weren't interested.

 

[guineapeeps]

Last summer, my guinea hens all happily sat on eggs until something happened - huge rainstorm, predator attack, predator ate them, etc.  Except one, she nested right by the house (that flower bed was full of tall weeds, oops!) and hatched out 23 keets.

I found both parents to be fairly good parents, except for the thing already noted - the adults will drag the keets out into the wet grass, and that will eventually kill the keets.  We locked mama and babies up in a pen for 4 weeks.  I think they could have come out after 3 weeks (maybe even 2) but we were out of town during that 3rd week so for simplicity we kept them in until we were back.  After that, mama and papa both did a great job of raising the babies.  You can read the story here, if interested: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/lavender-guinea-keets-2016

Great story! That is a lot of little lavender keets! Did you end up keeping them all?

 

[BlueShadow]

Great story! That is a lot of little lavender keets! Did you end up keeping them all?

We kept about half of them. One got stuck in a fence and we didn't find it until too late, but that's the only one we lost. A friend took 10 of the rest.

 

[PinkyLee]

I am in sunny california. I read a lot of articles about winterizing... but I don't think that really applies to me. My gunieas are in a pen with a big shed but they choose to roost in their tree in their pen. I am not there to see what is going on so I don't know what will happen. Does anyone know will a ground squirrel eat baby gunieas? I once say a squirrel eat a full grown bluejay so I am a little worried. I think my flock of 13 might be protective if something does hatch. If they don't hatch I'll have a lot of rotten eggs

That's funny you said that you'd have no more on May 13... that's my b-day. WHAH!

 

[perchie.girl]

I am in sunny california. I read a lot of articles about winterizing... but I don't think that really applies to me. My gunieas are in a pen with a big shed but they choose to roost in their tree in their pen. I am not there to see what is going on so I don't know what will happen. Does anyone know will a ground squirrel eat baby gunieas? I once say a squirrel eat a full grown bluejay so I am a little worried. I think my flock of 13 might be protective if something does hatch. If they don't hatch I'll have a lot of rotten eggs

That's funny you said that you'd have no more on May 13... that's my b-day. WHAH!

Hi I am in San Diego. The guineas will protect their eggs... But Ground squirrels do eat Eggs and meat.... They may scarf up a baby chick if its sickly. And they are known to eat Carrion... or Road Kill. Including other squirrels. If you can find away to control the ground squirrel population its a good idea. IN many parts of California they carry Plague.


http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/docs/Specialized/Vector_Management/plague.pdf

As far as winterizing My coops are little more than kennels... With a tarp roof and a single solid wall. This is the same for all my poultry including Silkies... with the exception that I put in a dog crate for their protection because they cant fly up to the roost.

A word of caution... you will never see a Bobcat but they are everywhere.... and they WILL go right up a tree to get dinner. I take it there is no roof on your run. Or bird netting... I am between flocks right now.... but when I rebuild my runs will all have flight netting over them. Cat species wont walk on surfaces that give like netting.... I also have mountain lion.... but the goats would be more to their liking. The net will also protect against flying predators... Owls are another worry for tree roosting birds.

deb

 

[PinkyLee]

My run has that metal corrugated panels... so they are safe. they can't get out. Funny you said ground squirrels would take an egg.... I found eggs on the outside of the pen and wondered how they got their.... so that's it. Those squirrels are going in and coming out with eggs. I have hundreds of squirrels... I kinda treated them like pets and told everyone not to harm em. But... I think it's gonna be open season for squirrel with the pellet guns. I will read your article with my husband. Oh... I don't worry about bobcats! I went out and hand a full grown mountain lion sunning on the roof. I'm lucky I didn't faint and become supper! I think someone in the neighborhood must feed em because he was not scared of me. I backed up and locked myself in the shed until my husband came home. He was gone. I am sure he is thinking of ways to get in so I made nail strips for the roof. I also have a fox, some raccoons and a bear.... so far I have my whole flock.

 

[perchie.girl]

My run has that metal corrugated panels... so they are safe. they can't get out. Funny you said ground squirrels would take an egg.... I found eggs on the outside of the pen and wondered how they got their.... so that's it. Those squirrels are going in and coming out with eggs. I have hundreds of squirrels... I kinda treated them like pets and told everyone not to harm em. But... I think it's gonna be open season for squirrel with the pellet guns. I will read your article with my husband. Oh... I don't worry about bobcats! I went out and hand a full grown mountain lion sunning on the roof. I'm lucky I didn't faint and become supper! I think someone in the neighborhood must feed em because he was not scared of me. I backed up and locked myself in the shed until my husband came home. He was gone. I am sure he is thinking of ways to get in so I made nail strips for the roof. I also have a fox, some raccoons and a bear.... so far I have my whole flock.

LOL.... on the squirrels.

for the mountain lion. I am so used to people saying... "I dont have predators like that" Those Squirlinator traps work really well and worth the investment.... designed for ground squirrels.

deb

 

[PinkyLee]

The mountain lion looked like something straight out of a movie. I was waiting for it to talk. it was just lounging. I was thinking did this escape from someone's compound? and then reality hit and I realized.... he's lounging because he wasn't afraid of me... so then I became afraid. My husband doesn't get it... he has 2 weiner dogs, he just lets em out. I tell him all the time a weiner in the eyes of a predator be it a lion or an owl looks like an overstuffed smooth haired rabbit! Lucky I have my big american bulldog in the yard. But... I would hate for any of my family to get hurt. As for the squirrels I have too many to trap... I counted 20 on the boulder outside my kitchen window.... Sorry to say I was feeding them scraps cuz they were too adorable. But with your news... I have to close the blinds and let all the men have their fun. My husbands friends are honing their 22s and pellet guns... I am collecting raffle prizes for the big squirrel hunt. We plan on having a big bbq and hunt.