The Realities of Guinea Fowl Care
The Highlights and Challenges of Owning Guinea Fowl
Reading Time: 6 minutes
By Susie Kearley – Taking care of guinea fowl can be uplifting … or cause problems with the neighbors!
When an old friend, Roy Miller, invited us to camp on his field in Lincolnshire, he didn’t mention the bird life, so it was an unexpected delight to be greeted by a flock of guinea fowl on arrival.
I learned a lot about guinea fowl care on that holiday!
They squawked noisily and took flight as we opened the gate into this ‘field’, which turned out to be a nine-acre nature reserve.
Back in 2004, Roy had bought a dilapidated cottage, flattened it, purchased the adjacent field, built a new house, and created a nature reserve. He introduced ducks, then guinea fowl.
Today there are woodland trails, nature walks, and wildflower meadows. It’s bursting with wildlife, but Roy’s real passion is for his guinea fowl: “I started keeping them after I read a newspaper article about them. I’ve become very attached to them, but they don’t show much attachment to me!”
He learned quickly about raising guinea fowl and guinea fowl care: “I bought the guinea fowl keets from a breeder and kept them in a pen until they were old enough to fend for themselves.” They now roam free, and Roy feeds them in troughs by the house.
Young Guinea Fowl Care
Roy’s keets were feathered when he got them, but very young keets who have just hatched should be kept warm under a heat lamp or stay with their mother (although mothers sometimes wander off). A non-slip surface will help the youngsters stand and walk, preventing their fragile legs from splaying. Keets can be raised on a game bird starter food or chick crumbs. “They also like boiled eggs and lettuce!” says Roy.
When they’re fully feathered, at about six to eight weeks, you can move them into outdoor guinea fowl housing and feed them growers’ pellets. Their accommodations should be safe from pests and predators, with weatherproof areas. Give them plenty of space because they’re flighty, energetic, and agile. They don’t tend to use nest boxes and dislike dark places, so illuminating dark spots in their accommodation can give them more confidence. Guinea fowl are prone to some of the same parasites as chickens, so bug control is important. When they’re older, they’ll want to free-range and sleep in trees.
Opinions vary on the best age to let young guinea fowl roam free. Many keepers will let them out for short periods and bring them back into the coop at night. “I let my guinea fowl out of the coop at eight weeks,” says Roy. “They take about another eight to ten weeks to integrate with the older birds. They attach themselves to the larger flock but keep a distance initially. Even when they’re integrated, they maintain their own social group within the flock.”
“I feed the adults corn. It’s just a supplementary feed because they’re eating all the time, munching on insects, and things they find in the wild. I feed them once a day in the summer and twice in the winter, giving them enough until the tray is empty. If I give them too much they leave it.”
Telling Boys and Girls Apart
At nine or ten weeks of age, you can start to tell the females from the males. The males have a shrill single-tone voice, while the females make a two-tone noise, but they can make the same sound as the males too. The males are often bigger than females when they reach adulthood.
Handling
Guinea fowl care means they may require occasional handling. These birds hate being handled, but if you must, do it when they’re in a confined space — like their pen. Get them quickly and hold them securely by the body. Don’t grab their legs. They will try to slip away, so you need a firm grip.
Breeding
“I breed the guinea fowl when I can,” says Roy, “Although it’s difficult at the moment because I have nine cocks and only two hens and they don’t seem to be mating! Sometimes the guinea hens abandon the nest; it’s precarious.”
It takes between 26 and 28 days for the eggs to hatch; you can collect the eggs and incubate them. Free-range guinea fowl forage for food, consuming seed heads, plants, and are a great way to control insect pests. Providing a supplemental food gives them a reason to approach the house every day and reduces the risk of them disappearing into the countryside, never to be seen again! Putting food inside a coop might also encourage them to return to roost there for the night, although often, they’ll prefer to roost in a tree.
“I did try bringing the birds into the carport one cold January,” says Roy, feeling that the cold couldn’t be good for their health. “They went in the shelter for food but refused to stay there overnight, always retreating to their favorite tree as dusk fell.”
