Raising Guinea Fowl 101

[wilmothfarms]

Do you mean ALL your animals TOGETHER eat 8 - 9 lbs of feed or just your birds????? I have had over 52 chickens and they NEVER ate that much in one day so I am assuming you mean all your animals together, I have 7 horses, 2 dogs and 3 cats along with my 5 ducks and 37 chickens I have now and including my 5 Guinea - they dont eat that much!!!!! You may be over feeding or feeding a feed that isnt complete in dietary needs! What do you feed your animals, maybe some answers can be given for you.

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[PeepsCA]

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Guineas (over 12 wks old) should be fed a diet that contains a minimum of 16% protein... which is typically what most common poultry layer feeds contain, (some contain 18-20%). Scratch and corn (and sweetfeed which I always have on hand here and use for my horses and goats) all contain fat and calories, but not the protein content the Guineas need so I shy away from feeding too much scratch/corn and usually just give it as a treat or some extra fat calories during the cold months.

A Guinea's crop supposedly only holds somewhere between 1/4cup and 1/2cup of food at a time... (no I have not measured, lol, this is what I've read and agree with by watching what my birds gobble down before their crops are obviously full even tho they try to pack more in, lol), they naturally developed that way to eat as much as they could/need all at once out in the wild to fill their crops, then they digest it thru the day and move on to a new feeding area and also avoid the danger of predators...

I just went and weighed a heaping 2qt scoop of my layer feed for example purposes... 1 heaping 2qt feed scoop is approx 2.5qts of feed and it weighs approx 3 lbs... give or take a little. 1/2cup of feed weighs approx 3 oz... give or take a little. So (if I did the math right), if you generously feed approx 1/2cup or 3oz per bird per day, for 36 birds that would be around 6.75 lbs of feed a day. It's been written and read that Guineas will not over eat, but with some flocks I feel that is a complete misnomer, lol.

So if you are feeding a high enough protein feed, then I'd say that the 8-9 lbs a day you are feeding them is plenty, they are most likely just bored, (which they can perceive as starving, lol). Feel their breast area, are they thin in that area? If they feel thin on that much feed a day, you may need to worm them, the worms may be getting more of the feed than the birds are. My birds do typically eat more in the colder months (to maintain their body heat) than they do in the summer months, plus their food consumption correlates to the lack of bugs, seeds and greens that they normally get out free ranging, and also to the amount of time they are out free ranging as well.

Try giving them a flake of alfalfa to help cure boredom and add a little bulk to their diet, and I'd be sure that they have access to grit also.

I answered more of your post about my critters, feed feed bill and hatching over on the other thread you posted on~~~~~~~~~~~~~~>

 

[wasatusay]

Good information here. I finally got two guinea's. One from a friend and knew for sure it was a female. Got a second from another friend and always wondered why it was so quiet compared the the other. Oh well...after checking the link posted here....was hoping for both females but now know I have a male.

They have been with all the chickens and my 4 ducks, free range all day and everyone is locked down at night. Neither guinea came from a place with a coop so I thought that may be a problem. After they were first put in the coop (I have a large coop) and let them find their way outside on their own, from day one they head to the coop with the chickens every night. It has been over a month now, so maybe I am lucky. The male guinea did go over the fence once by accident and paced and chattered until I opened the gate an let him back in. None of my animals want to go out side of the fenced area.
I find these two extremely entertaining.

 

[ozguineafowl]

There is some very good information within the topic well done.

Some sites unfortunately have misinformation that does not help anyone

so good to see it’s not the case in this topic

 

[blessedchick]

A question about deworming...when to start, how often and with what?

Thank you all for your expert advice! I LOVE my guineas and it is so fun to find others that enjoy these silly feathered folk as much as I do!

 

[ozguineafowl]

I do mine 2 times a year and I start them at 16 weeks as they are on the ground by that age

 

[PeepsCA]

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There's lots of worming info on BYC, and a lot of people do it differently. Usually what applies to other types of poultry also applies to Guineas. Certain wormers have different ways of delivery; you can give some types mixed into their water, some types can be mixed with feed, some types can be given orally with a needless syringe or eye dropper down the throat of each individual bird, some types are given by injection under the skin, and one type can even be applied topically. Some are one day dosages, some need to be repeated 3-5 days.

The very first time I worm a bird (young or old) I start with Wazine 17 (Piperazine) added to their water to knock down some of the worm load gently first (dosage directions are on the bottle for poultry, and it's a good idea to take away their water the night before and give them the wormer mixed into fresh water in the morning so they are thirsty and drink it). The initial worming is usually the only time I'll use Wazine, since it is not a broad spectrum wormer. So then in 10-14 days they get a 2nd worming with a more broad spectrum liquid wormer typically used for goats or cattle, (used off label) like Safeguard, Ivermectin or Valbazen. You can do a search for the dosages and ways of delivery, and decide what fits your flock and routine best. Since they are off label, I feel I really shouldn't be giving out the dosages, but others have, lol. Just do a search here on the BYC forums for worming, it will pull up a lot of links.

My young birds get wormed for the first time in the late Fall (as long as they are around 12-16 wks old), and after that are on the same schedule as the adults. For my adult birds I worm 2X a year, with 2 different wormers used 10-14 days apart, (tho some people use the same wormer 2X, 10-14 days apart, then rotate to a different type of wormer for the next worming). I worm in the Spring before they really start laying for me and then again in the Fall when they finally stop laying, that way I am not dealing with any withdrawal times and not throwing any eggs away. Sometimes it's not always possible to get the timing right tho. Some people worm according to weather, when the rainy season is and when it frosts, but my schedule with my flocks revolves around their egg production, since I incubate and also consume their eggs.

