#FLOCK CHRISTMAS TREE PLUS#

The perches will need to be sturdy as each Guinea will weigh around 4lbs. You will need to build roosts in the coop that are high up from the floor. They will however bond fairly well with chicks and if that bond is strong, your keets will be less likely to wander too far from home. However you should not not expect them to bond to you like chicks do Guineas are different from chickens. They need warmth for the first few weeks, special food and all the usual attention that you give to chicks. You raise keets much the same way as chicks. Raising Keets Is Similar To Raising Chicks Again, they won’t stray far from the pen because of the flock mentality.Ī few more repetitions of that routine should make them understand that home is the enclosure.Īll you need is time, patience and Guineas. On day 2 you should let two different birds out. It will not stray far from the enclosure because it is alone. When training them to return to the pen you are going to use this instinct to keep them together. Guineas are very much flock birds, they stick together and get panicked when separated. They are not the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree, but they will eventually get it!Īs for letting them outside of their pen, this too is an exercise in repetition. Successful training relies on repetition and consistency, so be patient and work with them. It is possible to train Guinea Fowl but you have to start training them from a young age. You Will Need Patience To Train Guinea Fowl Vocalization of the sexes is quite different and it is the only sure way to tell the sexes apart. To prevent conflict between the males, the roosters should be kept in a separate breeding pen that the Guineas cannot access. It is important to be aware of this potential conflict before it happens. The sexing problem is important to know since male Guineas can become aggressive towards roosters and can kill them. Until then the sexes can not be determined! These birds do not reach sexual maturity until roughly two years of age. If you thought that chickens were difficult to sex, then Guineas will frustrate you even more! Identify Males And Females Through Their Vocalization In this respect they are good news for the garden as they are fantastic bug and pest eaters and are not known for damaging plants. They will even gang up together to kill mice, snakes and other small creatures such as voles. They hunt and forage in a group and are constantly chatting back and forth. If any flock member gets separated they will immediately sound the alarm and search for missing members. Guinea fowl have a flock mentality and this is a blessing! They are relatively cheap to feed because they eat a wide variety of bugs, grains and other tasty morsels while out ranging. When they hear the familiar sound of food being dished out, they will gather in order to eat before bedtime.

Something else that will encourage them to come home at night is to feed them in the evening. If you provide all of these things in or around the coop for them, they will be more inclined to come home at night to roost.

All of these things are good for your chickens too and the variety will keep them happy and healthy. These birds also enjoy a variety of grains such as millet and wheat. Once they reach around 18 weeks old they can have 16% protein feed. During this time their feed should be separate from the chicks who do not need such high protein content. They require this very high protein for growth in the first few weeks.

You should feed your keets either turkey or game bird feed with a protein content of 24-26%. It is important to know that Guineas do not like pelleted food. Recorded attempts at domestication began with the Romans.Įven if you get them as keets they are difficult to tame. They see no benefits in linking up with mankind and therefore are not inclined to forge any depth of relationship. Guineas have remained fairly wild in comparison.

#FLOCK CHRISTMAS TREE PLUS#

We get eggs and in return the flock gets room and board plus security (and a little loving). The majority of chicken breeds have learned to accept the human relationship since it benefits both parties. Guinea hens on the other hand have resisted all attempts at domestication for thousands of years. Guinea Fowl Are Difficult To DomesticateĬhickens have been domesticated by humans for hundreds of years.

Flock christmas tree