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phil · Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 12:23 pm Post subject: Guinea Fowl

How many guinea hens should a cock bird run with.

wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

I dont know what the recommended maximum is but I have run eight hens with just the one cock.
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patsonline · Joined: 23 Apr 2009 Posts: 39 Location: North Mayo

Guinea Fowl in the wild usually have only one mate for life, 'domesticated' the Cocks may be persauded to mate with two hens.

phil · Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:54 pm Post subject:

Thanks for that.
He ran with two this year with no problems and i was going to try four hens next year.

patsonline · Joined: 23 Apr 2009 Posts: 39 Location: North Mayo

Good luck with that then Phil, but I reckon you will see a lot of cold shouldering going on towards the new hens. My trio are fantastic for clearing the land of ticks and next year I will put them to work in the vegetable garden, one bird could clear an acre of potatoes, they are best of all poultry for eating insects and with all the protein makes the eggs and the meat all the more tastier.

phil · Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 9:37 pm Post subject:

Hello pat
Do you think introducing a new cock bird to four hens would be a better idea.

patsonline · Joined: 23 Apr 2009 Posts: 39 Location: North Mayo

Well before I would stick my neck out and suggest what I think you should do....I would like to ask you ' what has your fertility rate has been like with the two to one ratio this season so far, and also are your guinea fowl free ranging? if so do they get along with your other birds.

phil · Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:02 pm Post subject:

Fertility rate was very good, yes they are free range,the guinea fowl eat and roost with the other hens but the guinea cock was aggressive to all the other birds except the guinea hens.

patsonline · Joined: 23 Apr 2009 Posts: 39 Location: North Mayo

Well in that case I do think that you would be losing your excellent fertlity rates by going a for 4 to 1 ratio, why dont you just introduce another 2 hens and 1cock and try to set up another trio? I have tried on other occassions to introduce a new cock to join the group or new hens and the resulting violence has not been pleasant, also you have the opportunity to introduce new bloodlines, you are welcome to some of my fertilized eggs, the hens and the cock are unrelated, they are still laying at present and usually do until the end of October/ early November.

phil · Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2009 4:01 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the offer of eggs Pat i might take you up on that next year if things don't work out,but for now i think it would be easier to introduce another trio of guinea fowl to the flock.The reason i haven't done that already is i didn't think of it.