The greatest downside of guinea fowl I’ve experienced is that their wandering and lack of smarts means predators easily pick them. Over three years we’ve gone from 30 guinea fowl to 11. But we are happy to restore their numbers because in a state with terrible Lyme disease, we have almost no ticks on our farm. When your guinea fowl graduate from the brooder, you’ll need to place them in a tractor or move them to another area where coop birds adjust before introducing them. Clip their wings because guinea fowl are flighty. Use bird netting over open areas. Train them if free ranging.
A reality of keeping guineas will be restoring their numbers every few years. Guinea fowl are seasonal layers, depending on location. They will lay daily between March and September. A hen will lay around 100 eggs per season. Often they are ‘communal’ layers, all laying in one nest. Guinea fowl meat is moist, firmer and leaner with slight gamey flavour. Don’t buy frozen meat with ice. Refrigerate for two days maximum. Freeze for up to three months. Most guineas sold in Russia are 75-80 days old. Meat before 3.5 months is more plump. It has bluish tint as it’s low in fat. Press on it, if the hole remains it’s poor quality. Love to explore so provide designated location. Can get mites occasionally but less internal parasites than chickens. Originally from Africa so surprisingly cold hardy. Not intelligent, keep from ponds in winter. While competitive, lower maintenance than chickens, offer pest control and security.
Are guinea fowl worth keeping?
Guinea fowl are natural grazers. They eat weed seeds, insects and worms. They are fairly easy to keep and effective in keeping insect pests clean. Guineas eat ticks and insects. They hunt cooperatively and keep snakes away.
Cons of Keeping Guinea Fowl: They are noisy. Their racket makes them unsuitable for neighbors. They are difficult to tame as pets. Because guineas retain wild instincts, taming one takes time and patience. They tear up the garden.
Pros outweigh cons. So, expect benefits: Guinea Fowl Lay Many Eggs daily. You need to confine them to collect eggs easily. On free-range, finding eggs is difficult.
Limit guineas’ number to prevent chickens becoming fearful of the coop. Guineas are true nomads. If untrained, they leave the homestead. They don’t come back to the coop naturally as chickens. Though trained, they decided trees better roosts.
Adult guinea fowl cost $10-$25 depending on breed. Rare breeds cost upwards of $25. Owners cannot raise one guinea fowl alone even with chickens. Naturally social, lone guineas likely die. Have separate coops.
Tips to prevent issues: Raise guineas from keets in permanent home. Keep locked in home/coop 6 weeks before roaming. If with chickens, raise together from babies. This didn’t work for us.
Things to know if considering guineas: They eat bugs without hurting plants. Hens produce small, egg-like eggs. Though loud, advantages exist: almost prehistoric appearance different from chickens. Fierce, horned helmeted guinea looks most prehistoric.
Guineas need well-ventilated, draft-free, dry place with controlled light and temperature. In winter, need long daylight hours from 7am-10pm.
Can guinea fowl live with chickens?
Yes, chickens and guinea fowl can be kept in the same coop, with a caveat. You should make sure your guineas have plenty of room for egg laying. They will hold off on laying if there is a lot of commotion in the coop.
The good news is if you start introducing Guinea keets (babies) to a coop and covered pen early on, they will easily accept it as adults. You cannot have just one guinea even in a flock of chickens, ensure that the guineas still have a few friends to play with.
Although you can keep female guineas and hens together, it is the males that cause problems. The males of both will fight and they will try and mate with the hens which can result in sterile hybrids.
Many chicken keepers with guinea fowl have reported that guinea fowl chicks who are raised with chickens tend to be a lot less aggressive. Guinea fowls who are used to chickens are also easier to get into the coop at night. You will have the best results if you integrate your guinea fowls into your chicken flock from a very young age.
Free-ranging is completely safe for both chickens and guinea fowl. While chickens can eat a variety of meals during free-range, guinea fowl can fly to farther areas and get even more meals.
Is a guinea fowl a chicken?
Guinea fowl are birds endemic to Africa. They are gallinaceous birds that branched off phylogenetically after the Cracidae and before the Odontophoridae. The guinea fowl, or guinea hen, is a small, hardy bird related to the chicken and partridge. Its flavor is often compared to pheasant. Guinea meat is drier and leaner than chicken with a gamey flavor. Their eggs are richer than chicken eggs. The average lifespan is 10 to 15 years. Guinea fowl can mate with chickens and peafowl to produce hybrid offspring called “guin-hens” and “pea-guineas.”
Roast or braise guinea fowl like chicken. Adjust timings as they contain less fat than chicken and can dry out. Guinea fowl keets die from getting cold or wet. Yes, guinea fowl and chickens can share a coop. Give guineas ample room to lay eggs. They will refrain from laying if there’s too much activity in the coop.
Another name for guinea fowl is Numididae. The only species in the Numida genus is the Helmeted Guinea Fowl, the most well known. It has domestic value. Guinea fowl can survive a long time without water.
There are differences in appearance between chickens and guinea fowl. An average chicken egg weighs about 1.7 ounces. Chickens lay up to 300 eggs yearly which are larger than guinea eggs. Chicken eggs come in brown, white and blue solid colors. Guinea eggs weigh about 1.5 ounces and are one-third smaller.
Guinea meat has slightly more protein and half the fat of chicken meat. Their eggs are richer than chicken eggs. Guinea fowl are vulnerable when first born. Look out for respiratory diseases, bacterial diseases like salmonellosis, coccidiosis protozoa and parasites.
Some people find guinea fowl easier to cook than chicken as it’s less likely to dry out or become overcooked. The main difference in cooking methods is guinea fowl are much smaller than chickens, averaging 4 pounds versus 8 pounds.
Guinea fowl are gallinaceous birds endemic to Africa. They branched phylogenetically after Cracidae and before Odontophoridae. The guinea hen is a small, hardy bird compared to the chicken and partridge. Its gamey flavor is like pheasant. The meat is drier and leaner than chicken. Eggs are richer. Lifespan averages 10-15 years. It hybridizes with chickens and peafowl. Roast or braise it like chicken, adjusting for less fat. Keets die from cold and dampness. Yes, it shares coops with chickens if given ample room. Another name is Numididae. The main species is the Helmeted Guinea Fowl, with domestic value. It survives long without water.
There are appearance differences from chickens. Chicken eggs are larger and weigh about 1.7 ounces. Chickens lay up to 300 eggs yearly in solid brown, white or blue. Guinea eggs weigh 1.5 ounces and are one-third smaller.
The meat has more protein and half the chicken’s fat content. Eggs are richer. Keets are vulnerable when born. Watch for respiratory diseases, salmonellosis, coccidiosis and parasites.
Some find guinea fowl easier to cook, being less prone to drying out. The main cooking difference is guinea fowl averages 4 pounds to the chicken’s 8.