Where to get guinea from?

[Cacklin" Hens]

I have had good luck with ebay but i highly recommend you don't get any hatching eggs from the Guinea Farm run by Ralph Winter. I got a dozen of the sky blue hatching eggs and I put them under a broody hen that has hatched to batches of guineas with a 100% hatch rate and not the first one hatched!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

That's not good!

How many keet is a good number to start out with?

 

[Cacklin" Hens]

About 10-15.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

We have a really HUGE BIG place for them to roam, but the only thing is that I can only fit so many in a chicken/rabbit hutch! I have to be able to raise them comfortably in there until they can go to the main coop! Also one Q. Can I house them with my 86 chickens? Can I feed them the same thing that I feed my chickens?

 

[Cacklin" Hens]

you can house them with your chickens, but I personally believe guineas should be free range because in the wild they aren't penned up.Guineas are wild birds, therefore they should be free ranged i believe. Their natural diet includes bugs, grass, and other things they get outside. They cant get those things cooped up. you cam feed them chicken feed during the summer when they can get bugs and stuff outside. Thats if IF they are free range. If they are cooped up and also during the winter they should be on high protein gamebird feed (like 28%) Hope this helps

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

I just ment, could they roost together and everything? The ONLY reason that we'er getting them is so they can eat down our bugs and stuff! How long does it take for hens to start laying their eggs? How, many eggs will I get a week? How offten will the guinea hens go broody?

 

[Cacklin" Hens]

Yes they could roost together. Guinea hens start laying about 5-6months old, BUT they only lay in the spring, summer and early fall (they won't lay in the winter). A young guinea hen will lay a egg a day her first year of laying. My guinea hens won't go broody if I get all of the eggs out of the nest except about 4 (I do this so she comes back to the nest). Besides, you don't want a guinea to go broody because she is ALOT more susceptible to get killed by a predator and guineas dont make good mothers at all. Hope this helps!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Good! I was hopeing I wouldn't have to build them another roost or anything! lol! Well could I put the broody guinea some where safe, where nothing cold get her? Would a chicken/rabbit hutch work? If we were gone a few days could the guineas stay locked up with the chickens? Thanks for all the info Caklin" Hens!

 

[Cacklin" Hens]

Well if you find her when she starts sitting and you try to pick her up she will either fly up in your face and be hard to contain OR fight you! Hope this helps!!!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Thanks for all the info Caklin" Hens !!!!!