How to raise Backyard Chickens: Re: [CHICKENS-101] The Guineas are coming, The Guineas are coming!

Monday, May 30, 2011

Re: [CHICKENS-101] The Guineas are coming, The Guineas are coming!

In addition to Laura's post.
I house mine with my chickens. They go in at night to the house with the chickens.
They generally need to be confined with a top, cause they can fly, for 6 months. I let mine into the chicken run when they are old enough so the hens don't pick on them. Then let one out. It will stay close to "home" and teach the other one(s) where to go at night. I have an aviary pen just for them. Wire floor to ceiling with access for me to get in.
The females will make a nest where you least expect. Mine are doing so for the 4th time this season. One should be hatching in a couple of weeks. Lost one to a critter getting in the chicken house, which a hen took over. Another outside which we found, but I think before a mentioned also found. At the moment they have 2 clutches going, one is setting the other still laying. I have 2 pairs. When one of the girls doesn't go in at night I know they are setting a clutch. One clutch is 27 eggs contributed by 2 hens.
The hens are worse or close to a really evil hen when you try and get close to a nest. I was able to gather keets last year with protection, seriously.
To me they are evil little clown's and one pair is named after. O k. I'm a horror freak, so go figure.
Personally, I have never eaten the eggs. My neighbor does and says the shells almost make it not worth it.
In recent observing. Since mine have nest's going they male and female are more aggressive to the other birds - chickens and ducks when it comes to feeding time. Otherwise they all do their own thing.
And yes, Craigs List is a great way to buy or sell them. I try and sell them when they are a few days old. The bigger they get the harder to wrangle.
Yahoo groups has some good guinea groups also. Good info. Personally, I think easier to raise than chickens.

Gothy in DE

http://fullmoonchickens.blogspot.com/

--- On Tue, 5/31/11, Ron Parks <ronparks1@frontier.com> wrote:

From: Ron Parks <ronparks1@frontier.com>
Subject: Re: [CHICKENS-101] The Guineas are coming, The Guineas are coming!
To: CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, May 31, 2011, 2:46 AM

I think I am going to get some Guineas next week. Is there anything I need to know that is different from raising chickens? Do you brood them the same way? Do they eat the same things? My plan is to free range them once they get old enough. I hear they are a bit noisy but are do the males have something like a rooster crow? Do you eat the eggs? I understand the meat is close to pheasant. Do they need shelter in winter? Should I have a protected area at night or just let them roost in the trees? They should get really fat just eating ticks here *lol*