Caring for Guinea Fowl
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Caring for guinea fowl chicks , called keets, is complex- they need careful feed rations and warmth indoors for at least six weeks. This is why they are expensive birds to buy. |
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Once ready to go out into the paddock the Guinea is trouble free like most medium-sized, mainly ground-feeding domestic or game birds. If allowed to free range you will need to ensure that there are trees available for roosting- providing cover from predators and shelter from the weather. Guinea's are ground nesting birds, and it is recommended that you relocate a hen and her eggs into a protected enclosure to ensure she does not fall prey to foxes or the eggs taken by lizards while she sits on the nest. Guinea hens are very poor mothers, and once frightened off the nest will not return to thier eggs.
Their diet consists of a variety of animal and plant food; seeds, fruits, greens, snails, spiders, worms and insects, frogs, lizards, small snakes and small mammals. They will raise an alarm when an eagle, fox or dog is in the vicinity and are said to keep snakes at bay (their continuous scratching and moving apparently upsets the snakes desire to bask).
Guineafowl are equipped with strong claws and scratch in loose soil for food much like domestic chickens, but are much less destructive in the garden as they seldom uproot growing plants.