How to Raise Angolan Chickens: 13 Steps (with Pictures)

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How to Raise Angolan Chickens: 13 Steps (with Pictures)
How to Raise Angolan Chickens: 13 Steps (with Pictures)

Video: How to Raise Angolan Chickens: 13 Steps (with Pictures)

Video: How to Raise Angolan Chickens: 13 Steps (with Pictures)
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There are many advantages to raising guinea fowl. These exotic birds are great guardians, making a lot of noise whenever a stranger approaches. They eat many unwanted pests that can roam around the yard, but leave the plants alone. In addition, eggs and meat of this species are very tasty and nutritious. Finally, the adult guinea fowl does not need much care, although the chicks are more demanding. If you decide to start a breeding, know all that such a decision involves before taking a step bigger than your leg.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Preparing to raise guinea fowl

Raise Guinea Fowl Step 1
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 1

Step 1. Be aware of the negatives

There are many good points in raising guinea fowl, but there are also disadvantages that you should be aware of in order to find out if this step is appropriate for your property.

  • The guinea fowl is noisy, so the neighborhood may not be a big fan of its new creation.
  • It is possible to keep the guinea fowl in a chicken coop, but this species prefers to be free. The bigger the enclosed space for her, the happier the hen will be.
  • She is not as docile as other chickens and is more difficult to catch if she escapes from the pen.
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 2
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 2

Step 2. Build a chicken coop

It's good that you build a chicken coop just before you bring the guinea fowl to the property. They can fly, so they flee if they don't stay in a fully fenced area.

  • Even if you plan to raise them loose, in the beginning you need to use a chicken coop.
  • The hen house must be at least 3 or 4 m² for each bird. You should set aside even more space if you're not willing to let them loose on the ground after the break-in period.
  • Don't forget to supply the chicken coop with feed and water, in addition to covering the floor and making perches.
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 3
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 3

Step 3. Consider the idea of making a night shelter

If birds do get loose, you don't need to provide shelter, but you can take this precaution to protect them from predators such as foxes and owls. In the absence of shelter, guinea fowl should roost in trees overnight. The shelter is different from a chicken coop in that the idea is that the chickens can come and go as they please.

  • The shelter can be a simple shed with one of the wire mesh walls. Place the perch in the back with enough space for each hen to perch away from the other.
  • The place must be dry and the flooring must be clean.
  • Put a lamp in the shelter, as birds do not like to go into completely dark places.
  • It is best if the shelter has two entrances to prevent the more dominant birds from blocking the door.
  • If you want to provide even more protection, lock them in the chicken coop overnight. To keep them within that space, cover the building with a canvas. If they don't come loose, you can clip the wings to keep the birds from flying.
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 4
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 4

Step 4. Choose the birds

Once the guinea fowl space is ready, it's time to choose the birds. You can buy them from breeders, pet stores or online vendors.

  • You can buy guinea fowl as an adult, but it is easier to domesticate a bird if it is raised from a young age (chicks).
  • The guinea fowl may be purebred, but most birds are the result of crossbreeding, that is, they have multicolored feathers. The color of the feathers is the only difference between each species.
  • The guinea fowl is monogamous, so it is best to buy the male and female in pairs. It is very difficult to distinguish the sex of the bird, but it is possible if you look at three factors:

    • The male has longer dewlaps than the female.
    • The male makes a monosyllabic sound, while the female makes sounds with two syllables.
    • The male has a narrower space between the bones of the pelvis than the female. If you place the bird under one of the arms, you can feel this bone with your free hand and notice a distance of approximately two fingers in males and three fingers in females.

Part 2 of 3: Taking care of an adult guinea fowl

Raise Guinea Fowl Step 5
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 5

Step 1. Environment the chickens

They need some time to get used to their new home before they get loose on the property. Keep them in the henhouse for at least a week and once they are acclimated they are more likely to return to the henhouse on their own and may then become loose.

  • Even if a chicken flies at first, it is very likely that it will come back at night to sleep.
  • To help them get used to coming home at night, feed them at the dusk shelter.
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 6
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 6

Step 2. Offer feed and water

It is very easy to feed a guinea fowl, but the nutritional needs are different whether they are bred in captivity or released.