Depending on the wormload on your land/in your coops and pens you may need to worm more frequently, or you many not need to worm that often. Some don't worm at all, and some just collect poop samples from several birds in the flock and take it to a vet to have a fecal test done first (and fyi... the spin method is more accurate than the float method for fecals), then you can decide which wormer to use and the dosage as per the vet's advice. As with horse and goat worming schedules, it's best to rotate wormers, so there's no resistance built up.

Since sometimes worming meds can be a little hard on their systems, yogurt and/or probiotics given a few times after worming them can help the birds systems get back to normal a little quicker. Some feed pumkin before, during and after worming too... to bulk up the gut and give the wormer a chance to effect more worms. And some feed cayenne pepper and garlic to help keep down the wormload in between wormings (for help with preventative/maintenance use only, they have mot been proven to cure or rid a bird of a wormload problem).

 

[shella]

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I have always fed mine regular chick feed. That may not be the best though.

No, it's not the best... and yes they DO need a higher protein starter feed. Many people get away with raising their keets on it but chick starter does not have enough protein in it for the keets to develop at the proper rate. Guinea fowl keets should be fed a higher protein Turkey, Game Bird or Pheasant starter feed containig between 25%-30% protein (27-28% is the best), medicated with Amproium until they are 6-8 wks old, then they should be gradually/slowly switched over to a grower feed or flock raiser with no less than 20% protein in it until they are 12 wks old. After that their main diet can be switched over to an all purpose poultry feed or a layer feed containing between 16%-18% protein. 16% protein is the absolute minimum adult Guineas should be fed as a main diet.

I really wish people would stop suggesting chick starter feeds and chick grower feeds for raising Guinea Fowl keets on, because it's not the correct feed for them if you want them to grow and develop at the proper rate (feathers, bones, muscles and organs etc). I always compare feeding chick starter to keets with feeding little kids twinkies and soda pop, yes they do still grow and develop (always slower than the rest of the kids, and usually with developing health issues later on in life because of it), it's just not healthy and it doesn't meet their nutritional needs! Guinea Fowl keets are not chickens, they develop at a completely different rate and have completely different nutritional needs, they need more protein than chickens do... I cannot stress this enough.

Scratch and grains/seeds like wild birds seeds and millet should be given as a treat only after they are older, and only in small amounts, all of these feeds are way too high in fats and sugars and do not have enough protein in them to be their staple diet. They can develop major health issues from being fed incorrectly, and will never live up to their full potential as they will if fed correctly from day one.

Please, anyone getting Guineas Fowl or already currently owning Guinea Fowl and you really do care about your birds' health - do your homework and read up on their nutritional needs! If you don't agree with what I've posted here, then contact a major Guinea Fowl breeder and ask them what THEY feed their keets and Guineas.​

i understand what you are saying but in the wild would they not eat what they could get. my take on this is in some places you cannot get the kind of feed you want so you improvise and get it as close as you can to what they would eat in the wild. its alright in you saying that they need higher protein would it not be more helpful to recommend a way of upping or adding things to chicken feed to help people out

 

[PeepsCA]

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Yes, in the wild, they do eat what they can get... and in the spring and summer when keets hatch, the insects, small reptiles and rodents are abundant, so the keets get LOTS of protein in their diet from day one, which is why they grow/develop and feather out quickly and are off the ground and safe from predators.

What to feed brooder raised keets is a pretty touchy subject among backyard breeders (and even some professional breeders)... some take nutrition a little more seriously than others, some choose what's easiest and economical, some want their birds to live long productive lives, where as some butcher their flocks at a young age. I personally breed and feed for longevity and healthy future breeding stock tho.

I realize that finding the correct starter and grower feeds for Guinea keets and other Game Birds is difficult for some, but a lot of these high protein feeds can be ordered directly from the manufacturers and even online these days... and I am a stickler about correct nutrition for my birds, so I won't be the one to suggest adding things to chicken starter feeds for keets, just to help people out.

Ultimately it's not about the people, it's about the keets' complete nutritional needs (not just protein levels). One nutrient fed at a too high or too low of a level can effect a lot of different nutrients, and the way a keet's body absorbs and utilizes them. So IMO, by adding things to chick starter feeds and grower feeds to raise keets on can easily create unbalanced nutrient levels and end up doing more harm than good for the birds. Imbalances from the start can lead to development, genetic, reproductive issues etc in your flock (be it immediate issues or issues that develop down the line)... and not in just the current flock, but in generation after generation of offspring (and their offspring!). Another thing to consider is that if it's a medicated starter feed that you are adding other things to then you are also diluting the medication level, rendering it less effective, or not effective at all against Coccidiosis.

 

[blessedchick]

Thank you so much for your awesome advice on deworming and nutrition! I was happy to see that I did okay for my guys when they were little, and yes, I had to have my feed dealer order the "special" feed so that I would have it for when the tykes arrived. They also had to order me medicated chick started a couple of weeks ago since apparently NOBODY in my area has chickies for Christmas

They were very happy to oblige, since they know that I will be buying all future feed from them...plus I do buy horse and swan supplies from them already. I've never had an issue with special orders, so just talk to your feed rep - I hope that you will be pleasantly surprised!

The "Lavendar Wave" is now over 5 months old so they are happily foraging as free rangers while being offered the 20% chicken feed at will...plus nightly dinner scraps...since I'm vegetarian they get quite a variety of fruits, veggies and grains each evening. They also share "chop" with my parrots - beans, veggies, oatmeal, spices, wild rice, hard boiled eggs (with shells) and fruit juices all blended up together and heated for a weekend treat. They LOVE the warm chop and make quite a fuss over it...as do the parrots...

The "Wave" all seem to be happy and healthy with beautiful feathers, so as a totally novice guinea fiend something must be right. Now I just have to wrangle them up for a deworming party! WOO-HOO!