Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[BlindLemonChicken]

I am getting guineas in a couple days. I am getting four which is not enough I realize but I can only fit so many birds in my vehicle and I’m picking up chickens the same day so I will have to take what I can get! I am planning on keeping them in a barn stall for a few weeks—I don’t mind if they sleep in trees but we do have a bobcat that I’ve lost chickens to so I’m a little nervous about that. The barn stall is plenty big for four but if I like them I will get more or let a broody hen hatch some for me. If I keep them in the barn for a couple weeks and feed them in the evening will they stay near the barn or should I do the full six weeks and keep them in the barn at night forever?

 

[R2elk]

I am getting guineas in a couple days. I am getting four which is not enough I realize but I can only fit so many birds in my vehicle and I’m picking up chickens the same day so I will have to take what I can get! I am planning on keeping them in a barn stall for a few weeks—I don’t mind if they sleep in trees but we do have a bobcat that I’ve lost chickens to so I’m a little nervous about that. The barn stall is plenty big for four but if I like them I will get more or let a broody hen hatch some for me. If I keep them in the barn for a couple weeks and feed them in the evening will they stay near the barn or should I do the full six weeks and keep them in the barn at night forever?

Guineas need a lot more room than chickens need. If your barn stall is big enough for 4 chickens, it is most likely not big enough for the guineas.

There is nothing wrong with letting a chicken hatch guinea eggs but it is not a good idea to let a chicken raise guiinea keets. The imprinting that happens prevents the guineas from understanding that chickens are not guineas once they grow up.

Guiineas have entirely different instincts than any other poultry. While raising them with chickens may seem like everythinmg is fine, the problems normally kick in once the first breeding system kicks in. The chickens do not understand the races and chases or the attacks from behind with the feather pulling and feather breaking. They also do not know how to show submission in a manner that guineas understand so the attacks keep up.

If you have a bobcat around, letting the guineas sleep in trees will be a death sentence. They are extremely vulneerable to predators at night especially if they are on hidden nests.

If you want to keep the guineas alive, you will have to have a secure coop for them and have them iin the coop at night. Guiineas can be trained to go in the coop in the evening by using treats or by first training them to be herded. I trained my guineas to be herded and would herd them into the coop every evening.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

If your barn stall is big enough for 4 chickens, it is most likely not big enough for the guineas.

The barn stall is probably 8’x12’. I’m estimating though. It’s at least 10’ from floor to ceiling and there are two roosts running the length of it.

There is nothing wrong with letting a chicken hatch guinea eggs but it is not a good idea to let a chicken raise guiinea keets. The imprinting that happens prevents the guineas from understanding that chickens are not guineas once they grow up.

Ok this helps. If I get more adult guineas later do I need to integrate them slowly like chickens? I’m sure all this info is in this thread somewhere but I am in a time crunch

If you have a bobcat around, letting the guineas sleep in trees will be a death sentence.

That’s what I’m thinking because I’ve lost two game hens and a rooster to it. My husband seems to think we can just get guineas, throw them out in the yard and they will be fine.

I guess I will keep them in the barn the full six weeks before I let any of them out to explore. Hopefully that will get them to come back along with some snacks at night.

I read somewhere having a light on will help them roost up at night. My chickens roost up before sunset. Do guineas not do the same?