Guineafowl Guineafowl and Chickens Together

I have known people that said you could not keep them together ... but we did.

We had them both in a run and free range.

What do you want to know?

 

Why would you need to keep both?

 

They are great forager, they also like to fly and forage in the neighbors garden. (which didn't go over to well.)

They are rather loud at times and one of the best watch fowl we had. (geese were first)

I did like having them around but if you have to keep them up, they can't do much on the tick problem. (the reason we bought them.)

 

I had been told that to get them to come back to the coop, you needed to keep them in there 24/7 for 6 month. (no less) So that is what we did.

Sad to say it didn't work ... they went to roost in an old oak tree near their lot. (about 30 feet up.) They would not come in for feed or anything else.

How far did they go, well we have 40 acres and they still would find time to visit the folks down the road. (I hope you have better luck with them than I did.)

 

I was considering getting some Guineas to help with the aweful tick problem we are having, but we have a neighboring farm that may not think kindly of our fowl coming to feed on their crops (besides insects and ticks, what will they eat?) I can handle them roaming and roosting elsewhere but I am worried about the destruction of the neighbors crops, mostly berries.

 

My main problem with them was my garden ... They loved the blooms on my pea vines and had to try each and every tomato that they came to.

They were great at bugs and they would clean up grain from under the horses feed buckets. (as they raced around the dancing hoofs). No matter which critter I was feed they were there ... unless I went into their coop and they would scream at me and say. "I don't think so!" lol

And while they were not as bad as the peacocks and roofs, they were not that far off.

 

I had bantams and guineas all together for years. They didn't bother each other until you put some new ones in with them. I have found that if you just let them free range and not lock them up once in a while you wind up without any guineas. Their foraging and roosting just keeps getting farther and farther away until one day you look at your wife and say, "have you seen the guineas lately?"

 

Thanks Andi for the input! My friends brother in-law raises them and explained a little more to me about them. In mid July I am going to buy 6 of them from him and see what happens. I know that if I have any questions I can get help here!!!!

 

Sorry, that last post was Jason's wife! He forgot to log out!!!!

 

You will have to let us know how it works out.

 

@JackofAll, Guineas pick bugs off plants, eat off the surface, love ticks & bees, and sound the alarm if anything is amiss. Chickens don't. I have both for different reasons.

@Sundancer, they need to lock-on to the coop as "home". You only need to keep them 24/7 for 6 weeks, not 6 months. This way they associate safety & food with their coop. They're very independent though, & won't always choose to come in. Even if you do everything right, they sometimes move on to the neighbors. Who knows why?

 

[SIZE=+0]The more you have, the farther they roam. They usually always come home several times a day. However, to few may go looking for others to join up with. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=+0]Do they get along with chickens? Mine are raised with other poultry, so they tend to get along (as well as guineas can) with each other. That being said, they become bullies if penned up in close quarters. [/SIZE]

Now there is a trick to getting them to stay, and bringing them all inside at night to be locked up. First, when you get them, put them all in a large cage inside where you want them to call home. Two cages side by side if you get a lot. Keep water in with them but only feed in the evening. After a week to 10 days, let ONE out. Put out some water beside the cage and a little feed in the evening like you do the cage. He/she will stay close by and roost there because the rest are there. In a few days, let another one out. They will start to explore the area, but stay close. Keep letting them out one at a time pr day or two till eventually they're all free. Continue the evening feed routine about a half hour or so before dark because that’s what they’re used to. Then lock them up safely when they enter for their treats as usual. Guineas are creatures of habit, and if that’s what they get used to, that’s what they’ll expect. Brake from the routine and they could start roosting in the trees. That is a very hard thing to stop once they start.

 

Hello I finally found a place to ask guinea advice! I have three two week old's in with three 4 week old chicks, B.O's. I read the "G" feed should be higher in protein, like turkey starter. and be medicated. now they are eating chick starter. and doing fine, this is their forth day with me. I can only seperate them to feed them and this is a pain. also when can















Hello! I bought two BO chicks and three guinea chicks four days ago. I am feeding them every night- DURING the night..how long before they can eat less than every six hours? They are in a crate together and I also read I should be feeding the "G's" medicated turkey starter not chick starter..this high protein would not be good for the chicks? I hate to seperate them, they are doing well together.
Another question I am getting mixed answers about; GRIT...I live in Florida and wonder if the sand could replace gravel/stones? we have NO rocks here. I read the "flock" can start on a small amount of chick grit on their third day. All or any help appreciated.

 

I do not feed medicated feed to chicks, turkeys or guineas and they were all started on chick, start & grow. I've never seen turkey starter at the local store (but I'm sure they could order some in) most all folks around here use chick starter to start any/all fowl.

As for the grit we live on a river and have sandy soil but I also offer grit to the chicken.

 

Agreed. I found that do better on non-medicated chick starter. They grow just a little slower, but stronger by feeding them the lower protein chick starter. Their tendons, mussels and ligaments aren’t strained from to quick a growth.

As for med or non-med feed, their immune system doesn’t build when started on medicated starter. Later, when they may really need some meds, they don’t work near as well. My birds seem to do a lot better later in life when not started on medicated starter.

 

Any luck with guineas and squash bugs?

I've had guineas as a child, and remember they would not stay home either, but we were never consistent with the evening treat routine, may need to try that.

But we're interested in getting some to control squash bugs. Has anyone had any luck growing squash in their enclosure, or do the plants just not get a chance to even get started? What if I grew them in large pots and moved them in once they were mature plants, or maybe grew them in an unused run and didn't let the guineas in until they were large plants? We're heartbroken, every year our squash get exterminated by the bugs, and there seems to be no hope of growing them, even with tons of diatomaceous earth or even severe insecticides. No amount of checking leaves for eggs and killing adults with a stick one by one seems to be enough to control them.

 

Guinea males will fight with rooster but once they get used to the chickens the guineas will enter mingle with the chickens