Raising Guineas with Chickens

[FlynnsFarm]

Hi, I am new to the site and also new to the world of Guineas and Chickens. I just bought a small farm and really want to start raising chickens. I have also read a lot on Guinea Fowl and am very interested in getting a few of them also (I love the idea of them eating all the ticks around the farm). I was wondering if it would be ok to get keets and chicks around the same time and raise them together. I am also hoping that they can share the same coop. We have an old shed that I want to turn into a coop. Are there any certain breeds of chickens that would work better with the Guineas? Thanks for the help!

 

[cracking up]

Welcome to BYC. I have guineas and chickens together and for the most part they do great. The only chickens they chase are bantam cochins, I have to keep the cochins locked up anyway because they're so small I think they might get snatched up by a preditor. I think it is best to get day olds or hatch them together. When they get older just make sure they all have plenty of room to roost. Have fun with it!

 

[Cacklin" Hens]

Yes, you can raise them together as long as they are the same age. My guinea keets do great with Rhode Island Red and White Leghorn chicks. Good luck!!

 

[calliope]

I got two white Guinea hens at the same time I picked up 20 ISA Browns a couple of years ago. They were all around 8 weeks old and there were no problems. I've had various other things in with them, too, including silkies, standard cochins, and OEG duckwings. I really enjoy the Guineas -- they're so ugly they're cute! I am thinking about getting a male Guinea because these two hens lay huge amounts of eggs, and it would be fun to raise some keets!

 

[momof247371]

Yes, You can! Our male guinea gets a little possesive of his girls and even chases the geese away from them, he has a very big personality. BUT he has NEVER hurt any of our chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys, etc... Good luck! I hope you do go get some, they are worth every penny.

 

[flyingdragon]

I put my keets in with my barred rocks after they were eight weeks old. Everybody is getting along. I just introduced some EEs and the guineas could care less. It seems that they are more interested in food than anything else, so far. And if you didn't know, they are quite talkative(noisy) but fun to observe.

 

[Becky89*]

Quote:
My pearl guinea hen female shares a coop with three chickens and two ducks and she does fine. When I first put them together she trie to show the ducks she was queen but they put her in her place. I am getting more in the spring (coral blue ones).

 

[ixnay]

Quote:
Last summer i bought 5 "teen-age" guineas who had been raised with chickens. I have one barred rock. Guess who the guineas hang out with! They seem to think that the barred rock is just a funny-patterned guinea.

 

[Dee Montano]

I am not an expert, but I do have 10 guineas and 30 chickens. This is my experience. We raised the guineas separately from the chickens because the chickens were bigger. When the guineas looked big enough we mixed the flocks. No problems at first, however the guineas began to outgrow and the chickens and now I have 10 large agressive guineas that push the chickens off the roost and chase them around the yard.

I would like to separate the guineas from the chickens so that the chickens can live in peace. Maybe it would be no problem in free range conditions, but my flocks are confined to a chicken yard about 30 ft x 80ft - as big as that sounds it doesn't seem to be big enough.

I would never have guineas again. They are an interesting bird, but too much trouble and noise

 

[Dee Montano]

Interesting about the barred rocks, that is the only chicken that would hang out with the guineas. Maybe they would be the best type to live together in peace.