Home » Articles about guinea fowl » Breeds of guinea fowl
Wild guinea fowl are inferior in productivity to artificially bred meat and egg breeds. Despite the limited number of the latter, you can choose the best option taking into account the desired characteristics.
General information about guinea fowl
The ancestor of modern breeds is the common guinea fowl, common in West Africa. Despite its origin, it is well adapted to different climatic conditions. The breeds bred on its basis are suitable for cultivation in Russia and other countries. Birds are kept in cages, closed rooms, poultry houses with walking. They rarely get sick, lead a herd life, and get along well with other inhabitants of the poultry yard.
Guinea fowl are able to fly over a fence; when kept outside, their wings are clipped (flight feathers are shortened).
Adult females are heavier than males. The meat tastes like game - it has less fat than chicken. Breast contains a large amount of essential amino acids, which increases the value of the product for dietary nutrition. For 1 kg of weight gain, up to 3.4 kg of feed is consumed.
Sexual maturity occurs at 7-8.5 months. From this moment the females begin to lay eggs. Eggs are light in weight (up to 48 g). Thanks to their thick, durable shells, they can be transported over long distances. Pathogenic bacteria do not penetrate through the hard shell - the product is considered safe, but it is still worth subjecting it to heat treatment before use. Eggs do not cause allergies. They are superior to chicken ones in terms of the content of carotenoids and vitamin A. The product can be stored for a long time (up to six months when maintaining a temperature of 0...+10°C).
An additional advantage of guinea fowl is that they help in pest control by eating slugs, ants, aphids, Colorado potato beetles and other beetles. The disadvantage of this type of poultry is the low hatchability from eggs (it rarely exceeds 55-60%). This deficiency is compensated by the high vitality of the young (up to 99-100% of the chicks survive).
Summer diet
As mentioned above, bird feeding depends on seasonality. This point is worth considering in more detail.
Fresh green mass
If the farm owner has the opportunity to let the birds go for a walk, then there is no longer any concern about ensuring that the birds receive fresh grass in sufficient quantities; the birds find such food for themselves.
Cage housing involves providing the livestock with green food, and this concern falls on the shoulders of the owner. One adult guinea fowl needs 40-60 grams of crushed mixture of herbs per day, for example, you can take the following types of plants:
- nettle – 20 grams;
- vegetable tops – 10 grams;
- ambrosia – 10 grams;
- quinoa – 10 – 15 grams;
- legumes – 10 grams;
- dandelion foliage – 10 grams;
- cabbage leaves – 10 – 15 grams.
The values indicated above are approximate, and each owner individually adjusts them based on the food supply available. If we compare guinea fowl and chickens, the former will eat almost all green food.
The potential owner should remember that guinea fowl cannot be fed only grass; they need to be given grain even in the summer.
Cereals
With the onset of summer and the transfer of birds to green feed, it is advisable (for reasons of economy and not only) to reduce the amount of grain in the diet. One individual per day should receive:
- crushed wheat grain – up to 10 grams;
- corn grain – up to 10 grams;
- crushed barley grain – up to 10 grams;
- millet (given to young animals up to the age of 40-59 days) – 4 grams.
Vegetables
Root vegetables are useful in any season. Vegetables are given either boiled (necessarily kneaded) or raw (passed through a meat grinder or tinder). Guinea fowl eat the following types of crops well:
- carrots (raw);
- potatoes (boiled);
- beets (raw). This product is given in small quantities;
- cabbage. You can give them whole heads of cabbage or chop them into a mash.
There should be 20-30 grams of vegetables per head per day.
Waste from a person's table
Human food can serve as a good alternative to grain crops, and at the same time you can diversify the diet of guinea fowl. In both winter and summer, birds will happily eat:
- boiled vegetables (leftover soup and other liquid dishes, the main thing is that they do not contain a large amount of seasonings and spices);
- porridge (buckwheat, rice);
- leftover fish and meat dishes;
- dairy products.
All of the ingredients listed above are great for creating wet mashes; they can replace 50% of the grain. One guinea fowl should receive 30-40 grams of this food per day.
