Guinea Fowl Get Longer Free Ranging Time
As I mentioned in an earlier post, we are allowing our flock of 30 pearl grey Guinea fowl to free range daily now. There will no doubt be a couple of days when Old Man Winter again forces us to confine them to the coop and/or coop yard, but the more free range time the Guinea fowl have, the better – for them and us.
We are keeping the Guinea fowl confined to the coop and coop yard until 9 AM every day. We do this so that egg collection is easier. Up until today, we then called the Guinea fowl in from their free range adventure at about 3 PM. The birds were then closed up in the coop at dark. We changed that today.
As of today, we will not be calling the Guinea fowl in from free range time until just before dark. We decided to change our previous routine for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that we’d noticed the Guinea fowl came in from the free range all by themselves, but not until it got closer to dark. We actually discovered this accidentally a couple of days ago. We had called the Guinea fowl into the coop yard and closed the gate, but just before dark several Guinea fowl were standing outside the coop yard gate – waiting for entry. This seemed a much easier, better-for-everyone approach than our previous tactic.
As I said earlier, the more free range time the Guinea fowl have, the better it is all the way around. The primary job of the Guinea fowl around here is to eat insects – especially wasps and grasshoppers. The more hours per day the Guinea fowl have to free range, the more of these pesky insects they will have time to catch and devour. We’ve witnessed how efficient Guinea fowl are at insect control – last year. We turned the Guinea fowl into our organic garden, that was teeming with grasshoppers (our region’s plague), and in just a couple of days – not a grasshopper could be found. We immediately saw a difference in the produce – especially the tomatoes. And since the Guinea fowl will free range later into the day, they have a better chance of getting wasps, which become less active as the sun sets and the temperatures drop.
We’ll try our new routine for a week or so and see how it goes…
If you haven’t watched any of our Guinea fowl videos, tune into Guinea Fowl TV at http://www.youtube.com/user/GuineaFowlTV.
Guinea Fowl Free Ranging Routines
It’s been just over a week now that the weather has been nice enough to allow our flock of 30 pearl grey Guinea fowl out of their coop yard to enjoy some free ranging. Last year, the Guinea fowl were still relatively young when we finally allowed them out to start free ranging. We first had to imprint them with the coop being their home, and train them to come to the sound of the cowbell – thus making it easier to shelter them from our area predators. We have several nocturnal predator species that would just love to catch a nice, plump Guinea fowl for a late night meal – not the least of which is a Great Horned Owl.
We’re noticing several differences in the behaviors of the Guinea fowl this year, as opposed to last year. Last year, for example, when the Guinea fowl were free ranging they tended to stay relatively close to each – in a rather tight flock. This year that’s different. This morning the Guinea fowl were spread out over what I’d estimate to be about 5 acres. Some were in the trees roosting, and others were foraging on the ground.
Another noticeable difference in this year’s free ranging is ‘chasing.’ That’s when one or two of the Guinea fowl chase another Guinea fowl – for any number of reasons. Last year, chases happened, but were only occasional and short. This year, that has changed substantially. I don’t think 5 minutes pas without the Guinea fowl chasing. And some of the chases are quite lengthy. I’ve seen them go on for 75-100 yards with regularity. I also think it’s interesting to note that during chases, the Guinea fowl being chased only runs – it never flies to the safety of a high branch, like they do when they’re afraid.
We’ve also, on two separate occasions, gotten to witness the Guinea fowl breeding during their free ranging adventures. We’ve never seen the Guinea fowl breed before. It’s a rather fast event – lasting less than 20-seconds, or at least the times that we’ve seen it, it has lasted that long. There’s a brief, short chase followed by the female laying rather flat with her wings slightly spread. The male mounts from behind, with his wings spread, and a few seconds later it’s all over. We really hope to catch the breeding/mating behavior on video this year, so we can include it in our Guinea Fowl TV series of videos on YouTube.
If you haven’t watched any of our Guinea fowl videos, tune into Guinea Fowl TV at http://www.youtube.com/user/GuineaFowlTV.
Our Guinea Fowl Eggs Are Important To Us
In my previous blog, Guinea Fowl Free Ranging Routine, I explained this year’s Guinea fowl free ranging time schedule, which is designed to maximize the number of eggs we can collect every day. Here is a quote from that blog that will pretty much get you up to speed, if you did not read that one:
“This year, we will not allow the Guinea fowl out of the coop yard to start free ranging until between 9-10:00 AM. We will open the small poultry door leading between the coop and coop yard at daylight, or shortly thereafter. We’ll return the Guinea fowl to their coop yard about 3-4 hours before nightfall. Right now, we return the Guinea fowl to the coop yard at about 3:30 PM, but later in the year it will be more like 7:00 PM. This means that, depending on the time of year, the Guinea fowl will get 6-10 hours of free ranging time every day.”
Using a rough formula, we should get around 650 eggs per month from our Guinea fowl. I guess I should actually say that our Guinea fowl will lay around 650 eggs per month this summer – I doubt we’ll find anywhere near all of them. Some of these eggs will no doubt be laid and hatched by new Guinea fowl mothers – without us even knowing where the nest is located – that’s the way Guinea fowl do it. Some of the eggs we get from our Guinea fowl we intend to incubate. Most of the eggs will be eaten or traded with neighbors for their ‘treats.’
