OT Guineas

[Devin Sparks]

I was given 6 keets 3 weeks ago. I built a box for them and have had the in it since. At what point will they be ready to turn out? I have never had any of these but I am enjoying watching them. I lost one tonight to a chicken snake but I got him before he could get away. I am going to build another pen for them to roost in and put some nesting boxes in it hoping to get some eggs. Any help would be great.

Thanks

 

[Ron Anderson]

the only thing I can add is they have dark meat and when dressed they are just a little bigger then a rooster pheasant and city slickers can't tell the difference.

 

[Lanse]

I bought 4 of them last summer. They all ran away and one came back. My mom named her harriot, and we are getting another 4 just like her. They will outfly a chicken fence like nothing. Amazing animals

 

[glennster]

we raised em years ago. the mortalatiy rate can get pretty high, you need to keep em penned till they are about full grown before you release hem. we raised ours in the brooder house, heat lamp that they can get under to get warm. usually they roost up high when full grown, they are great watch dogs, anything that doesent belong in the yard, they start hollering. they do a good job eating insects too.

 

[Oldmax]

Get them when they are small as they don't move well , "won't stay if they aren't raised there" .

 

[JBMac]

My grandma always had them, good watchdogs. She had one that would regularly attack. My dad treated it like a 30 yrd fieldgoal kick and it didn't do it anymore (it went to Guinea heaven)

 

[Anonymous-0]

Never much cared for them. My buddy has some and says they eat lots of bugs, especially ticks.

 

[Dick L]

I had an uncle that always had Guineas around. He said that when you killed them to eat you needed to shoot them in the head when they didn't know you were after them or the meat was foul tasting.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I used to have guineas. I guess you know that they lay their eggs on the ground or near the ground. They like to roost in the high places such as trees. I wouldn't turn them out until they are at least half grown. They need to learn where home is.

 

[730 virgil]

friend of our has or had some of them. her husband once told me them d--- are heck bent to commit suicide. they either stand on the road until someone runs over them or they will hold their head under water in the water dish and drown.

 

[Larry D.]

As some of the other Guys have Said.. Thos things won't stay at Home, My Uncle had about Ten back in the 60's that were Grown when he got them... seems like every Day or so He and I would have to go "Looking for them" Always in a different tree sometimes a 1/2 Mile away... that gets old Quick. So they are alot of trouble. Larry KF4LKU

 

[Dick]

Hi Devin,,

Guineas can be fun. I've had them for years and the do like to roam. They get tame if raised right. They are really fun to watch when I feed them out in the yard. If I were you, I would keep them penned up until they are almost full grown. By this time they will know where home is. They like to roost in trees and sit on the roof during the day so they can see all around the place. They are excellent watchdogs. They will let you know if anything strange is around, hawks, coons, dogs or stray cats. A friend has some too and she has them with her chickens and they go in the chicken house at night to roost with the chickens. Her's also lay in the chicken house so she can get the eggs. Mine nest out in the most hidden places they can find. They are terrible mothers because they will take their chicks through wet grass and loose them. I try to find the nest and get the eggs and put them under a setting hen to raise, they make better mothers. Eggs are good to eat too. Luckily my neighbors enjoy them too because they like to go visiting and get bugs out of everyones garden.
Again, they are lots of fun and I hope you enjoy them.
Dick