In winter, there’s less natural food around, so extra guinea fowl care is important. Fresh greens will make up for the absence of plant foods and they’ll eat as much as chickens, especially corn. Access to a source of fresh water is important.
Collecting Eggs
Careful observation of your birds can reveal their nesting sites. They’ll lay a clutch of eggs and sit on them. If you take the guinea hen eggs while they’re away, without replacing them, they’ll probably move to a hiding place where they feel safer. If you replace eggs you’ve taken with dummy eggs, they’re more likely to stay put and keep laying.
Guinea Fowl Care and Chickens
Guinea fowl don’t always get along with other poultry. They may bully chickens, and they don’t always like newcomers, even of the same species. They have a particularly low tolerance of cockerels, and will often chase away birds they don’t like. One of Roy’s flock was constantly looking for leftover food after the rest of the flock had enjoyed first pickings; the others didn’t like this bird.
If you have lots of land, chickens and guinea fowl are more likely to live in harmony because it’s easier for each group to keep themselves to themselves, but if they’re competing for space, the situation could become fraught with problems.
Some people who keep guinea fowl and chickens together may have had this arrangement since they were chicks, especially if the keets were raised by a broody hen. Suffice to say, the two need to be well-integrated for the arrangement to work.
Noise and Predators
Keeping guinea fowl safe is an important step when adding them to your flock. One night when we were camping on Roy’s land, we were awoken at 4 a.m. by loud squawks of guinea fowl coming from the tree where they sleep. This terrible noise went on for about 20 minutes! In the morning, Roy said the guinea fowl might have been spooked by a fox. These birds are renowned for their noisiness. Roy finds it endearing; we’re not sure what the neighbors think! Generally, they’re not considered to be a good choice if you have close neighbors.
They’re also noisy when they’re approached by people, but this didn’t stop one being snatched by a passer-by in a car, on the country road. “They’re a culinary delicacy,” explained Roy, who suspected his beloved bird had been taken for someone’s dinner. Keeping guinea fowl can be pleasurable, but it’s not all smooth sailing!
Do you keep guinea fowl and/or chickens? Let us know your thoughts on these intriguing birds in the comments below.
I LOVE MY GUINEAS! I HAVE 3 BOYS AND 1 GIRL. WE HAVE HAD THEM FOR ABOUT 2.5 YRS. GOT THEM WHEN THEY WERE ADULTS. WE PENNED THEM FOR 2 MONTHS THEN OPENED THE DOOR. THEY ARE VERY ATTACHED TO US AND KNOW WE WILL PROTECT THEM. HAD A COUPLE CLOSE CALLS WITH HAWKS AND I SAVED THEM. SINCE THEN I DON’T LET THEM OUT UNTIL 10 IN THE MORNING (AFTER THE HAWKS HAVE FED) AND THEY ARE READY TO GO IN ABOUT 7 AT NIGHT AND I CLOSE THE DOOR. THEY ARE VERY SPOILED. WHEN THEY FEEL THREATENED THEY YELL AND I COME TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE SAFE AND THEY KNOW IT. I WISH I WOULD HAVE RAISED THEM FROM KEETS BEAUSE I WOULD LOVE TO HOLD THEM BUT THEY FOLLOW US EVERYWHERE ON THE PROPERTY. WE HAVE 20 ACRES BUT THEY DON’T WANDER MORE THAN ABOUT 2-3 ACRES FROM THEIR HOUSE AND OURS. AND YOU ARE RIGHT, THEY ARE SO FUNNY!
I love in a city and have 6 chickens and 1 guinea, they were all raised since babies. The guinea was a week younger so had to integrate but they get along great. She is just like one of the chickens, but unfortunately can’t be free range due to being in the city, don’t want her to fly off. They have a huge cage built securely, and then they’re luxury hotel accommodations are inside. I’m making them a mobile range coop to let out in the yard and clean up some weeds, but need them to get used to the coop. She can be cackly sometimes but is calm when getting boonworms. I would agree that trying to bring another bird would be hard and take time, she is very set and ANY change she cackles. Kind of funny, watering the lawn sets her off! I do agree they must be raised together from babies to get along. She is part of the pecking order for the girls now.