  • If it gets loose, it should eat all kinds of backyard insects, including ticks, locusts, spiders, and small snakes. It is not necessary to give any complementary food, except a mixture of grains in the shelter to encourage them to return at night.
  • In captivity, feed it with special chicken feed (500 g per day for every six chickens). To increase egg production, switch from standard kibble to a high-protein version suitable for wild turkeys and birds just before egg season starts.
  • The hen also relies on the owner to provide a constant source of clean water. One option is to buy a drinking fountain for birds that releases the water little by little in a small dish. Remember that, in the harsh winter, you need to heat the drinking fountain a little so that the water doesn't get too cold or frozen.
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 7
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 7

Step 3. Collect the eggs

Since guinea hens are free-ranging, they can make their nests and lay eggs anywhere. To find them, follow the bird some distance between mid-morning and early afternoon, which is when it is most likely to lay eggs. Once you've identified the nest, let the bird out of it and get some eggs.

  • Unlike other species, guinea fowl only lay eggs in a certain season, so you'll have eggs in the spring months.
  • She builds the nest on the ground, but tries to hide them among taller grasses, and often shares it with other hens.
  • If you remove all eggs from the nest, the bird loses interest in laying eggs in that location again, so always leave some behind.

Part 3 of 3: Breeding Chicks

Raise Guinea Fowl Step 8
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 8

Step 1. Prepare to intervene

The guinea fowl is not a good mother for delicate chicks, so you will need to roll up your sleeves to raise them.

  • Upon realizing that the nest has been abandoned, take the eggs to an incubator immediately. You can buy one of these at specialty stores and follow the same instructions as for incubating turkey or pheasant eggs if there are no specific guidelines for guinea fowl eggs. The incubation period ranges from 26 to 28 days.
  • When the chicks break the shell of the eggs, they need to be cared for until they fully develop their feathers and can be left with the rest of the brood.
  • If you also have a breeding of normal chickens, the bird of the other species can hatch the eggs and raise guinea chicks.
  • The turkey female can also be a great surrogate mother.
  • When you release the chicks, confine them to the outdoor chicken coop for at least a week until they settle into their new home.
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 9
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 9

Step 2. Make a safe home for the chicks

You need to keep them in a box for the first six or eight weeks of life. An option that is 40 cm x 70 cm has enough space for about 15 puppies.

  • The guinea fowl is very delicate, so provide adequate space to prevent them from stepping on each other. If the box seems overcrowded, transfer them to a larger option.
  • They can escape even through very narrow screens, so it's best to leave them in a box with solid walls, such as sturdy cardboard.
  • They start bouncing pretty quickly, so be sure to cover the box with a screen.
  • Line the box with clean paper towels for the first few days and later replace them with wood shavings. Puppies need a surface that prevents them from slipping and hurting their legs, so don't line the box with newspaper.
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 10
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 10

Step 3. Keep them warm

Chicks need to be kept very warm, so use a light bulb to keep the temperature in the box constant, which should be 35 °C for the first week. You can go down 5°C a week until the temperature in the box is the same as outside.

Raise Guinea Fowl Step 11
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 11

Step 4. Give food

Feed the chicks with feed that contains 24% to 26% protein for the first five weeks and then change to one that contains 18% to 20% protein for the next three weeks. You can use feed made for other birds, such as chicken and turkey, as long as it contains the right proportion of protein.

Feed the chicks by hand so they get used to you

Raise Guinea Fowl Step 12
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 12

Step 5. Provide water

Be sure to provide the chicks with a constant source of fresh, warm water, as they cannot stand very cold water.

Buy a drinking fountain for chicks or make a homemade one following instructions on the internet so they have enough water to drink without drowning

Raise Guinea Fowl Step 13
Raise Guinea Fowl Step 13

Step 6. Keep them clean

Puppies can get dry stool stuck to their feet and lower body, which can cause many problems. Therefore, ensure the cleaning of each one, sanitizing the region with a cotton swab moistened with warm water and soap.

  • Be very careful. Removing the stool can cause scratches and bruises.
  • To prevent this from happening, first of all remember to change the case lining always.

Tips

  • You can raise guinea fowl along with other bird species, which, by the way, can help to domesticate them.
  • Don't forget to check if you need a permit to breed this species in your region before starting.

Notices

  • If you need to retrieve an escaped guinea fowl, grab it with both hands over its wings. Grabbing her by the legs can hurt.
  • Do not keep the male guinea fowl confined with roosters at all times, as it bothers other birds.

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