What is a good price to pay?

[Oakieridge]

I wouldn't pay more than $10-$12 for adult guineas. With that said though lately at auction here they are going for $13 for regular pearl and some this last weekend that were Chocolate went for $18 each. I won't pay that, if you wait until fall gets closer people will sell them even cheaper. Last year we bought 3 month olds for $4 each in Sept. They are now laying and doing a great job at eating all the little bugs coming out. They don't eat anymore than my chickens in the winter and are basically free during the summer months since they free range for most of their food. I do give them some feed at night as a treat to come into the coop. Hubby taught them to come to "here kitty kitty" so that is all I have to holler at night and they come flying in and running in from all directions for their coop. Sprinkle some food in the coop and they are happy little fellows.

 

[poultry09]

OK thanks, I am still trying to talk them back down to $15 for the pair, I am tempted to tell them to go on-line and look at this thread so they can see what everyone is saying, but I am just going to hope that they will go down on their price (hopefully a lot)

I really do want some guineas again but I am not going to pay $20-$25 per bird

 

[poultry09]

I just talked to the lady with the guineas and she said she was able to talk her husband down to $40 for 5 guineas,( she told me I don't have to take them all but would prefer it if I could) Their is 1 female, and 4 males. All the males are lavender and the female is a pie bald, I am only planing on keeping two ( one male and the female) and having my cousin butcher the rest (or should I keep them?), so should I take the offer?

 

[PeepsCA]

Guineas are happier in flocks, even if there are extra males, so IMO you should keep them all. And that's a much better price

 

[poultry09]

well scenes you said that what I think I will do is keep them all until I can get some more females then cull off all the extra males, what do you think about that? or should I try to sell them and make some of my money back? and thanks for the advice I really appreciate it!!!

 

[PeepsCA]

LOL selling them after talking the lady and her hubby down on their price seems... wrong, sorta

I don't know your poultry set up/situation or how much land they will be able to free range on, so I can't really suggest what you should do... But like I said, Guineas are happier in larger flocks. I don't like selling less than 6 at a time, unless I know the new owners are going to eventually integrate them into an existing flock.

Are you going to use the new coop/run you are getting for just the Guineas? If not you may want to read up on how to go about integrating Guineas with other poultry, and all the possible issues you (and your flock) may be facing...

 

[poultry09]

LOL selling them after talking the lady and her hubby down on their price seems... wrong, sorta

I don't know your poultry set up/situation or how much land they will be able to free range on, so I can't really suggest what you should do... But like I said, Guineas are happier in larger flocks. I don't like selling less than 6 at a time, unless I know the new owners are going to eventually integrate them into an existing flock.

Are you going to use the new coop/run you are getting for just the Guineas? If not you may want to read up on how to go about integrating Guineas with other poultry, and all the possible issues you (and your flock) may be facing...

Well I am not planing on taking them then turning around and selling them, I would keep them till I got more females then just sell the extra males (proably to my cousine for meat) (they are selling cause they are haveing a problem with the guineas going onto the neibors porch and the guines start going off at thier front door). I think after a month or two (how long should I leave them locked up?) I might let them out and free range while I am home, then once I know they wont fly off then I might let them free range 90% of the day (we have 40 acres, the spot they are in is a small grass field 1 acre or so), the coop and covered run is just for the guineas no chickens,ducks,or geese will be in with them.

 

[PeepsCA]

Sounds like you have a good set up for them. Lucky Guineas. I'd still take them all, cuz they will most likely roam all 40 -acres lol. I have a flock of full-time free rangers that consists of 4 Hens and 8 males and they do fine, the extra males just kick rocks most of the time cuz they don't have a Hen... lol. But, they are a very effective tick/snake/pest control squad.

6 weeks in their new coop should be plenty of time for them to learn that is where home/safety and food is and not wander off to find their old coop/flock. You may get away with less time, or they may need more time, depends on the birds.

Being that it's the beginning of breeding/laying season, if that single Hen starts laying and broods a clutch while you have them penned, you may end up with more females within a few months! If she does brood a clutch you may want to section her off, so the other adults cannot hurt the keets. There's lots of info on BYC about Hens/flocks raising their own keets... you may want to read up on the subject. Some Hens are good mothers and the rest of the flock can be great "nannies", but most are not...

 

[hennypenny99]

Maybe it depends on your location as far as price goes. In SE Oklahoma, NE Texas area you can get guineas fro $8 to $10 male or female. I am really excited that I found a man who lives near me that hatches out keets every year and sells them for $1.25 each to start and he raises the price .25 each week that he has them.

 

[poultry09]

Thanks peepsca!!, you have been realy helpfull!, but I dont know how well it would be with them free ranging the whole 40 acres, would they come back every night or would they go and sleep in the trees even if I keep them locked up for 6 weeks or more (the last ones I had I keept locked up for around 3 months and they never came back) so I am a littel woried about that.