Raising Guineas
Guinea fowl are some of the most quirky backyard birds you can own. Guineas make excellent bug and snake control and will sound an alarm for your flock when there is danger, or they can make great meat for your dinner table. They are also super entertaining to watch, especially in the spring when the males perform their mating rituals to win over the hens in the flock.
Considerations
First, let’s talk a bit about the whys and why-nots of owning guinea fowl. If you think it may be similar to owning chickens, you may be a bit disappointed to learn they are not very similar to chickens at all. They are both birds, but they vary significantly too. On most farms, owning guinea fowl serves 3 main purposes; bug control, security guard, and meat production. Guinea fowl are very good at keeping the bug population under control on any farm, eating up to 1,000 ticks per day – but will also eat mosquitos, beetles, grasshoppers, worms, and more. They do like to cover a large area of land and can be difficult to keep confined. They also can be very vocal, especially when they see something or someone that is strange to them. They make excellent alarms and watchdogs for this reason but keep in mind that they cannot fight off predators. They will alarm you to a predator’s presence if they see it and will fly out of reach but beyond that, their personal defense mechanisms are few.
Brooding
Guinea keets are raised in a manner similar to chicken chicks; they need to be in a draft-free brooder for the first 8 weeks, kept warm, and with access to fresh water and turkey or gamebird starter feed at all times. The temperature of the brooder should start at 95 degrees for the first week of age, then decrease the brooder temperature by 5 degrees each week. Once the keets are fully feathered by around 8 weeks of age, they can be allowed outside to acclimate to their permanent housing, remember that unlike chickens these babies can fly so be careful when moving and make sure they are fully confined while they learn where home is.
Feeding
As young birds, guinea keets require a bit higher protein ration than chicken chicks do. For the first 5 weeks of age, feed guinea keets a 24-26% protein turkey or gamebird starter. After 5 weeks of age, they can eat standard chick starter feed, 18%-20% protein. Medicated feed is OK to use for guinea keets, especially if the weather is hot and humid which encourages the growth of coccidia in the environment. Begin feeding a layer ration, like layer mash, with 16% protein once the keets are 12 weeks of age. Supplements such as leafy greens, cottage cheese, or cooked eggs are always great too.
Housing
Guinea fowl are originally from Africa, so warm summers are not an issue for them. They can be kept in a wide variety of climates but if you live where winters are very cold they will need good, draft-free housing for protection.
Generally, Guinea Fowl are not big fans of being confined. They are happier if allowed to free-range on your farm. However, if frequently handled as keets, the adults can learn to accept being handled and confined within a coop and yard similar to chickens. Guinea can fly up into trees and onto buildings quite well, so any yard enclosure will need to have a top if you do not want “fence-jumpers.” Many times, guinea fowl prefer to roost in trees at night and it can become difficult to get them into a coop at night for safety. Roosting outdoors makes them vulnerable to nocturnal predators such as owls and raccoons. Guinea can be kept with chickens, and often do very well, especially when raised together. The guineas typically return to the coop at night with chickens present and will sometimes even lay in nesting boxes like their chicken friends.
Guinea Fowl Varieties
Guineas come in several different colors. No one color is better than others. One thing to consider is white tends to stand out more in a free-range situation with a lack of cover.
If you are interested in raising Guinea Fowl for meat, any variety could be butchered, but the Jumbo Guineas Fowl are an exceptional option. They can be processed at 6-9 weeks of age when raised as a meat bird and have highly sought-after gourmet meat. All guineas will lay plenty of eggs seasonably, though they do a great job at hiding them, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled and do a float test before cracking them into your skillet.
If you are interested in a rare or exotic kind, the Vulturine Guinea Fowl are a rare and stunning choice. However, they are not cold-hardy, and you do need to make special accommodations during the winter.
Consider adding Guinea Fowl Keets to your flock or maybe hatch some guinea eggs.
Do you have any special tips or tricks for raising Guinea Fowl in your own flock? Let us know in the comments below!
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how early in the Spring do you usually have baby keets?
HI Dannie. Thank you for reading the blog. We expect to have 2019 hatch dates available online for spring orders in late November of 2018. At this time, I am not aware if guinea keets will be available for 2019, so please check our website in November!
Hi, this may be a stupid question. I remember when I was a kid, many, many moons ago, our neighbor had guineas and they roamed all over the place, flying over fences, etc. Now, I still live “out in the country” on 10 acres, but on a very busy highway. So, if I bought some baby guineas would the road eat them up? I know that is a hard question to answer with limited information, but any tips or info would be helpful.
Hi David! Thanks for reading the blog. I also live on a very busy highway on 16 acres so I can relate to your setting. Although I’ve not owned guineas, I’ve had free ranging chickens for many years and have never lost a bird to the 60 mph traffic yet, even though they sometimes forage within feet of the edge of the road and get honked at! Guineas are generally much more self sufficient than chickens, so I suspect that they’d learn quickly to not hang out too close to the road.
Darrell- on June 17, 2020 Camden County, Georgia
Hi David! I’ve raised several dozen of keats over the years. We live by a very busy state road and we own over 25 acres and those guineas for some ungodly reason loves to cross that road. I have lost many guineas that way. They simply are not like chickens. They either don’t know how to or refuse to maneuver around traffic. It breaks my heart to return home to several of my birds run over in front of my place, however I haven’t had one chicken claimed by a vehicle in 37 years. Guineas are another challenge to maintain near vast moving traffic. I’m not sure if you actually can prevent any mishaps such as road kills from occurring to your flock. I still struggle with this present issue. If you figure something out, please let us know. I wish you all the best.
Most definitely.
I average loosing a dozen every year. All you have to do is hatch more or buy some fancy baby keets from Meyers
I wouldn’t be without mine and all my neighbors around love them
Are the males as aggressive as roosters
Hi Ingrid. In general, the male guineas are not as aggressive towards people as roosters are, but they are very good alarm systems!
How can I order less than 30 guineas?
Hi Susan. Thank you for reading the Meyer Hatchery blog. All guinea keets do require a minimum of 30 per order. You may want to see about getting some others who are interested in owning guineas to perhaps split an order with you.
can you start new keets in a chicken house that my chickens live in at night?
Hi Phil. Thanks for reading our blog! You can brood guinea keets in the same area that you currently have your adult chickens. You will want to keep them in a separate brooder space that the hens cannot get to for the keets’ safety. The keets will need supplemental heat until fully feathered, but once they are ready to leave the brooder it will be an easier transition to your chicken flock since they were raised among the hens.
I have the 28% protein feed for my week old keets, but would like more info on supplements that are OK to feed before they turn 8 weeks. I want to train them to come home around sunset for some “treats”, and I also wonder if anyone has a very successful “call” method for getting the adults back in at night, that I can start training the keets to associate with. Thanks
HI Carol. Thank you for reading the blog. Guinea enjoy many of the same types of treats that chickens like, such as the dried mealworms and seed-type treats. If you work with your keets while they are still young, they may learn to associate your calling to them and giving treats to help you get them back into a coop at night. Best of luck!
My keys have droopy wings at two weeks old. Are they sick?
And if so, how can I treat them.
HI Aprilla. It’s hard to say why your keets may be acting that way. If you suspect that they are sick, please seek advice from your county’s ag extension office for help in finding a poultry expert near you.