Can guinea fowl and chickens be raised together?
Owners cannot raise one guinea fowl alone even in a flock of chickens. They are naturally social animals and will likely die if they are secluded from other guinea fowls. You may want to have separate coops while allowing the two species to interact during the day or around the yard.
Are guinea fowl good with chickens?
They range out together and spend time with their companions, but they also can do things independently. Guinea hens can function well as both an independent unit or as a flock – this behavior is natural to them in the wild.
Can you incubate chicken and guinea eggs together?
You should never mix chickens and Guinea fowl eggs as they require different temperatures, humidity levels an incubation periods. This is a common reason for failure when incubating Guinea eggs, to high a temperature bringing on an early and staggered hatch.
Will guineas stay in your yard?
It takes guineas a while to get settled into a new home. It is best to keep them confined for a week or two to let them become accustomed to their new home. If you let them out right away, they could run away. The guineas should be confined in a pen where they can see the area where they will be living.
What kind of shelter do guineas need?
When it comes to guinea fowl care, housing need not be elaborate. Housing can be anything from an old outhouse for a few guineas or a shed to a corner of the barn or garage or a converted trailer. What is important is that housing provides a place for guineas to roost in that is dry, draft-free and predator proof.
Can hens sit on Guinea fowl eggs?
Yes, with caveats. This is the pot luck method where the hen sits on her eggs and hatches them out and you hope she doesn’t get eaten or get them wet in the grass and kill them by accident. Below: 3 Guinea hens sat communally on a nest. Communal nesting is a problem when using Guinea hens to brood.
When can you let guineas free-range?
The best time to let your guinea keets free range is when they are about 12-14 weeks old. At this age, the keets are still very young and flighty, so you need to oversee them. Start slowly by allowing them to free-range for 30-60 minutes daily. Another option is to let them wander not too long before their bedtime.
Do guinea fowl deter foxes?
I have seen a flock take on a fox as a flock. But the norm is foxes like guinea fowls to eat. Guineas usually roost high in trees at night so avoid foxes well, but you tend to loose your guineas in nesting season because they nest on the ground, foxes get the females sitting on the nests and defending their nests.