Register or log in:

Farming Friends Forum » Guinea Fowl

Hardiness of Guinea Fowl

(13 posts)

  1. denmuir
    Member

    I live in Fife, Scotland and keep turkeys and chicken. both of these free range with secure accomodation at night but no fences otherwise.

    I have been looking into guinea fowl and was concerned as to whether the are tough enough to free range all year in our climate. I was particularly wondering that if they decide to abandon there shed and live in the trees that they would survive the winter. A section of my Chickens have done this this winter in a dense bush about 10ft off the ground near to the house and seem to have got away with it thus far.

    would the Guinea tolerate the damp and cold?

    Posted 3 years ago #

  2. admin
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    Hi Denmuir,
    Welcome to the farmingfriends forum,

    I have guinea fowl and have kept them for the past 5 years. I live near York so it is reasonably cold!

    My guinea fowl free range around the farm during the day and go into a hut at night. Soemtimes they will put themselves away but generally I herd them into the hut. If I am late with my herding then they sometimes fly onto the roof of the barn and roost there over night.

    I don't always leave the hut door open as rats had got in but if I do leave the door open then the guinea fowl will put themselves away.

    The guinea fowl don't like to stand on snow and sometimes choose to stay in the hut if it's heavy rain, but they don't mind if it's abit damp or windy.

    Hope this helps.
    Kind regards
    sara @ farmingfriends

    http://www.farmingfriends.com
    http://farmingfriends.com/shop/
    Posted 3 years ago #

  3. yanky
    Member

    Hi Denmuir, I have just started with guinea fowl (2 months) & had lots of helpful advice from Sara. I live not that far away in Drymen near Loch Lomond. My guineas are now 13 weeks & doing really well. As Sara says they almost put themselves away at night & are now integrating well with the hens. I,ve had them all though the really cold weather & they were young but coped. Must say though I've noticed that when I let them out in the morning in this cold frosty weather they fly out then crouch & hide in the bushes until the sun warms things up a bit!! I'm having great fun with them so if you get the chance give it a go---don't think you'll look back!
    Yan.

    Posted 3 years ago #

  4. admin
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    Hi all,
    I would just like to say that my guinea fowl still do not like snow, they will not stand on it. I haven't been letting them out since the weekend as they won't stand on snow. Unfortunately today when I went into give them some more food in their trays one of the guinea fowl got out and flew from the doorstep around the corner and landed on the greenhouse roof. He is not sitting 3 round bales high in the barn, shouting his head off as he is not pleased to be separated from the others. I just hope that he will be able to survive the temperatures during the night. I have had guinea fowl roost in trees for a few days through similar weather, so hopefully this one will be just as hardy!
    Kind regards
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    http://www.farmingfriends.com
    http://farmingfriends.com/shop/
    Posted 1 year ago #

  5. m40mo
    Administrator

    aww Sara do hope he will be fine what a worry for you x

    mo x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  6. admin
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    Hi Mo,
    He has to pick the coldest night of the year to be out! Aaahhh! I will have to shovel the snow off the ground tomorrow so he can walk back to the hut!
    The things you do for your animals!
    Hope all is well with you.
    Best Wishes
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    http://www.farmingfriends.com
    http://farmingfriends.com/shop/
    Posted 1 year ago #

  7. pinkpoultry
    Member

    Hi all!
    I know I live in Gloucestershire-In the South West of England, but a guy I know has Guinea Fowl and they roost in the trees all year round! Cant get them into a house, they love the trees!!

    Posted 1 year ago #

  8. admin
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    Hi All and Lisa,
    My guinea fowl has spent a second night in out, he flew into the conifers, so I was pleased that the conifer trees would give the guinea some warmth and protection. Sally at Topveg keeps guinea fowl and like the guy you know Lisa, they always roost in trees whatever the weather!
    Best Wishes
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    http://www.farmingfriends.com
    http://farmingfriends.com/shop/
    Posted 1 year ago #

  9. m40mo
    Administrator

    just wondering if he is home yet
    and whats with the adverts at the top and bottom of every topic, did you know they were there ?

    mo x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  10. admin
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    Hi Mo,
    Yesterday the guinea moved from the warmth of the conifers to sitting in the orchard whilst it rained/snowed but he wouldn't land on the snow!
    Today the guinea fowl is still sitting in a bare tree in the orchard and won't come down, tried to get him to sit on a long walking stick that I held up for him so I could carry him back to the hut but he would only put one foot on it and then he flew higher up the tree!
    He won't land on the white ground, I knew they didn't like snow!
    Hope everyone elses birds are ok.
    Re the ads, hubby is playing around trying to get a few google ads onto the site as we get lots of one off visitors to the site, so thought they may find the ads useful. Steve is just playing around with sizes of ads and location. We don't want them to be too in your face.
    Best wishes
    sara @ farmingfriends

    http://www.farmingfriends.com
    http://farmingfriends.com/shop/
    Posted 1 year ago #

  11. admin
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    Hi All,
    Today the guinea disappeared from the tree in the orchard and when I went around to the hut door he was balancing on the doorstep avoiding the snow waiting to go back in, clever guinea, he is now reunited with the others and getting warm, watered and fed! Phew!
    Best Wishes
    Sara @ farmingfriends

    http://www.farmingfriends.com
    http://farmingfriends.com/shop/
    Posted 1 year ago #

  12. m40mo
    Administrator

    oh thats good news Sara, not even my bird and i've been worried about him...he won't do that again in a hurry lol x

    mo x
    Posted 1 year ago #

  13. Mama
    Member

    Good news Sara and hope the silly guinea knows now where it should be.Mama x

    Goose Girl
    Posted 1 year ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply

You must log in to post.