Information about guinea fowl breeds with names
In Russia, these birds began to be raised in the 18th century. Initially, they were considered decorative, but only over time did people appreciate the taste of meat and eggs. Domestic guinea fowl adapted to the Russian climate were bred - Siberian, Volga, Zagorsk. Some breeds of foreign selection are also grown in Russia.
Volzhskaya white
This breed of white guinea fowl is distinguished by its unpretentiousness in nutrition and maintenance. Birds gain weight quickly. The carcasses have a marketable appearance. Siberian whites were used in the selection. The Volga's body is compact, its legs are short, and its head is small. The color is white or cream, with the possible inclusion of individual dark feathers. The beak and paws are pink. Eggs with cream shell. Egg production throughout the year is 110-150 eggs weighing about 45-46 g. The weight of adults is 1.8-2.2 kg.
Blue
The description of this breed indicates the meat and egg direction of productivity. It comes from gray-speckled guinea fowl. Main external signs:
- squat body;
- mottled light gray plumage with a blue tint;
- uniform color of the neck and chest - these parts of the body are covered with purple feathers;
- unfeathered head with white skin;
- red earrings;
- curved beak.
The weight of adults is about 2 kg. Egg productivity – up to 140 pieces weighing 44 g.
Zagorskaya white-breasted
The Zagorskie was bred from a speckled gray breed. Birds have an oval body. Their legs are long, their tail is short and pointed. The neck is thin, the head is small, the beak is strong and curved. The plumage has a mixed color. The general background is gray-mottled, with a blue tint, the chest and part of the wings are white. The skin under white feathers is light, under colored feathers it is dark gray. Egg productivity – up to 150 pieces weighing 38-50 g. Live weight – 2-2.5 kg.
Cream (suede)
This breed is the result of a mutation of the grey-speckled guinea fowl. The color of the plumage is light cream, with small white spots. The skin, paws and beak are darker than those of the Siberian breed, to which the chamois are visually similar. Birds adapt well to any weather conditions. The weight of adults is 1.6-1.7 kg. Egg production – up to 80 pieces weighing 44-45 g.
Grey-mottled (French)
According to the description, this breed belongs to the meat and egg breed. It was bred in France. The body of guinea fowl is oval, tightly knit, elongated. The tail is small and pointed downwards. Paws are gray. The neck is thin and of medium length. The head is small, without feathers, with a bluish growth. The beak is pink. The earrings are oval.
The color is gray, with numerous specks of white. There are stripes on the flight feathers of the wings. On the neck the color is uniform - gray-blue. The average weight of adults is 1.7 kg. Egg production - 90 pieces, 45 g each. The shell is beige, with brownish specks.
Siberian white
The breed was bred in the Omsk region on the basis of gray-speckled guinea fowl. Despite the name, the birds cannot be called pure white - there are snow-white spots on the white-cream feathers. The body has an elongated shape. The chest is convex, deep, the keel is elongated. The skin is pinkish, which gives the carcass a marketable appearance. Birds of the Siberian breed are unpretentious, non-conflict, and calm. During one oviposition cycle, they lay up to 100 eggs weighing 50 g each. Carcass weight is 1.6-2 kg.
The main indicator is egg production
Breeding guinea fowl has also become popular due to the fact that they have high egg production. Indicative in this regard is the fact that a guinea fowl kept in the right conditions brings its owner at least one hundred and forty eggs per year. This product is distinguished by its dietary properties, so the demand for it is growing every day.
The weight of broiler guinea fowl eggs is fifty grams, the color is speckled cream. The shell is hard, so this fragile product is easy to transport.
Like eggs, broiler guinea fowl meat is considered a dietary product.
Breeding and keeping guinea fowl breeds
To hatch young animals, eggs weighing at least 40 g with a smooth, clean shell without defects are used. The maximum shelf life is a week. Optimal temperature: 0…+10°С. During storage, eggs are turned 2-3 times a day. The chicks are hatched in an incubator so that the hens are not distracted from laying eggs. You can put eggs under chickens or light turkeys. Incubation period is 28 days.
