Raising guinea hens and complications.

[natyvidal]

I’ve separated my guineas from the rest of the fowl and harmony is reigning. But, the guineas are laying eggs but not showing interest in sitting on them. I am planning to brood their eggs under a broody hen but how old do my hens have to be before they start brooding? They were born last October. A friend, with experience raising chickens, said that it will take them a while before they start brooding.

PS: thank you all for the great input. Very helpful.

 

[R2elk]

I’ve separated my guineas from the rest of the fowl and harmony is reigning. But, the guineas are laying eggs but not showing interest in sitting on them. I am planning to brood their eggs under a broody hen but how old do my hens have to be before they start brooding? They were born last October. A friend, with experience raising chickens, said that it will take them a while before they start brooding.

PS: thank you all for the great input. Very helpful.

Not all guinea hens will go broody just like not all chicken hens will go broody. It is not a matter of age with the guineas. Guineas tend to like to lay big clutches of eggs in a communal nest. People have had their guineas wait until they have anywhere from 20 to 60 eggs in a clutch before going broody.

Later in the season I have had particular hens go broody on just a few eggs but these are the same hens each year. Most of my guinea hens do not go broody.

 

[Crazydoglady99]

Sorry to hijack your thread ..

I have a question for @R2elk (pretty please)

I have some land.. And electric netting for boundaries. The only real predators to worry about here at foxes, but electric netting will keep them out.
Anyway, I was planning on putting my chickens out on the land, with a roosting trailer/nesting boxes etc for shelter, laying, whatever.

But.. the chickens have only just hatched, and winter is coming. So it is at least 4-6months before I can put my chookies out there.
Since guinea fowl are the kings of pest control, and the sole purpose of having birds out there is to scratch up the ground and eat the bugs.

Is there any extra precautions I might need to put adult guineas out there?

 

[R2elk]

Sorry to hijack your thread ..

I have a question for @R2elk (pretty please)

I have some land.. And electric netting for boundaries. The only real predators to worry about here at foxes, but electric netting will keep them out.
Anyway, I was planning on putting my chickens out on the land, with a roosting trailer/nesting boxes etc for shelter, laying, whatever.

But.. the chickens have only just hatched, and winter is coming. So it is at least 4-6months before I can put my chookies out there.
Since guinea fowl are the kings of pest control, and the sole purpose of having birds out there is to scratch up the ground and eat the bugs.

Is there any extra precautions I might need to put adult guineas out there?

If you put adult guineas out there without first teaching them that it is their new home, they will leave almost as fast as you turn them loose.

Adult guineas can take 6 weeks or longer of confinement before they accept that the new location is their home.

While electric fencing may keep the foxes out, it will not keep the guineas in.

 

[Crazydoglady99]

Ooohhh gotcha! Thanks

Maybe I will stick with chickens

 

[Crystal37]

This is really interesting! I had guineas a few years ago. I raised them separately from my chickens but once they were old enough they were let out to free range with them. I had no problems with them trying to breed my chickens. I did have more females then males but not by much. During breeding season they would break off into pairs or trios and keep to themselves throughout the day. At night they would all come back to roost together on top of the house or my back deck railing. They absolutely refused to sleep in their coop and I kinda got tired of catching them all, one at a time every night to make them, so I just let them be. I never lost a guinea during the night even though the chickens that decided to roost with them started getting picked off by owls, every night it seemed. I lost most of my guinea hens to predators while they were sitting on nests outside of our perimeter fence, and protection of our LGDs. I finally gave up trying to keep guineas except for one male that had a leg injury when I got him, that has caused him to limp. He's still here because no one can catch him . I do feel bad and think he needs a friend or two, but I'm worried I'll have the same problem.
So was the difference mine had not been raised with my chickens so they hadn't imprinted?
Also, does anyone else have guineas that go off by in pairs or trios and stay that way for the entire breeding season? My males would even stay watch over his ladies while they sat during the day, but would come home to roost at night. Is that not normal?
One more thing. How do you train your guineas to return to their coop to sleep and nest? Can you? Once mine left the brooder they went to the coop for about a week before they were let out. Was that not long enough? For months I went and caught them and put them in the coop at night hoping they would catch on and go on their own. No such luck.