My Guinea fowl had a mate which went everywhere with him they were inseparable until a greyhound savaged and killed her now he is really lonely and follows me everywhere I don’t know whether I should get him a new mate or not as I have learned that they mate for life any advice please
Do you only have the one now? If so please get more, they are flock oriented and do not do well alone. He will except another mate, mine have.
I have 2 groups or families of guineas. We have lost 2 guineas to coyotes. I have also watch my Guineas chase off coyote pups. And chase & attack hawks & snakes. I also have pea fowl, chickens, ducks, a turkey, and a 80lb tortoise. One of my family of 4 Guineas roost at night with my turkey & 4 chickens & a rooster. This family I got from a friend when they were babies. They were raised with my chickens & pea fowl. The other Guinea family roost in a tree at night. I adopted them when they were about 8 months old. I absolutely love my Guinea fowl. I am so glad I have added them to my bird family. They eat bugs in our yard. And the areas around our property. The are very family oriented. They look out for all the birds on the property.
I have both chickens & guineas, 15 & 12 respectively. The Guineas were hatched on my kitchen counter so if I speak to them in a calm voice they are calm & they know come to the rescue when they’re squawking as only guineas can do. Started them out in the bird house on one side with chickens on the other just wire between them, then integration started my rooster wasn’t to happy about sleeping with his neighbors but after a couple weeks all is calm. The Guineas go to roost after the chooks with just a little bit of a rodeo but getting easier every evening.
I grew up in a rural area in the Caribbean. Guinea Fowl are in every household, I never experience that, but I would get a female for him just to see what happens because I know that they are like Cats, meaning that they are not fully domesticated and he’s going to eventually will have the urge to reproduce.
I have 100 Guinea fowl am raring them from baby stage they are very noisy but I like their nature of unity
I have a a male guinea his mate was killed. He was lonely so I got him a girlfriend they get along.
But I am about to get another female. Any suggestions for putting them together (all 3)?
Hi
I have just started keeping guinea I got them at one week old from my friend
Now it’s about tree weeks and is doing well I wish it’s gone be two female one male
As for now I can’t distinguish between them which is female
Hi ,
I’m delighted reading obout your guinea fowl experience.
I have 16 guinea fowl , my teenagers as I call them .
They are very tame and I let them out of the garage mid day after I put the dogs away .
Early evening they return and while they are out I clean their living space and put fresh water and food ready for their return.
I am in the process of building them a coop next to the garage . I have a 50 acres ground with a river running through my property. I also want to build nesting boxes for them
I have guineas and love having them around. My problem though is I live close to a road and can’t keep them off of it. Lost a few to cars already. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I go down and chase them off the road daily but I can’t be there all the time. Help!!!
I do not believe you can keep them off. Not if they free range. I suggest posting signs, “SLOW! Guinea Hen crossing!! “ Hopefully it will make people aware to be on the look out. Sadly some people choose not to stop but would rather hit the wildlife. I think your other choice is to keep them in a coop. 🙁
There have been 6 guinea fowls that come almost everyday in our yard. We have 5 acres of land so they eat and then fly next door to our neighbors pond. We love watching them. They don’t seem to be scared of our dog.
My neighbor has them. They come to my property all the time. I enjoy watching them. You van always tell when it’s bed time.
We are raising 2 guineas with 2 turkeys, got them as day Olds. They simply can’t be apart.. been on outside day care for two weeks now and are 6 weeks. They work very well with my chickens and love my two older turkeys. Still on grumble and mill worms for teats, they will return to there pen to roast at night
There so funny, and i really enjoy them..
We lost a Gunea today to dehydration. We have been watching the last day or so and noticed he/she was always with our chickens and never with the guinea flock. we are concerned that the other guineas were keeping him from water and food? Is this a thing? They are just 10 weeks old and we had issues at 6 weeks with one being pecked. That stopped after we treated the wound and suspect that maybe this guinea was the same one? Do they tend to single out members of their flock? What should we have done? Sad guinea mom any help is appreciated!