Keeping and feeding chicks
The hatched chicks are kept in a brooder on paper bedding - the stocking density is 15-20 birds per 1 sq.m. The bedding is changed regularly. In the first three days, the temperature under the heater should be +35°C. By the tenth day it is reduced to +31°C, by the twentieth – to +27°C. At one month of age, the chicks are kept at +21°C. Until this time, the duration of illumination should be 20 hours per day. Further mode:
| Age (weeks) | Light duration (hours) |
| From 5 to 10 | 16 |
| From 11 to 14 | 12 |
| From 15 to 27 | 8 |
| From 28 to 43 | 16 |
| From 44 to 50 | 17 |
The first food is hard-boiled crushed eggs, millet cereal, and starter feed. Water is given boiled. Pour it into vacuum drinking bowls. From the third day, chopped fresh grass is given. Gradually other products are added - corn, vegetables and root vegetables, low-fat cottage cheese and skim milk, bran, chalk, shell, feed yeast. From the age of one week, mash is prepared. Expanding the range of grains. For normal digestion, fine gravel is given.
Maintenance and feeding of adults
Adult birds are kept in a dry, insulated room on a deep bedding of sawdust, hay, and peat. The livestock is fed:
- grain mixture of wheat, millet, barley, corn;
- grass;
- vegetables.
Adults need useful supplements:
- gravel;
- shell rock;
- fish fat;
- wood ash;
- chalk;
- meat and bone and bone meal;
- yeast;
- salt.
An obligatory component of nutrition is animal protein (fermented milk products, meat/fish waste). In the warm season, guinea fowl are released for walking, where they eat insects and worms.
Families are formed from one male and four females. Normal egg laying requires 16 hours of daylight. The temperature should not be lower than +14°C. The egg-laying cycle lasts six months or a little longer. Excess males are slaughtered at the age of five months - later the meat becomes less juicy and tender.
What constitutes the basis of the diet
Under natural conditions, this species feeds quite variedly. In the spring, guinea fowl find protein food consisting of various insects (worms, beetles, etc.). When greenery appears, the birds eat a variety of berries, vegetation, small lizards and even mice.
On a home farm, breeders give preference to grain mixtures or feed birds in the same way as ordinary chickens (this is quite acceptable). If we talk about the approximate diet, it is as follows:
Quantity in grams
Bone meal, fish meal
Fish oil and feed yeast
In many ways, the success of keeping guinea fowl depends on the comfortable existence of the bird, and therefore it is recommended to make feeding for adult livestock in such a way that it is as similar as possible to what birds eat in natural conditions.
Wild guinea fowl are very fond of green food, and therefore on a home farm they should receive either fresh grass or, in its absence, components that replace it (pine needles, clover hay, vegetables).
These birds need carotene in sufficient quantities; in winter, you can get a valuable component from coniferous fertilizers. When guinea fowls begin puberty and the egg-laying period approaches, mineral supplements are introduced into the diet. The daily norm is determined by the physiological state of individuals and depending on the season.
When females begin to actively lay eggs, it is necessary to introduce sufficient calcium into the diet. Its sources are feed chalk, fish meal, and green mass.
Most farms practice feeding guinea fowl three times a day: they give them wet mixtures in the morning and during the day, and a variety of grains in the evening.
It is recommended to weigh birds monthly to adjust weight and adjust the rate so that the flock does not gain excess weight.
Guinea fowl need protein feed, and therefore on a home farm you can safely let the birds into the garden, where they will eat garden pests. By the way, unlike chickens, guinea fowls do not dig up garden beds, and therefore you don’t have to worry about the safety of the harvest.
With the onset of winter, it is recommended to gradually reduce the feed rate and increase it before egg laying begins. The average amount of grain per bird over 365 days is 36 kg.
Conclusion
Unfortunately, guinea fowl are rarely seen on our farms. Beginning bird breeders are afraid that they do not have enough knowledge and experience to implement such a project. If you decide to breed guinea fowl, you need to study all the information about the rules for keeping them. In addition, the skill that allows you to correctly distinguish a female guinea fowl from a male will be very useful at the stage of purchasing the first individuals to form a herd.
