Raising Guinea Fowl

Have you ever considered raising your individual guinea fowl? Maybe you assume their ‘chi-chi-chi’ is so annoying you don’t assume you could take it.

In this article, I am going to talk about raising guinea fowl with chickens, keets, for meat, in the backyard, chicks, for profit, for eggs, in winter, etc.

Or perhaps you simply aren’t actually certain why you’ll even contemplate elevating them?

Properly, that’s what I’d prefer to share with you. Guineas are some very wonderful animals. I shared with you the few issues I discovered after I first began elevating guineas.

However now, I’ve learned a lot about the way to raise them, and why they’re so wonderful that I believe everybody must be within the ‘know.’

Here’s what it’s worthwhile to learn about guinea fowl:

How one can Raise Guinea Fowl

Lets learn about the steps for raising guinea fowl:

1. Incubation

If you do determine to incubate they remember that there are some variations in incubating child guineas verses incubating chickens.

So remember the fact that guinea eggs have to be stored at a constant temperature of 65-68 degrees Fahrenheit, and the incubation period is normally around 28 days.

However, as soon as they hatch, you’ll treat them as you’ll any newly hatched hen. You leave them within the incubator for around 6-8 hours till they’ve utterly dried.

Then they’re able to be moved to a brooder field below a heat lamp.

2. Raise Them as You Would Feathered Fowls

Now, as soon as your keets have graduated to the brooder field, you’ll be able to elevate them together with newly hatched chicks or ducklings. The main distinction is that keets must be fed otherwise.

As an alternative to utilizing common chick starter feed, they need to be fed the starter feed for recreation birds. It has completely different vitamins that bodies require.

Then you’ll depart them within the brooder field till they not want the warm lamp and have outgrown it. This normally takes around four weeks or so, in my expertise.

But it surely might take longer. All of it relies upon upon your birds. Simply make certain to not rush them. It’s higher to go away from them below the warm lamp till their full feathers have are available so that they have a greater probability of survival.

3. Train Them

When your guinea fowl have graduated from the brooder field, you’ll want to position them in a tractor if you’ll let them free range.

If not, then you’ll want to maneuver them to a different space (like an enclosure or kennel) the place your coop birds can get adjusted to them earlier than introducing them to the coop.

If they’re going to be cooped, then be sure you clip their wings as a result of guinea fowl are flighty birds. They will roost in bushes in the event that they so need.

So that you’ll need to clip their wings and think about using hen netting over any open areas. If they have got a very closed coop and run, then they need to be good to go.

However, in case you are planning to free vary your guinea fowl, you’ll want to coach them.

First, you should work out which guineas are boys and which are ladies. That is tough as you have to go off of their sounds. The girls make a sound that sounds as if they’re saying, “Come back!”

However, the boys make a ‘chi, chi, chi’ sound. When you may have this discovered, you’ll have to preserve your guineas secure inside their tractor for about 2-4 weeks.

They have to be conversant in it. Remember to feed them loads of contemporary meals and water.

Observe the directions on the bag of starter feed to know when to introduce them to different meal selections corresponding to layer feed and corn.

Subsequent, you’ll start by releasing a feminine hen on daily basis or so. She is going to hang across the tractor as a result of she is not going to leave her male companion.

Lastly, you’ll launch the males. They’ll discover the areas around them however ought to return to the tractor or coop. Mainly, wherever they determine to take up roost.

However, don’t be alarmed in the event that they determine to roost within the bushes.

Nonetheless, for those who leave food and water out there to them within the coop or tractor, then they’ll more than likely affiliate that with the house.

4. Let Them Do Their Job

After your guinea fowl has been launched it’s a must to allow them to do their job. Guineas will not be like chickens. They really will rule your rooster coop.

However, they won’t keep off their property traces. They’ll work out the place the bugs are and create a path that they’ll make rounds on on daily basis. Guineas have no idea property traces and don’t care what avenue is.

So whenever you free vary them, understand that they are going to be in your neighbors’ yards more than likely, and they’re going to assume that they personal the roads. Simply be suggested. They’ve thoughts of their very own.

And don’t be alarmed in the event that they fly on high of your home, and also you wake to the sounds of their ft working throughout your roof within the mornings. They go to the place they need to.

However they’ve plenty of good options about them so the noises they make, the locations they fly, and the yards they go to will in all probability not hassle you very a lot.

Reasons to Raise Guinea Fowl

1. They Are Great Bug Zappers

You probably have bugs, then it’s worthwhile to contemplate elevating guineas. They will chase bugs throughout your yard.

They eat ticks, June bugs, and virtually the rest that flies around your property (and neighbors’ property.)

So for those who’d prefer to rid your property of undesirable pests and bugs, then it’s worthwhile to add guineas to your flock and allow them to make a meal out of your pests.

2. They Kill Snakes

Once we first moved to our house, we’d often come through snakes. Our subsequent door neighbors had a nasty downside with snakes.

