LET'S LEARN MORE ABOUT GUINEAFOWLS
Guineafowl (/ˈɡɪnifaʊl/) (or guineahen) are birds of the family Numididae in the order Galliformes. They are endemic to Africa and rank among the oldest of the gallinaceous birds. Phylogenetically, they branched off from the core Galliformes after the Cracidae (chachalacas, guans, and curassows) and before the Odontophoridae (New World quail).
An Eocene fossil lineage Telecrex has been associated with guineafowl; Telecrex inhabited Mongolia, and may have given rise to the oldest of the true phasianids, such as blood pheasants and eared pheasants, which evolved into high-altitude, montane-adapted species with the rise of the Tibetan Plateau. While modern guineafowl species are endemic to Africa, the helmeted guineafowl has been introduced as a domesticated bird widely elsewhere.
The DISCOVERY
ECOLOGY OF GUINEAFOWLS
Guineafowl travel behind herd animals and beneath monkey troops, where they forage within manure and on items that have fallen to the understory from the canopy. They play a pivotal role in the control of ticks, flies, locusts, scorpions, and other invertebrates. They pluck maggots from carcasses and manure.
Wild guineafowl are strong flyers. Their breast muscles are dark (aerobic metabolism), enabling them to sustain themselves in flight for considerable distances if hard-pressed. Grass and bush fires are a constant threat to them and flight is the most effective escape.
Some species of guineafowl, like the vulturine, may go without drinking water for extended periods, instead sourcing their moisture from their food. Young guineafowl (called keets) are very sensitive to weather, in particular cold temperatures.
ens are not known to be good mothers, but in the wild, the guinea hen's mate (a guinea cock) may help tend the young keets during the day by keeping them warm and finding food. Sometimes, more than one cock helps raise the young. Guineafowl (hens and cocks together) make good parents. During warm weather, the cock is unlikely to sit on the keets during the night (leaving that duty to the hen), but may help the hen keep them warm at night when temperatures drop below freezing.
Guineafowl may be trained to go into a coop (instead of roosting in trees) when very young. Once hatched and ready to leave the brooder (around three weeks), they may be enclosed in a coop for at least three days so they learn where "home" is. When guinea parents (that already roost in a coop) raise their own keets, the hen sits on them outdoors at night, but then the parents teach the keets to also go into the coop in the evenings around three weeks of age.
Males and females have different calls, which can be used to differentiate between them. Unlike chickens (which generally do best with one rooster for a flock of hens), guineafowl do well with one cock for each hen.
Guineafowl have been shown to act as a deterrent to foxes. Due to the spread of Lyme disease from ticks, guineafowl are often kept because they will eat the ticks.
hISTORY AND ORIGIN
Guinea fowl originate from Africa. They still exist in the wild, but they have been kept domestically in many countries throughout the world for hundreds of years. There are a few rather exotic types, but the ‘helmeted’ guinea fowl are the kind usually kept.
There are three main feather patterns in guinea fowl:
- Fully pearled (white spots all over)
- Partially pearled (some white spots)
- Solid colours (no spots)
Any of these featherings may also include patches of white, typically on the fronts and wings, in which case the birds are described as ‘pied.’
There are over 20 recognised guinea fowl colours, although the most commonly known is the original ‘pearl grey’ – dark grey with white spots all over.
Guineafowl species are found across sub-Saharan Africa, some almost in the entire range, others more localized, such as the plumed guineafowl in west-central Africa and the vulturine guineafowl in north-east Africa. They live in semiopen habitats such as savanna or semideserts, while some, such as the black guineafowl, mainly inhabit forests. Some perch high on treetops.
The helmeted guineafowl has been introduced in East Africa, South America, the West Indies, the United States, Britain, and India, where it is raised as food or pets.
Do guineafowls make good pets?
Charming, fascinating birds – or noisy and disruptive? Guinea fowl often generate mixed emotions, but apart from die-hard enthusiasts, anyone who has lived near a bunch of guineas may well go with the second opinion. If you decide to keep them, there are a few notable differences to other poultry
Guinea fowl are not typically domesticated and can be flighty, but they can be entertaining and make good guard birds.
THEY'RE NATURE'S ALARM
Both male and female guinea fowl are very vocal. Their alarm calls are very loud and rival that of a rooster crowing.
