Backyard Poultry Forum

Hi,
I just bought 13 guinea keets all feathered and about 20cm high...was wondering how long should they be on high protein chick starter for? can I give them a 17% protein chook grower pellet? or do they require high protein diet there whole life. Also is it easy to tell the males apart and how old can you tell....as id like to let only males out under my 2 trees covering my chook pens, I want to keep the females locked up with a male or two to collect fertile eggs. cheers

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Breeding Brown Leghorn cockerel and Pullet breeding bantams

in my experiences with them i use turkey starter instead of chick starter and then onto a good coarse laying mash or high protein pellets. they do prefer to be not cooped up all day and will lay better if able to free range. if they are penned with chooks be aware that roosters will mate with female guinea fowl but not vise versa.
some guinea fowl you can tell the difference by the wattles and helmuts the males tending to be larger but it is not accurate. the best way is to sit quietly and listen to them making their noise. the males make a single noise where the females male a double noise but will also make the single noise when excited or upset.
I moved mine on last breeding season as the noise they made drove me mad. it was ceaseless.

Thanks bruces poultry, will get them on the turkey starter. I hope they arnt too noisy I work night shift and need to sleep during the day. I,ll find out soon enough. thanks

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Breeding Brown Leghorn cockerel and Pullet breeding bantams

haha they are VERY noisy at times. Unrelentingly noisy! It didn't bother me, but drove my husband crazy so I got rid of them. Very sad! and if you have neighbours close by they may not like you! But they are cute funny gorgeous crazy birds!

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NellyG ........................

Was sad to see mine go, but I only wanted them free range, and the foxes kept picking them off, wasn't fair. Persevered for three years then kept them penned, wasn't fair either they hated it. Sold the flock (gave away actually, hopefully to good home). Agree their call is a single-note for boys always, double-note for girls except when they choose to do single note if agitated.

If you keep some out and some penned, the free ones will not go too far away. For toys, they love pieces of chain (all sizes) they can peck at and jiggle around: this was common to all my Guineas from different sources. Include tow safety chain on trailers, dog chain holding pot-plants secure, low chain links on a gate - all spent time picking and playing with them. Funny birds, ton of personality, yes noisy too but never without a reason, even to say there's a bike going past the house (or a dog or fox or eagle or snake around that shouldn't be).

I've kept one male that was always a loner and very aggressive to all others. He doesn't seem to care about being the only one and tolerates the chooks for company.

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PC