So when my husband determined so as to add guineas to our land I used to be solely on board as a result of I didn’t need snakes.

Properly, I child you not, within the three years we’ve had them I don’t assume I’ve seen a snake since. My neighbors don’t have snakes anymore either.

So they’re positively incomes their preserve round our house.

3. They Will Control Pests in Your Backyard

The rationale my husband determined to get guineas was as a result of our backyard was being ravaged by June bugs yearly.

So as an alternative of using a ton of chemicals on our vegetation, we added guineas. They’ve definitely achieved their job.

They’ll stroll by way of our backyard (without scratching it to items) and gently pluck the bugs off of our vegetation.

They’ve saved me a variety of work with battling bugs, and I’m in a position to backyard extra organically due to them.

4. They Are Watch Dogs

Nobody comes close to my house that I don’t learn about due to my guineas. After I hear them get riled up I do know that somebody or one thing is close to my house.

So I begin trying round and am in a position to meet anybody lengthy earlier than they ever make it to my door.

And really, some individuals are very afraid of guineas. I’ve by no means had any of mine be aggressive (until that they had lately hatched keets. Then the mother simply needed us to maintain our distance.)

However, we had a person deliver a load of rock to our home. He wouldn’t get out of his massive dump truck till I assured him I didn’t have ‘assault guineas.’

So since guinea fowl look sort of odd and might fly, they’ll truly deter some individuals.

However whenever you dwell as far down within the sticks as I do, I respect the truth that guineas warn me when I’ve guests as a result of in case you are in my space, you might be both misplaced or as much as no good.

5. They Will Assist Your Chickens

Guineas have a really eager sense when a predator is around. When we’ve got a hawk anyplace in our space, I and my chickens will learn about it lengthy earlier than we see it as a result of our guineas will go nuts.

However keep in mind, guineas might be tough in your chickens. They prefer to rule issues.

So they’ll flog your chickens and peck them to maintain them in line. It’s sort of a good trade-off contemplating they’re additionally their predator alert system. (No less than that’s the way in which I have a look at it.)

6. They Require Very Little

Guineas don’t require a variety of fuss. You don’t actually need to feed them (besides in the course of the winter months when bugs aren’t as plentiful.)

Nonetheless, a wise owner preserves meals and water out there to them in our rooster coop year-round simply so that they do not forget that our home is a house.

However, guineas don’t want a coop as they’ll roost within the bushes. Our guineas moved properly into our rooster coop.

So mainly, wherever they need to sleep, they’ll. Throughout the summer season months, our guineas will sleep outdoors on our fence.

However, that’s it. They don’t want an elaborate coop, they’ll present most of their very own meals for a part of the year, they usually might have you to maintain water out simply so that they don’t wander too far searching for it. In the event that they do this, they might not come house.

So remember the fact that you need to make your own home a welcoming place for them.

The downside to Guinea Fowl

So I’ve shared with you why you would possibly need to elevate guineas. It’s only truthful to allow you to in on their cons as effectively.

1. They’re noisy

Guinea fowl are noisy. There isn’t a way around it. They’ll name one another in the course of the day whereas they hunt meals collectively. They’ll make plenty of noise when you may have a predator or a guest.

However, typically, the rooster will simply discover a perch and determine to do his ‘chi, chi, chi’ name to let the world know that he’s the man. Period.

So simply preserve this in thoughts for those who dwell around lots of people.

2. They know no boundaries

Secondly, guinea fowl have no idea of boundaries. I had a guinea attempt to take over my neighbor’s rooster coop as soon as. I used to be mortified when the neighbor met me on the fence with my hen in hand.

However, my neighbors have grown to like our guineas since they’ve stored predators, bugs, and snakes away from their property too.

Nonetheless, it’s embarrassing after I’m outdoors within the morning and my guineas are doing their sounds all up and down the street waking up everybody as they stroll alongside consuming.

Fortunately, I don’t dwell close to the primary street or I’m certain I would’ve lost a number of our birds by now.

I’ll catch the rooster attempting to select a battle along with his reflection in our truck some mornings.

So that they don’t assume a lot about shifting out of the way in which for automobiles.

However, that’s all of the negatives I’ve present in owning guinea fowl over these previous few years.

Personally, I really like mine. I believe they’re stunning birds. They’re humorous to watch.

I additionally like how they perch on my entrance porch every morning to sing me their ‘chi, chi, chi’ tune. It simply provides the allure of the nation residing.

So now you understand how to lift your own guinea fowl. I hope I’ve given you some perception so somewhat more about what you could be stepping into for those who determine to lift guinea fowl.
However, I’d love to listen to your ideas.

Do you elevate guinea fowl? In that case, what’s your favorite and least favorite factor about them? May you have any ideas for these which may be contemplating raising?

I hope this article on raising guinea fowl was worth reading.

Raising Guinea Fowl – Chickens | Profit | Egg | Meat | Chicks