What to feed Guineas?

[bdouglas713]

I have 10 guineas. They are almost 8 weeks old and as such I do not yet know how many are male and how many female. This is my first time raising Guineas.
I want to know what I can feed them. I've been feeding Purina Game Bird Starter 30% protein. I am talking about long term feed. I have read where males aren't supposed to get layer but given that there will be males and females, I want to make sure I give them what they need without causing any harm.

Thanks in advance

 

[Pastel the Rooster]

I have 10 guineas. They are almost 8 weeks old and as such I do not yet know how many are male and how many female. This is my first time raising Guineas.
I want to know what I can feed them. I've been feeding Purina Game Bird Starter 30% protein. I am talking about long term feed. I have read where males aren't supposed to get layer but given that there will be males and females, I want to make sure I give them what they need without causing any harm.

Thanks in advance

What you are feeding them as keets is fine.
I used to give mine All Flock. I switched to layer feed for my chickens. I wasnt going to use two different feeds.
Layer feed should be fine for them. It just lacks very few things that they need.
I would go with All Flock.

 

[bdouglas713]

What you are feeding them as keets is fine.
I used to give mine All Flock. I switched to layer feed for my chickens. I wasnt going to use two different feeds.
Layer feed should be fine for them. It just lacks very few things that they need.
I would go with All Flock.

Thanks so much!

 

[Theorrin]

I have 10 guineas. They are almost 8 weeks old and as such I do not yet know how many are male and how many female. This is my first time raising Guineas.
I want to know what I can feed them. I've been feeding Purina Game Bird Starter 30% protein. I am talking about long term feed. I have read where males aren't supposed to get layer but given that there will be males and females, I want to make sure I give them what they need without causing any harm.

Thanks in advance

totally fine what ur feeding them. my males didnt have an issue

 

[CluckyandPeepsFlock]

My flock has two guinea hen's.

I feed them Dumor chick starter 20% protein, with oyster egg shells in a dish available to them for calcium.

They have grown into big healthy birds.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I have read where males aren't supposed to get layer but given that there will be males and females, I want to make sure I give them what they need without causing any harm.

Folks can say they never had a problem.. and that may be true. I believe them! Still I disagree about "layer" being fine for NON laying birds.

Excess calcium >3% fed long term to birds NOT in lay.. *CAN* (doesn't mean will) cause gout, kidney failure and even death.. IF somehow genetically predisposed.

Using 20% protein flock raiser and adding oyster shell on the side for active layer IS a better choice for mixed age/gender/species flocks. The males may sample but won't have to constantly consume the oyster shell. ( it's also what I do for my chickens so I don't have to use two feed types.) No one will be missing anything with this method.

There are also game bird maintenance feeds, etc.. You can see what Purina recommends.. (protein content being the biggest factor, calcium the second biggest)

https://www.purinamills.com/game-bird-feed/education/detail/feeding-game-birds-for-life

Most game bird and all flock type feeds are higher in amino acids than standard "layer" chicken feed. All layer feed has that others don't is the extra calcium for hard shells. FWIW.. "lacking a very few things" can be the difference between life and death. Do birds that lay only maybe 100 eggs per year need the same amount of calcium as birds that are laying 200+??

I would make the switch to 20% protein sooner than later.. all info I read indicates it's time.. and your pocket book should thank you.

However.. everyone has a personal choice, different resources, and thought processes.. also what they value in life.

Hope this helps some.

 

[bdouglas713]

Folks can say they never had a problem.. and that may be true. I believe them! Still I disagree about "layer" being fine for NON laying birds.

Excess calcium >3% fed long term to birds NOT in lay.. *CAN* (doesn't mean will) cause gout, kidney failure and even death.. IF somehow genetically predisposed.

Using 20% protein flock raiser and adding oyster shell on the side for active layer IS a better choice for mixed age/gender/species flocks. The males may sample but won't have to constantly consume the oyster shell. ( it's also what I do for my chickens so I don't have to use two feed types.) No one will be missing anything with this method.

There are also game bird maintenance feeds, etc.. You can see what Purina recommends.. (protein content being the biggest factor, calcium the second biggest)

https://www.purinamills.com/game-bird-feed/education/detail/feeding-game-birds-for-life

Most game bird and all flock type feeds are higher in amino acids than standard "layer" chicken feed. All layer feed has that others don't is the extra calcium for hard shells. FWIW.. "lacking a very few things" can be the difference between life and death. Do birds that lay only maybe 100 eggs per year need the same amount of calcium as birds that are laying 200+??

I would make the switch to 20% protein sooner than later.. all info I read indicates it's time.. and your pocket book should thank you.

However.. everyone has a personal choice, different resources, and thought processes.. also what they value in life.

Hope this helps some.

I switched to the 20% and will continue until 16 weeks. I will probably switch to the all flock after that.
How about in the off-season when they aren't laying?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I switched to the 20% and will continue until 16 weeks. I will probably switch to the all flock after that.
How about in the off-season when they aren't laying?

Then they would use less of the oyster shell.. and be considered "maintenance" in that Purina link.

I feed the same thing year round with oyster shell available free choice.. pasture conditions do change throughout the year *here*.. which partly effects what is being suggested.. for instance the Purina link is indicated (as low as 12.5% protein for holding breeders over winter) under strict confinement with no pasture or treats per say that home/pet raised birds might (or might not) be getting.

Nutrition starts on page 4 of the following link..

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/ASC/ASC209/ASC209.pdf

And about half way down the page of this one..

https://poultry.extension.org/artic...ing-guinea-fowl-in-small-and-backyard-flocks/

Best I can gather and what I would do.. *looks* like staying between 16-20% protein is a good choice.

Please use your best discretion.

 

[bdouglas713]

Then they would use less of the oyster shell.. and be considered "maintenance" in that Purina link.

I feed the same thing year round with oyster shell available free choice.. pasture conditions do change throughout the year *here*.. which partly effects what is being suggested.. for instance the Purina link is indicated (as low as 12.5% protein for holding breeders over winter) under strict confinement with no pasture or treats per say that home/pet raised birds might (or might not) be getting.

Nutrition starts on page 4 of the following link..

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/ASC/ASC209/ASC209.pdf

And about half way down the page of this one..

https://poultry.extension.org/artic...ing-guinea-fowl-in-small-and-backyard-flocks/

Best I can gather and what I would do.. *looks* like staying between 16-20% protein is a good choice.

Please use your best discretion.

Thanks so much for all of the information and links!