OMG, they are so loud. Guineas are like an outdoor alarm system. They love to Don['t alert you to almost anything that startles them. Someone coming up the driveway, a fox, a visitor to your house, or even a car that may drive past the property.
GUINEAFOWL AS GUARD DOGS.
If your property is isolated (ideal for guinea fowl), then the guineas will give you and anyone else in the vicinity plenty of warning if strangers approach. They will also sound the alarm if predators are around and have even been known to gang up on animals, driving them back by drawing unwelcome attention to their presence. I saw this once many years ago when a bunch of guineas surrounded our whippet. She looked completely baffled for a few minutes before running into the middle of the gang and scattering them.
The only downside with the guinea fowl guard is their tendency to see everything as a threat, especially when they are young and still making discoveries.
Although not likely to be a major issue in the UK, guinea fowl hate snakes – they will surround and kill them.
GUINEAFOWL IN GARDENS.
A large garden could be home to a few guinea fowl, although they are likely to stray further afield. They range much further than chickens – we have a large garden plus an adjoining field, but that didn’t stop my guineas from crossing the main road (in a single line) and marauding around the neighbourhood. They can fly well when they want to (although like chickens, they generally run or walk), so they can cover a lot of ground when they feel the urge to explore.
While they don’t scratch for food as much as chickens do, they still make dust baths – ten guinea fowl can make a considerable hole in the lawn. Although they will probably eat some vegetation, the ideal guinea fowl diet mostly comprises insects (especially ticks) and seed heads. In fact, some growers keep them as an organic form of pest control.
HOUSING GUINEAFOWL
Given a chance, guinea fowl will live happily in the trees, but you are likely to keep them longer if you can persuade them to live in a secure house. Not only are tree-dwelling birds at the mercy of any flying or climbing night-time predators, but they will also descend at first light in time to meet returning nocturnal hunters on the ground.
If the guinea fowl are obtained as youngsters (keets), it should be possible to get them used to living in a house. A shed or outbuilding can be easily adapted for their use and is likely to be more successful than a standard chicken coop.
Allow more space than for chickens and extra room on the perches, too – the higher the perches, the better they will like it. Either provide two pop-holes or make their doorway large enough to prevent bullies from keeping out the lower-ranking birds. Unlike chickens, the shyer guineas won’t wait their turn to get into the house but will fly upwards. Once a few have tasted the delights of outdoor life, the rest are likely to follow, and you will lose the battle.
Guinea fowl dislike going into dark places, so sticking a battery-powered cupboard light in their house will also be helpful.
Nest-boxes aren’t necessary, as they won’t be used – guinea fowl like making their own secret nests. Your challenge is to find them!
An alternative is to keep the birds in a large run to have no choice but to live in safety. Give them as much space as possible, but roof the run, or they will fly out (unless you clip their wings). It is said that fertility drops when guineas are kept confined, so they are probably much happier if allowed free-range.
CARE AND FEEDING
Free-range guinea fowl will find much of their own food, although a supply of feed gives them a good reason to return to their house. They need extra food in winter, and fresh greens will be appreciated too. They can be fed the same rations as chickens or turkeys, and particularly enjoy corn. A container of fresh water is their only other requirement.
Adult birds are generally hardy and seem to avoid many of the health problems that beset chickens, although they are liable to the same attacks by internal and external parasites.
The only time to catch guinea fowl successfully is when they have retired to their house for the night. Use as little light as possible.
Never grab a leg, but swiftly bring your hands over the body and wings. Guinea fowl are close-feathered and thus more slippery, so you’ll need to hold on firmly!
Guinea Hens:
The Ultimate Tick Exterminator
Guinea Hen Fowl love to eat ticks! Each Guinea Fowl will eat about 1000 ticks a day. We didn't care how loud or obnoxious they were! After one month of letting the guinea hens out to roam; the population of ticks went down significantly! Sounds almost too good to be true! Now when it is a bad tick year, we don't notice on our property because we have the upper hand on tick control!
Some people think Guinea Hens are loud and obnoxious. That is true. I wouldn't recommend getting Guinea Hens if you have close neighbors. They can make a horrible racket! I feel that the obnoxious sound is minor compared to the benefit they give to a homestead. They are guardians of a farmstead. They will alert the chickens if there a is flying predator. If a strange dog wanders over to your yard. They will let you know!