The more guineas you have, the happier they'll be. Some say 10 is a minimum, some say more. I agree with 10 as a minimum with as many more as you can manage for a free-ranging flock. My guineas are penned 24/7 so I have (at the moment) 5. Four females and one male. I can house up to 7 or 8 without worrying that they're too cramped. I wouldn't have another male since the flock is so very small. I'm holding out for a Royal Purple and another color.
Guineas will probably never be tame the way I think you want them to be. They have all of their wild instincts intact, and those instincts come into play first and foremost. With patience you can get guineas to hang around you and eat from your hands, but they'll never (as adults) hop up into your lap.
Also, they aren't predators, they are prey animals, so they might get REALLY loud if a predator comes around, but the odds of them chasing them away are pretty slim, especially at night. It's been known to happen, but I wouldn't count on it. They aren't guards - they're "alarms". The first thing they'll try to do is escape a predator, and often lose in the process.
I've never heard of a guinea attacking a human. Again, they flee from humans because they see them as predators first. "Tame" guineas who are used to humans won't flee usually, unless you make a sudden movement around them. Then they flap and scatter like crazy. My guineas will hang out under my feet (for treats) but if I reach down to touch them, they bolt. That said, a hen on a nest will get very testy if disturbed....
Chickens and guineas can get along if they have a LOT of space, but they aren't "flock mates"; a few guineas in a flock of chickens still wouldn't be happy. My experience has been that chickens and guineas self-segregate, especially when roosting, once they're adults. Guineas like guineas, so get a minimum of 10 since you're going to free-range. More would be better, and don't expect too much from them in the "cuddle" department. That's just not their nature. Let them be who they are - flighty, quirky, weird, dumb, cute and funny - and just let them get used to you and your family enough to feed them from your hand.
I disagree... Guineas can be tamed
My husband holding a couple
Me lifting wings and checking feet
We can even lift wings while holding...
I have tons more... Check us out on facebook/sandshaven
Our birds are therapy flocks that we use for Autism.
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