What age do they start to make noise?

[jak2002003]

HI. I now have 7 guinea fowl.... Today a couple started making the loud adult noises... what age are they when this happens, as I am curious to know how old they are?

They are still mostly brown.. but some adult coloured feathers coming through now.

Most still have the stripy neck and head of the young keets.

They have been in my chicken coop 2 weeks.. when can I let them out?

Do they have to be fully grown before they can go free ranging? They can fly now.. and roost up with the chickens.

Lastly how long does it take them to become adult? They seem to be getting bigger each day.. far faster then my chickens do.

 

[Rizwanshah]

Can you Post pictures

 

[red horse ranch]

I've had female guineas start to 'buckwheat' at 4 weeks old but 6 or 7 weeks seems to be more common. Your description of the feathers makes me think they are 4 or 5 weeks old.

The guineas should be mostly feathered before letting them out into a pen if the weather is cool. If your weather is warm they can go out now. But I don't let mine free range until they are around 3 months old.

Guineas are pretty much mature by 5 months old but hens may not lay until 7 months old or more depending on the season.

 

[jak2002003]

Here are some pics I took today.. What age do your think?

 

[red horse ranch]

Pretty birds!

My guess would be around 7 to 8 weeks.

 

[jak2002003]

Thanks... for the estimate.

Its so tempting to let them out now.. because when I let my bantams out the guinea fowl get very excited and stand watching them move around the garden.. the they start making their noisy calls.... they seem to have really bonded with the chicken flock (which share their coop).

So I hope they will stick with the chickens when outside.. and learn to come into the coop from them.

They have got really tame now and come running to me for their boiled duck egg.. and feed out of my hand no problem.

I just have to wait a few more weeks to let them out.... very exciting stuff.

 

[Cajungirl86]

I've had female guineas start to 'buckwheat' at 4 weeks old but 6 or 7 weeks seems to be more common. Your description of the feathers makes me think they are 4 or 5 weeks old.

The guineas should be mostly feathered before letting them out into a pen if the weather is cool. If your weather is warm they can go out now. But I don't let mine free range until they are around 3 months old.

Guineas are pretty much mature by 5 months old but hens may not lay until 7 months old or more depending on the season.

What age is the latest anyone knows of females starting to " buckwheat "? Mine are eight weeks old now, if I haven't lost count...I have ONE out of five that goes buckwheat....and she's the biggest, loudest of the bunch ! Please tell me I still have a chance at more than one girl ! I REALLY don't need four boys ! If that's the way it is, then I guess Atwoods will see me again next spring !

 

[red horse ranch]

Don't give up hope yet. Last year I kept some of the 8 week old guineas that I hatched. I was sure I had 2 boys and 3 girls. Sometime between 3 and 4 months old one of the 'boys' started buckwheating. So I ended up with only one boy and 4 girls. Most females do start around 6 to 8 weeks. But they might just be the quiet type that you don't hear much from. I have one now that is 4 months old. I think it's a boy because it has never made the buckwheat sound, but it has really small wattles like a female. So I'll just have to wait to find out for sure.

By the way, when I got my first 12 guineas 10 of them turned out to be male with only 2 females. The males don't fight to the death like roosters do. The females choose a mate and the rest of the boys just form a bachelor group. If you end up with only one female there shouldn't be much conflict over her.

 

[Cajungirl86]

Good....I tried vent sexing to a couple of them yesterday...they all looked the same to me !! So, I will just keep hoping I have more than "Queen Bee" for the girls team....Lol....pretty sure Piper and Gizmo are boys, though, even though Piper is the smallest of the five...but the scrappiest !! He won't back down from a fight ! He has the smallest wattles so far...but they are all starting to get their "helmets" now...

 

[jak2002003]

update...

last Saturday I decided to let them out with the chickens.. They would not come out!! They just stood at the door looking out shouting for the chickens to come back.

The door was left open all day and they never came out.

On the Sunday I opened the door... late afternoon they still had not come out. So I put 2 out myself. The big boss one inside made so much noise and the 2 outside ran back in!!

2 more days and still they would not come out.. So on Wednesday I gently pushed them out and shut them out! After a few hours pacing to get back in they finally relaxed and started to venture out into the garden.

Several days on they love to come out! I open the door.. all the chickens go out.. then the guinea fowl. The guinea fowl like the stay with the young chickens. They love to run, jump and fly about and onto the coop roof.

The good surprise is they are so easy to get back into the coop at any time. I just call them and they come in.. Some of my chickens are lazy and don't bother to come back till they are good and ready. Hope the guineas keep up this good behaviour.

I love the way they all stick together and walk about like one big mass. So interesting to watch them.