# Guinea fowl?



## DavyHollow (Jul 14, 2011)

Me and my mom are looking into getting these guys this spring, but we are a little bit confused.

Is there only purpose to keep down bugs? Are they for meat or laying or what?

Also, if we get them from our local farm store, do they sell just females like they do chicks, or male and females?


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## milkmaid (Sep 15, 2010)

The three things I know about them are that they eat bugs like crazy (including ticks), they are VERY noisy, and they have very little success raising their own chicks.


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## Frosty1 (Jul 12, 2011)

We love our guineas at my house!!! They are fantastic for eating bugs, and are the best "watchdogs" EVER. They will start up a loud call if a predator is near. Besides that, we incubate our's eggs, so we don't have an issue with them being bad mamas. Their downsides though? Yes, as milkmaid said, they are REALLY loud, and they have a tendency to go "exploring".


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## dobe627 (Oct 16, 2007)

Yes they are very noisey. They do eat alot of bugs. Ssome people o eat them, I never have but I hear it is mostly dark meat. They will sit on their egg and hatch chicks but rarely raise them, they usually lose them in the weeds an stuff. So I too usually incubae mine.


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## StaceyRosado (Oct 5, 2007)

they wonder far they are very noisy and no I never ate one. Their eggs are small and very hard shells.


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## GingersMaMa (Aug 4, 2011)

Very vocal..
Very tasty dark meat I love it!! :greengrin: 
Never eaten the eggs some people like them..
Lost mine to foxes


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## Mossy Ridge (Jun 12, 2012)

Love guineas, but lost all of our females to foxes/coyotes while setting on eggs.


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## Zarafia (Mar 25, 2012)

They were discussing ticks on the falconry forum and it was the general concensus that guineafowl were one of the best ways to keep the tick population on your property down to a minimum.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Here is my question - I have 4 guinea (already lost one as a new hatchlings as it snuck through the pen slats). They are about 4 months old now. When can I let them out of their enclosure? I want to let them loose in the goat pen so that they will learn that is their "safe haven" so to speak ... what do you all think?


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## Shellshocker66 (Mar 19, 2012)

kelebek said:


> Here is my question - I have 4 guinea (already lost one as a new hatchlings as it snuck through the pen slats). They are about 4 months old now. When can I let them out of their enclosure? I want to let them loose in the goat pen so that they will learn that is their "safe haven" so to speak ... what do you all think?


I'm right behind you with about 12 week old keets. I'm actually thinking of taking their pen and moving it into my chicken pen so they know it's still home and might actually stay around awhile. That might work for your goat pen as well so they go back to eat in a familiar place.

I really want to keep 6 where they are in captivity and let the other 6 go and be free range. I just need to figure out my hens and males out first.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I did it - I turned ONE guinea loose and the others are still in their little make shift pen. The one out was in HEAVEN when I left - thank goodness - eat up those dang ticks PLEASE! The others though - are TICKED that they are not out .... LOL! We will see if the one is still there when I get home - LOL!


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

Guineas work well with chickens. As for separating the guineas in half, they're going to have a fit with you! The "free-range" will be sitting outside the coop and making all sorts of racket because of the friends inside. Lol 

Guineas also work very well with coops. They are very easily trained, easier than chickens perhaps! Of course they are horribly noisy, but for me that's a good thing. They LOVE to follow me around and beg for treats, but my boyfriend hates them so much. They coo and whistle when around me, but the second that he comes out of the house (not exaggerating in the slightest), they fly to him and sit about 15 feet away in a circle and scream their heads off. Lol!!!


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

DavyHollow said:


> Me and my mom are looking into getting these guys this spring, but we are a little bit confused.
> 
> Is there only purpose to keep down bugs? Are they for meat or laying or what?
> 
> Also, if we get them from our local farm store, do they sell just females like they do chicks, or male and females?


Unfortunately the only way to sex guineas is to wait until they mature and listen to their call. The males have a one syllable call, while the females "buck-beak" or "buck-wheat" two syllable call.

Guineas are multi-purpose. The excess males make wonderful meat birds. Big breasts. Nice rich dark meat. They are great watchdogs, they will attack dogs/cats, they keep the chickens close to home, they eat anything that moves, they give I'd say roughly 50-80 eggs in a year. Usually between late April and early July. I don't let mine hatch out their own. Reason being they lay with the chickens in the nesting boxes. They have a tendency to take their brood out for a morning stroll in the wet grass, the babies get cold, and wet, and they die. We incubate all their eggs. Sell newborn pearls for $5, and after 3 weeks, they easily sell between $8-10 as a juvenile. Adults go for $12-15 here. They do not make good year round layers as they are seasonal.


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## Trickyroo (Sep 26, 2012)

I love those birds  But they are in fact not the smartest birds.
My friend had a bunch and they wandered out in the roadway ,one got killed and the rest just stood there starring at their smooshed friend !
They are horrible parents though , they sometimes lay their eggs on top of anothers nest , lol. They lose their chicks constantly , you will be lucky one chick makes it back with its parent !!

I do love them , they are such pretty birds  But loud as heck !!
i just want them to keep ticks and other pests in control but I dont want to see any get killed


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## serenityfarmnm (Jan 6, 2013)

I reallr, really want about 6, but every poultry place has a minimum order of 30 birds before they will ship them!!! We only have 3.5 acres!!


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## neubunny (Nov 7, 2012)

My kids wanted them last year. Then we went to the poultry show. Could hear them across everything else in the barn. So mean mom said no. Flock of 12 turned up midsummer. I THINK they belong to the neighbor, but seem to spend most of the day in our pasture - though I've spotted the flock two neighbors down either side and across the road. But they've grown on me. Outside it's just become part of the 'farm noise' and not the racket it seem like. Think we will be getting some of our own this spring.


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I loved mine!!! I had 4 keets..... But something got them :-( noticed a huge decline of ticks when they were here


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## serenityfarmnm (Jan 6, 2013)

Finally found a reasonable site for them. (10) 1 day old keets for 42.50 free shipping!! They don't have the color choices of other places but they have them now ( as opposed to waiting till June) & I don't have to order 30!!


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

Ohhhh please share!!! That's cheaper than bought locally!!


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## Arkie (Sep 25, 2012)

serenityfarmnm said:


> Finally found a reasonable site for them. (10) 1 day old keets for 42.50 free shipping!! They don't have the color choices of other places but they have them now ( as opposed to waiting till June) & I don't have to order 30!!





kelebek said:


> Ohhhh please share!!! That's cheaper than bought locally!!


YEAH, unless you're afraid we'll buy em all, how about a name, or a link, or somethin? 

Bob


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