 

[R2elk]

This is really interesting! I had guineas a few years ago. I raised them separately from my chickens but once they were old enough they were let out to free range with them. I had no problems with them trying to breed my chickens. I did have more females then males but not by much. During breeding season they would break off into pairs or trios and keep to themselves throughout the day. At night they would all come back to roost together on top of the house or my back deck railing. They absolutely refused to sleep in their coop and I kinda got tired of catching them all, one at a time every night to make them, so I just let them be. I never lost a guinea during the night even though the chickens that decided to roost with them started getting picked off by owls, every night it seemed. I lost most of my guinea hens to predators while they were sitting on nests outside of our perimeter fence, and protection of our LGDs. I finally gave up trying to keep guineas except for one male that had a leg injury when I got him, that has caused him to limp. He's still here because no one can catch him . I do feel bad and think he needs a friend or two, but I'm worried I'll have the same problem.
So was the difference mine had not been raised with my chickens so they hadn't imprinted?
Also, does anyone else have guineas that go off by in pairs or trios and stay that way for the entire breeding season? My males would even stay watch over his ladies while they sat during the day, but would come home to roost at night. Is that not normal?
One more thing. How do you train your guineas to return to their coop to sleep and nest? Can you? Once mine left the brooder they went to the coop for about a week before they were let out. Was that not long enough? For months I went and caught them and put them in the coop at night hoping they would catch on and go on their own. No such luck.

What you are describing is pretty much normal other than only losing the chickens at night to owls.

If guineas are not imprinted by chickens, they grow up and recognize that there is a difference between them and chickens.

Some people use treats to train their guineas to come when called and to get them to go into the coop at night. It helps if you have a tall coop with desirable high roosts.

I trained my guineas to go in the coop by using long sticks as extensions of my arms and slowly herding them into the coop before dark. I would even do it during the middle of the day during their training phase. You have to approach them slowly and patiently while using the sticks to guide them where you want them to go. You also have to be consistent and never skip a day.

My guineas now run to the coop while I tap the end of my stick on the ground.

By catching your guineas, you made it an unpleasant experience for them because they really don't want to be handled.

It can also be helpful to have a light on in the coop if it is getting late and dark as they do not like to go into dark places.

Good luck.

 

[Crystal37]

What you are describing is pretty much normal other than only losing the chickens at night to owls.

If guineas are not imprinted by chickens, they grow up and recognize that there is a difference between them and chickens.

Some people use treats to train their guineas to come when called and to get them to go into the coop at night. It helps if you have a tall coop with desirable high roosts.

I trained my guineas to go in the coop by using long sticks as extensions of my arms and slowly herding them into the coop before dark. I would even do it during the middle of the day during their training phase. You have to approach them slowly and patiently while using the sticks to guide them where you want them to go. You also have to be consistent and never skip a day.

My guineas now run to the coop while I tap the end of my stick on the ground.

By catching your guineas, you made it an unpleasant experience for them because they really don't want to be handled.

It can also be helpful to have a light on in the coop if it is getting late and dark as they do not like to go into dark places.

Good luck.

I though it was really odd that the owls were only taking chickens as well. I can't explain it though?
They would come to me when I called but not into the coop. They would just kinda stand in the door like no thanks. I even tried giving them treats in the coop in the evenings. I don't know why I never thought of trying to herd them in? I guess I just kinda got into a bad habit of waiting until they came to roost and then just picking them up and carrying them in. Now that I think about it, had I just herded them it would probably have been a nicer experience for all of us. ( there are like 13 stairs up to my back deck)
Thank you so much for your reply! I will most definitely take your advice if I get up enough courage to try it again.

Oh I have one more question! Like I said I currently only have one guinea, would it be okay to just get a couple more? Maybe just 3 or 4? Or do they do better in larger numbers? I have no chickens right now. Just 4 ducklings (still in the brooder) if that makes any difference. Thank you again!

 

[R2elk]

I though it was really odd that the owls were only taking chickens as well. I can't explain it though?
They would come to me when I called but not into the coop. They would just kinda stand in the door like no thanks. I even tried giving them treats in the coop in the evenings. I don't know why I never thought of trying to herd them in? I guess I just kinda got into a bad habit of waiting until they came to roost and then just picking them up and carrying them in. Now that I think about it, had I just herded them it would probably have been a nicer experience for all of us. ( there are like 13 stairs up to my back deck)
Thank you so much for your reply! I will most definitely take your advice if I get up enough courage to try it again.

Oh I have one more question! Like I said I currently only have one guinea, would it be okay to just get a couple more? Maybe just 3 or 4? Or do they do better in larger numbers? I have no chickens right now. Just 4 ducklings (still in the brooder) if that makes any difference. Thank you again!

I never recommend having fewer than 10 guineas. But your lone guinea will be much happier if you could find a couple of guinea hens for him to hang out with. I definitely would not recommend additional males as they would probably pick on your gimpy male.

 

[Crystal37]

I never recommend having fewer than 10 guineas. But your lone guinea will be much happier if you could find a couple of guinea hens for him to hang out with. I definitely would not recommend additional males as they would probably pick on your gimpy male.

The males I had before did not pick on him, but they all grew up together so maybe they were just use to him being different? I really just want don't want him to be lonely. Thank you again for taking the time to answer my questions.