At the moment, few of the farmers are breeding guinea fowl, as their maintenance at home implies the presence of impressive areas for grazing and poultry, which will significantly reduce the cost of feed.
Types of guinea fowl
Experienced breeders and poultry breeders distinguish several main varieties of this bird, which have a variety of external signs and differences, for example:
- Blue guinea-fowl , with feather cover of gray-blue color with rims and interspersed with white. This color reaches the bird only after the first molt. Young individuals are usually gray or brown. The weight of a guinea-fowl of any kind can reach 2.5 kilograms, and the number of eggs per year is 150 pieces.
- The guinea-fowl "Blue Lilac" has a unique color of blue indigo feathers with white specks.
- White guinea-fowl is characterized by absolutely white plumage and skin.
- Yellow and spotted yellow guinea fowl .
- Spotted white or porcelain guinea fowl is white with grayish spraying.
Conditions for growing guinea fowl at home
This species does not need a separate territory and can freely be in the same house with other species, for example, with ornamental chickens . However, the nursing of guinea fowls provides much more trouble than standard chicks or turkeys, which is especially noticeable in the absence of a hen.
Weaken attention for the offspring can only be a month later, when the kids are more or less strong. For beginner poultry farmers it is advisable to purchase one pair for a sample, and make it better for winter. Autumn and winter periods will allow the bird to get used to a new environment, feed and conditions of detention.
Behavior of poultry guinea fowl
This bird is extremely shy and shies literally from any rustle. Further behavior of the bird largely depends on the patience and calm of the breeder.
The peculiarity of guinea fowl at home is the fact that they throw their chicks even before the babies hatch from the eggs. This greatly reduces the number of offspring. The incubation lasts a maximum of 26 days, after which the owner takes care of the offspring. The main advantage of these birds is a constant desire to feed on pasture, which saves feed considerably.
Feeding guinea fowl
As already mentioned above, this bird loves to graze in the meadows or in the garden. However, this does not relieve the breeder of the need to provide guinea fowl special combination feed or grain mixture, which will significantly increase body weight and productivity.
It is necessary to add to the diet a source of calcium: crushed rakushnyak, chalk, river sand and so on. Animals feed the bird in the process of walking in the form of slugs, worms and so on. Before you feed the guinea fowl, you need to measure your ability to purchase feed and vitamin complexes and calculate the daily need of the bird for food.
Cells for guinea fowl
The lack of a full-fledged exercise provides for the maintenance of guinea fowl in special cells. They should be spacious, in a warm room with good lighting and a constantly working ventilation system.
It is necessary to take into account the fact that the content of guinea fowl in such conditions requires constant replenishment of their diet with fresh plant foods,
Guinea fowls
Treating guinea fowls is ineffective and does not make sense. Therefore, it is better to throw all the forces on the prevention of diseases, namely:
- regularly wash, clean and dry feeders and cages ;
- to acquire high-quality feed;
- to carry out vaccination in case of an existing threat of infection and so on.
As you can see, care for guinea fowls involves applying some effort, time and money.