Guineas

[MikeC]

Anybody ever eat Guinea eggs?

Was thinking about getting a few for "watchbirds".

 

[alabama]

They will sure sound the alarm if anything comes around. I have not seen any in years but I ate the eggs when growing up. As I recall they are better than hen eggs. A little darker and a litter stronger.

 

[Howdyjabo]

If you feed livestock - I wouldn't get any
We had them at a rented place %%%% things ran the calves off the feedbunk- even after they were full they would guard it.

Something got them one night

 

[oscar p]

I have a gang of them, about 17. I have shot six coyotes this summer. The Guineas let me know something was out there. They also clean up what the cows and horses waist. I have no problem with them. One guinea hen will lay twice as many eggs as a chicken. Never ate a guinea egg.

 

[backhoeboogie]

My paternal grandmother would not bake a cake unless she had guinea eggs. :lol: We made sure she had them.

They do spot anything out of the ordinary and will raise cain if a buzzard is circling a mile off. But they will also let you know if snakes or varmits are around. Some folks really like them and some despise them.

 

[millstreaminn]

They say they are good in the garden as they don't scratch looking for feed, thus tearing up the garden. I don't have any, just what I heard.

 

[Lammie]

We had them growing up and they nested out in the brush. We never could find the eggs. Our's chased cars. Lost more from being run over than anything. I have a friend with some who say that the fire ants are real bad about getting the chicks as they hatch and he has to replace his about every year.

 

[KNERSIE]

I am wondering whether guinea fowl in the USA looks the same as here in SA. We have two types in SA, but in the south, where I am we just have the ordinary one.

 

[Gale Seddon]

Ahh yes, guineas...great for tick patrol, wild as cooties, poor parents (but once the keats get on their feet and going, they can do okay, damp weather is a problem for them).

The eggs are a little pointier on one end than chicken eggs, the shells seem to be a bit harder also. But they're okay to eat, I guess, if you can find them. Nests are usually in tall grass (or, in our case, in the ditch alongside the road :?: ) Our predators (raccoons, I think) seem to find the nests the week before they're ready to hatch. When the hen is setting, I often hear her making a different sort of sound so that's how I find the nest. They lay 25-35 eggs in a nest, maybe more. When they hatch out, it seems like the whole troop of guineas help raise the brood and any one of them will come at you like all getout if you get too close to the babies. I've watched a couple of the "guards" looking up into trees for hawks and things while babysitting. Interesting birds, to say the least.

I was able to get a broody bantam to hatch out a couple of guinea eggs that the guinea hen left in her ditch nest by the road. One baby disappeared and then TWO banty hens co-raised the keat; that was one spoiled, well-protected baby though.

They'll do bug patrol in the garden also, but don't feed them anything you don't want them to help themselves to (like a spoiled tomato or something) cause they'll get the good ones too.

Watching the males race in endless circles on the hottest days will make you dizzy; but you'll have a good laugh too. Silly, noisy birds, but I'm glad we have them. They only miss a couple of ticks, if any.

These are just my impressions after having them around for a few years; you can Google "guinea hens" and get all the facts.

 

[milesvb]

I am wondering whether guinea fowl in the USA looks the same as here in SA. We have two types in SA, but in the south, where I am we just have the ordinary one.

The ones I see here are the "helmeted" variety. The ones with natural coloring being grey with white polka dots.
I know that vulturine (sp?) guinea fowl can be bought but I have never seen any.


I still haven't figured out the deal why wild guinea fowl in Africa can prosper in the wild and reproduce with predators galore but they can't do anything more than squawk and get eaten around here.

 

[dun]

I still haven't figured out the deal why wild guinea fowl in Africa can prosper in the wild and reproduce with predators galore but they can't do anything more than squawk and get eaten around here.

I've wonddered about that too. I just figure that they aren;t really adapted to the climae and the predators in he states. In the desert they did pretty well, around here they seem to die off every year.

 

[Crowderfarms]

I have a gang of them, about 17. I have shot six coyotes this summer. The Guineas let me know something was out there. They also clean up what the cows and horses waist. I have no problem with them. One guinea hen will lay twice as many eggs as a chicken. Never ate a guinea egg.

I have to agree. They are the best Coyote warning system ever invented.

 

[andybob]

I am wondering whether guinea fowl in the USA looks the same as here in SA. We have two types in SA, but in the south, where I am we just have the ordinary one.

The Helmeted guinea fowl I have seen here are the domesticated 'French' strain, heavier than our wild ones, and white skin like a chicken when plucked. Some collectors have the wild strains, but I haven't been able to find any for sale yet.

 

[Rustler9]

Guinea eggs are very good. They are sweeter than regular chicken eggs. I love to have guineas around, they are excellent for ticks. Lousy mothers though, we usually try to hatch them under chickens.

 

[rkm]

We have neighbors that have them, use them as a alarm. Gives them a chance to hide the drugs when the cops come sniffing around. I was always told that bootleggers use them for watch dogs.

 

[pdfangus]

We are down to three roosters.
they have survived for a couple of years now.

all of the hens were lost when they nested. I could not find them but the predators sure could.

I love to watch em. We have no problem with them taking feed from the stock but they very quickly learn where to go to clean up after messy eaters. They stay away from the mule and the donkeys as they are not big guniea fans.

I got them for bugs and i do believe they help a lot. We certainly have less june bugs than we used to. I think less ticks as well.

 

[mermill2]

Yes, guinea eggs are delicious. They are as hard as rocks to crack. Once out of the shell, they fry up as big as chicken eggs. My guineas are good watchdogs, they are good predator monitors. They are also good at eating ticks,worm larvae, and other bugs. They are good at helping control garden pests. But, don't let them around tomatoes, for they will bite chunks out of them.

 

[ArrowHBrand]

I'd like to get some guineas, but don't know how the dogs would take to them. When we bought our place it came with a flock of chickens and the dogs really didn't like them, but last summer coons got them anyway. I know a couple of people who have guineas and love them. We bought a stallion this spring and when we went to look at him the place he was staying had every kind of fowl you could imagine. They had guineas, two kinds of peacocks, several types of chickens, ducks, geese, and a mean turkey they said would attack so it was kept in the coop when they had company. It was neat to see, when you don't see it every day and don't have the constant noise.

 

[pdfangus]

dogs will learn to accept them.

We have rescued two Australian shepherds in the last few years and when the first got there she thought gunieas looked mighty tasty. She soon learned that I did not think they were for her dining pleasure and she will lie down and let them walk by her now. A sharp reprimand is all that was necessary. But then this dog seems to live to please me.

The second dog originally thought they would be great fun to chase but he barely notices them now as well.

 

[kickinbull]

I think they are stupid. We bought a couple different bunches. Paid way too much. They would raise a ruchus at a fox and then run right up to be eaten. They also killed baby chickens when raised in the same coop.