Guinea Fowl?

[Anonymous]

We have just added 2 guinea fowl to our mix with our latest day old group (10chickens, 2 GF!) Any thoughts on keeping them? All are free range, and idea is to live with the hens . One is white and one is stripey brown, will get pics at some stage!

 

[snifter]

All I can say is good luck :lol: They are very timid as a rule and make a lot of noise when anyone approaches. Hence gamekeepers keeping them with pheasants. They will make a huge din and take off running if there is any hint of danger anywhere in the area.

I've only ever known them be totally free range as in released into open land and woodland and never go near a hen house or any such thing. I guess if yours are with your hens they will possibly/probably adapt and do what hens do but I'd not bank on it. They may be much more 'wild' in how they behave.

 

[Anonymous]

thanks! we have lots of land and a few small copses of woodland round it (plus foxes-!) so they have plenty of oppurtunity and several sheds/a barn or two they can sleep in if they want! It will be interesting to see what they turn out like being raised with chicks, and how they compare.

 

[Tim]

I keep 3 Guineas in one of my runs with 10 chickens and 5 ducks.

They have access to the field during the day. Yes, they make one heck of a din at times. They were hatched by a bantam which means they will roost in the hen house and (not always....) lay in the nest boxes. They are pretty good layers and their eggs are small but rich and the shells are very hard. They are extremely good fliers and will prefer to roost in trees if they don't get used to the hen house at an early age. The hen house should ideally have a high perch for them - as high as possible in the house or they may start roosting elsewhere. They can clear an 8ft fence to get out in the day but if you put a wooden rail around the top, they will come back in at night and be able to get back in. I clip a wing on mione but they still fly pretty well....

They are useful for creating a racket if there is danger - they are incredibly watchful and will start up if there's a fox about. Some say they scare foxes... I've not got any evidence of this though.

Ensure there are enough food containers about with food ad lib as I find at feeding time they will skirt around the hens and receive the odd peck of they get too close to the food.

Hope this helps a little - good luck.

Tim