Guineafowl are remarkable birds. If you've
ever raised traditional domesticated fowl such as chickens,
you're in for a surprise with guineafowl. First of all,
guineafowl (sometimes called guineahens) are wild game
birds of African origin, in the same order as pheasants and
wild turkeys. This means that they behave far differently
than domesticated fowl. Though rather delicate as keets (as
infant guineafowl are known), they become very robust
adults. They will roost in trees 50 or 60 feet off of the
ground and can withstand some very harsh weather without
shelter. Another interesting fact about guineadowl is that
during the spring, summer and fall, they require very
little food as they sustain themselves on seeds and
insects. This doesn't mean that they will clean out a
freshly planted garden, but that they feed on seeds from
common weeds. As for the insectivorous aspect of their
diet, fleas, ticks and other pestilential insects are high
on their list. The neighbor frrom whom we acquired our
guineafowl reported having virtually no problem with ticks
last summer. That was a big drawing point for us. You'll
still want to keep wild game feed available to remind them
where home is. You can even keep them in with your existing
fowl, after they've reached maturity or raise them along
side other fowl, such as chicks. They certainly have been
an interesting experiment here at Shady Lane Farm.
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