So sorry for your loss! Yes, sometimes a flock will single out a member and will just pick on them. Sometimes you can segregate them with just a couple of birds to see if they will adjust, and then reintroduce all of them back into the flock. Sometimes, you have to rehome a bird.
I have my first flock of 8 guineas. They are about 3 months old and are being raised with my chickens. So far, I am in love with them. They are just starting to squalk, and I don’t find it annoying at all. They are getting along with the chickens and they are all penned. We have so many predators that my flock would be diminished quickly if they free ranged. I am feeding meat bird crumble, supplementing with cracked corn and all my garden and kitchen scraps. I was delighted to learn that the guineas live a long time!
We have 3, we got 2 and was so excited about finding some we forgot to ask what sex they were so we’re not sure I’ve been looking on line on how to tell the difference, one day another one show up I waited for someone to come claim it but no one showed, so I put it in with my other ones mine our coop kept it adjusted very good but my other two ran it at first, there is one hen I the coop with them and they get along pretty good, except when we come around they will run the new one away. Why? Can anyone explain it to me Please
Hate these birds. They attacked my cat and he’s now paralyzed. My “neighbors” obviously are clueless about caring for these things.
One of our back neighbours had a handful of guinea fowl along with some chickens. Only one guinea fowl is left. It wanders into our yard at dusk, announcing itself by making noises as it goes, heading towards one of our trees which it has claimed as its own for roosting in of a night. If when it goes up the tree, there is any other bird, no matter what breed in the tree, the guinea fowl will scream blue murder until it gets the bird to fly away. We call our guinea fowl “Bobber” because of the way their head bobs as they walk and it completely ignores us whenever in “our” yard, bobbing past as if we don’t exist. He or she makes us laugh. They are good guard birds. One day a friend of ours, who is a loud individual, drove into our block, which most people don’t do and Bobber went straight up the tree and screamed and carried on to let us know an “intruder” was here
This is a question – I recently started my own hobby farm (no experience) and have Guineas . They always go in the coop at night with my chickens and duck , out of 5 am down to 3 Guinea’s 2 female, 1 male ; the other evening two females did not show up nor found-. My first thought was predators again but Yesterday I found them very much alive nesting on a few dozen eggs in the woods.
I know if I disturb them they will start over again somewhere else – a previous one froze on a nest in the woods last year, when nesting they stay silent when the male or I call and search . Can I put a large dog crate over them to keep them safe from predators, bring them food & drink?
I had 4 guineas, 2 each set. One day I righted an upside down wheel barrow and found over 40 eggs from chickens and guineas. I returned it. The guinea hatched 2 chickens.. she was a great mom. She would get each on her back at night and fly them up on the perch with the chickens and tuck them under her. After she raised them Girlie went back to nesting in one of the trees in front of the coop with the other guineas.
I started with 4 guineas in 2019, lost one to a rooster at about 8 months old. Lost the only female unexpectedly 2 years later, leaving me with 2 males. They went from their own enclosed pen to the open chicken pens afterwards. Late last year, my smaller male died leaving the one. He was very content going between the different chicken coops. This year I got 3 keets and am raising them with my Silkies in a fully enclosed pen. I usually keep guineas enclosed til they’re 5-6 months old. Then one day I was checking on everyone’s food and water, collecting eggs and whatever. I had just let all the chickens and ducks out to free range and was at the guinea/Silkie pen when I spotted a guinea beyond the pens. The 3 juveniles were there so I thought it was my adult. About that time, I hear him calling out from behind me in the main coop. Who’s guinea is it? Where did it come from? I’ll never know, none of my neighbors have guineas. This one’s smaller than my 4 month old female and much lighter. It flew over my back fence, walked into the pen and started eating some treats I’d just thrown out to all. I left it alone, it stayed that night with my young adult chickens and came back that evening. The 3rd day it kept pacing outside the guinea pen, so I opened the door and it walked right in. No fighting at all. Now 2 weeks later, it’s still in there. My adult guinea did have a little scuffle the first time they saw each other, but now he seems to accept it – at least through the fence.