Some questions about keeping guineas.

[Faizan Ali]

Aaa so I've been thinking about getting a few chickens and to make this hobby more fun I wanted to add some type of other fowl too. I have some questions about guineas.
1. Can they live with like 4-5 chickens in 71 sqft pen and different coops?
2. How much can they fly with their wings clipped? Can I let them out in my back yard and front yard like chickens? I do know that they have to be kept confined for a few months before releasing. My house has walls about 5 ft tall. Don't worry about predators I don't get any here except my own dog.
3. I have a labrador who is out most of the time. Will they always be screaming because of him? He likes to chase things.
4. Will they mate with the chickens? I don't want hybrids or eat hybrid eggs.

 

[katelwil]

I think I would definitely be a task to clip their wings regularly.
1. How many guineas will you be keeping with the chickens?
2. Guineas like to wander, we had some that would travel all around the property and neighborhood. As for the clipped wings, I don't have an answer, I have never tried that.
3. Guineas are very, very loud. In my experience they will sound off at just about anything. So yeah, I could see them sounding off at your dog.
4. I've seen articles / YouTube videos discussing the hatching of eggs from a chicken & Guinea pair, so I do believe it is possible. Maybe you could just keep hens, that way you know it won't occur.

 

[Faizan Ali]

I think I would definitely be a task to clip their wings regularly.
1. How many guineas will you be keeping with the chickens?
2. Guineas like to wander, we had some that would travel all around the property and neighborhood. As for the clipped wings, I don't have an answer, I have never tried that.
3. Guineas are very, very loud. In my experience they will sound off at just about anything. So yeah, I could see them sounding off at your dog.
4. I've seen articles / YouTube videos discussing the hatching of eggs from a chicken & Guinea pair, so I do believe it is possible. Maybe you could just keep hens, that way you know it won't occur.

Only 2 or 3 guineas since I think 71 sqft if not small is just enough. I do have several neighbours they won't mind the guineas but I dont want them to go there. I'm ok with keeping just hens. Will they ever get used to the dog? He gets used to birds and avoids them.

 

[R2elk]

Aaa so I've been thinking about getting a few chickens and to make this hobby more fun I wanted to add some type of other fowl too. I have some questions about guineas.
1. Can they live with like 4-5 chickens in 71 sqft pen and different coops?
2. How much can they fly with their wings clipped? Can I let them out in my back yard and front yard like chickens? I do know that they have to be kept confined for a few months before releasing. My house has walls about 5 ft tall. Don't worry about predators I don't get any here except my own dog.
3. I have a labrador who is out most of the time. Will they always be screaming because of him? He likes to chase things.
4. Will they mate with the chickens? I don't want hybrids or eat hybrid eggs.

If all you have is a front and backyard, I do not recommend that you get guineas. Guineas are a flock bird and do best in large groups. I never recommend having fewer than 10 guineas so they can properly experience their flock dynamics.

Guineas are not for everyone. They require much more "personal space" than do chickens. If imprinted by and raised with chickens, they can extremely terrorize a chicken flock because they have entirely different manners than chickens.

When breeding season starts, their races and chases, attacks from behind along with the feather pulling and breaking are things that chickens don't understand.

Read the thread Raising Guinea Fowl 101 and pay particular attention to posts made by @PeepsCA .

 

[Faizan Ali]

If all you have is a front and backyard, I do not recommend that you get guineas. Guineas are a flock bird and do best in large groups. I never recommend having fewer than 10 guineas so they can properly experience their flock dynamics.

Guineas are not for everyone. They require much more "personal space" than do chickens. If imprinted by and raised with chickens, they can extremely terrorize a chicken flock because they have entirely different manners than chickens.

When breeding season starts, their races and chases, attacks from behind along with the feather pulling and breaking are things that chickens don't understand.

Read the thread Raising Guinea Fowl 101 and pay particular attention to posts made by @PeepsCA .

Aaa I don't think I can keep as many as 10 guineas I was thinking of 2 or 3 hens only. Sheesh I knew they can be a**holes but didn't know they can go to extreme. I guess its a no for guineas too. I've read the thread before didn't go through the comments I'll read those too. Thanks.

 

[R2elk]

Aaa I don't think I can keep as many as 10 guineas I was thinking of 2 or 3 hens only. Sheesh I knew they can be a**holes but didn't know they can go to extreme. I guess its a no for guineas too. I've read the thread before didn't go through the comments I'll read those too. Thanks.

You definitely don't want guinea hens only. Once they reach sexual maturity, they will "buckwheat" constantly calling for mates that will never arrive. In addition, the only way to get sexed guineas is to buy adults. All guinea keets are sold straight run.

 

[Faizan Ali]

You definitely don't want guinea hens only. Once they reach sexual maturity, they will "buckwheat" constantly calling for mates that will never arrive. In addition, the only way to get sexed guineas is to buy adults. All guinea keets are sold straight run.

O h welp. Guineas are not very liked by Pakistani people except for meat sometimes so they are very cheap here and don't sell off so quick.

 

[R2elk]

O h welp. Guineas are not very liked by Pakistani people except for meat sometimes so they are very cheap here and don't sell off so quick.

They are delicious.