We love Guinea fowl eggs. They’re rich and delicious, and by all accounts, healthier than chicken eggs. Make egg salad with Guinea fowl eggs and I guarantee those who eat it will notice – and very much appreciate – the difference in flavor. Guinea fowl eggs are just richer tasting – its’ that simple. They’re smaller than Grade A chicken eggs and have a harder shell, but they are much tastier eggs!
Even if we only find 75% of the eggs our Guinea fowl lay, we’ll have around 480 eggs per month. We can’t eat nearly that many, even sharing with the dogs. But Guinea fowl eggs make great ‘currency’ in our farming community. We’ll share our excess Guinea fowl eggs with our neighbors and later in the summer we’ll get oodles of homemade/canned jams, jellies and fruits as well as fresh organic garden-grown vegetables, various berries, apples and more in return. It’s a great system – one that works well for all.
We also have some neighbors who want Guinea fowl keets from us. Those we intend to sell.
If you haven’t watched any of our Guinea fowl videos, tune into Guinea Fowl TV at http://www.youtube.com/user/GuineaFowlTV.
Guinea Fowl Free Ranging Routine
As of tomorrow, our flock of 30 pearl grey Guinea fowl will have been free ranging for a full week – this year, that is. Last year, our Guinea fowl were free ranging right up until the worst of winter struck. At that time, we were compelled to confine the Guinea fowl to the coop and coop yard. They spent the worst of winter (about 4 months) in the relative safety and warmth of the coop and coop yard.
We get daylight here right now at about 6:00 AM. That will change this weekend when we reset the clocks for Daylight Savings. Before summer is over, we’ll have daylight well before 5:00 AM. Once the Guinea fowl see the sunshine, they awaken and want to be let out of their coop. In fact, they really want to be allowed out of the coop and coop yard to start free ranging, but that’s not going to be this year’s routine.
This year, we will not allow the Guinea fowl out of the coop yard to start free ranging until between 9-10:00 AM. We will open the small poultry door leading between the coop and coop yard at daylight, or shortly thereafter. We’ll return the Guinea fowl to their coop yard about 3-4 hours before nightfall. Right now, we return the Guinea fowl to the coop yard at about 3:30 PM, but later in the year it will be more like 7:00 PM. This means that, depending on the time of year, the Guinea fowl will get 6-10 hours of free ranging time every day.
There is one reason and one reason only that we are not allowing the Guinea fowl out of the coop yard to start free ranging until several hours after we allow them out of their coop: eggs! The Guinea fowl will lay their eggs early in the morning, as a rule. By containing them in the coop yard, which has access to the coop, we will have the highest probability of collecting the most eggs. This year, we expect that some Guinea fowl eggs will get laid and hatched without our knowledge, which is fine. We would also like to incubate some eggs. But mostly, we count on the eggs as a food source. Our Guinea fowl eggs are important to us – hence the free ranging schedule.
If you haven’t watched any of our Guinea fowl videos, tune into Guinea Fowl TV at http://www.youtube.com/user/GuineaFowlTV.
Guinea Fowl Reunite With The Dogs
As I wrote yesterday, the worst of the winter weather is slowly subsiding, and so we are now letting our flock of 30 pearl grey Guinea fowl out to free range once again. They spent four months confined to their coop and coop yard – and so they are all very happy for the freedom, and new foraging and flying opportunities.
It’s hard to decide who’s happiest about our Guinea fowl finally getting out to free range once again: the Guinea fowl, the dogs or ourselves. The Guinea fowl are happy for obvious reasons. We’re happy for several reasons, not the least of which is that when the birds free range, there is not so much pressure on their coop and coop yard environments. We’re also glad that we can slightly reduce the amount of feed and alfalfa we provide for the Guinea fowl when they can’t forage during free range time. Our dogs are happy because they are closely bonded to the Guinea fowl, and have clearly missed being with and guarding their winged charges.
Our two ranch dogs, Buddy – a 115# male German Shepherd dog, and Bella – a 95# female Akita spend a lot of their waking hours herding and watching over our flock of Guinea fowl – at least they did before we had to confine the birds to the coop area. After the birds were penned for the winter, the dogs played with them through the fencing, but over time that seemed not to satisfy the dogs’ desires to be with their buddies. This year, since letting the birds out to free range, the dogs have been spending a whole lot of time with the Guinea fowl – and the birds love it.
One of the cutest interactions we’ve seen between the Guinea fowl and the dogs occurred yesterday. Our two dog houses are immediately side by side. The eaves of the sloped roves touch, thus creating a ‘V’ that Bella very much enjoys lying down in. Bella, like most aggressive dogs, likes the high ground. Yesterday, one of the Guinea fowl decided to land where Bella likes to lay down and rest on top of the dog houses. Bella put her front paws up on the dog house and started to whine at the Guinea fowl. The Guinea fowl, in turn, started to get vocal back at Bella. The calls of the Guinea fowl made it clear that it was a male. The sounds escalated quickly until the Guinea fowl and Bella were exchanging exceptionally loud vocalizations. Frankly, the noise was quite noteworthy. As the two species continued their calling and barking, the entire flock of 30 pearl grey Guinea fowl and Buddy, the German Shepherd dog, gathered around to watch – and listen. It was clear that Bella was playing with the Guinea fowl – what the Guinea fowl actually meant to do, I do not know. It was clear, however, that the Guinea fowl was having a good time and knew it was not threatened – despite the large, aggressive animal just inches in front of it.
If you haven’t watched any of our Guinea fowl videos, tune into Guinea Fowl TV at http://www.youtube.com/user/GuineaFowlTV.