Guinea fowl are non-aggressive by nature; once they get used to humans, they will even demonstrate friendliness towards them. These are quite beautiful and large birds, with a melodious voice and funny earrings. Don’t be alarmed by the ratio of 1 to 5 in a herd - one male can easily fertilize so many females, since polygamy is inherent in him by nature itself.
Experts recommend separating the female from the male almost from the moment the chicks are born, based on the physiological characteristics of these birds. This period is the most favorable for the proper formation of the parent herd. The Caesar stays with his guinea fowl throughout the entire period of growing up and formation, which gives them the opportunity to get used to each other and, as a result, give good offspring.
Nutrition
In the wild, the diet of guinea fowl chickens is very varied: insects form the basis of the diet in the spring, and then it is enriched with seeds, grains, leaves, buds, berries, and other fruits. The royal bird will not disdain even small mice. It is important that the reservoir is in the access zone.
If the area is arid, the body of the guinea fowl adapts to thoroughly absorbing water from the feed. In captivity, birds are fed food scraps, chopped grass, potatoes and carrots. Young guinea fowl are fed with chicken eggs, cottage cheese and bran are added, and the nutritional value is enhanced with milk and whey.
Reproduction
The wild crested guinea fowl is a monogamous bird that forms a pair for a long time. In their habitat, mating season occurs during the rainy season.
Mating games begin for males with obligatory gifts for females - they bring them something “tasty” in order to win attention
Guinea fowl make nests on the ground and hide them well in dense vegetation. Birds lay 6 to 10 pear-shaped eggs with yellowish shells in their nests. Guinea fowl hatch eggs for 28 days, practically without leaving the nest. The male is constantly nearby - he guards and protects the future offspring.
Parents together care for the hatched offspring. Almost as soon as the guinea fowl are born, they follow the guinea fowl and the guinea fowl everywhere, and after 12 days they begin to flutter freely and sometimes even fly up into tall bushes. When birds are 1 month old, their body is completely covered with feathers.
Domesticated guinea fowl become polygamous: in April, males mate with some females, while the main part remains unfertilized
Therefore, it is necessary to take into account that there are no more than 6 females per male, and the Caesar must be several months older in age
Feeding
Feeder
You can feed them using the same technology as laying hens. For fortification and variety of feed are added
- garden vegetables,
- chopped grass,
- various food waste,
- They obtain protein supplements in the form of snails, worms, and insects themselves during grazing.
As for the Colorado potato beetle, they need to be accustomed to this dish.
Methods for training guinea fowl to eat Colorado potato beetles
Getting used to such food occurs gradually. Therefore, there is no need to force events. The main thing in this matter is your persistence and not disgust. So, the stages of training.
- Collect your own Colorado potato beetles.
- Then crush them.
- Add to a large volume of food so that the additive is invisible.
- Repeat the procedure for many days, gradually increasing the supplement.
- When they get used to it, add whole beetles to the food.
After such preparation, they themselves will look for beetles in your potato field.
As you can see, the guinea fowl is a necessary, profitable, useful bird for any farmstead. But, unfortunately, she lost the economic struggle with chicken. It takes longer to grow before slaughter, begins to lay eggs later, and therefore eats more food. As a result, amateur birders completely forgot about it. But in vain, because
- no bird will give you such healthy eggs,
- will not have such tasty dietary meat, similar to the “bourgeois” pheasant,
- will not destroy pests of your garden, while keeping the plantings intact,
- will not perform security functions on your site,
- and simply delight you with its exotic appearance.
We invite you to join our group on VKontakte or Odnoklassniki, where new articles are published, as well as news for gardeners and livestock farmers.
Other distinctive characteristics
There are several other ways to determine the sex of a bird. These include the following points:
- Males are not capable of laying eggs; only laying hens do this.
- If there are many males in the herd (more than one for every 4 females), guinea fowls suffer from constant trampling, as evidenced by a balding back.
- Males are overly sexually active and constantly seek to mate even with other bird species.
- Females are prone to constant fights in the struggle for their place on the roost and territory.
Determining the sexual characteristics of domesticated guinea fowl requires a serious approach from the poultry farmer. Gaining knowledge and experience in the future will help in forming a herd, as well as developing a business and making a profit from the sale of egg products and meat carcasses.
