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Post by annieyokie on Jan 18, 2010 14:51:29 GMT 8
I have 5 acres,no neighbour's one side other side has chooks and are worried about snakes also ,May get them to get some as well .We both have long blocks and birds are in the back 1/2 .We are in the front 1/2. How do you sex them(guinea fowl)..They are still quite small. LOL Wendy
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Post by Cluck N Waddle on Jan 18, 2010 14:57:32 GMT 8
Easiest way to sex them is by voice from about 8-9wks of age. The female will start calling, its like a "come here" sounding call or some people think it sounds like "buckwheat". Its a two syllable sound anyway and only the females make that sound. The males can only screech. Once they are mature, you can tell by looking at them. Females are slightly smaller with smaller helmet and wattles.
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Post by pianochook on Jan 19, 2010 8:25:15 GMT 8
wow, your Silkies are brave!! Did you send them to some boot camp for training after the last incident? I hope you find a way to avoid those encounters!
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Post by annieyokie on Jan 19, 2010 16:03:43 GMT 8
Ill speaK to the silkies about training the Guinea fowl and the rest of my mob. Guinea fowl installed and my neighbour is going to get some to so noise wont be an issue , ;D
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Post by quambie on Jan 20, 2010 12:49:48 GMT 8
Good on you, you will find that there very territorial birds, where they live is there's and there's alone. I have found that they take no prisoners. I have watched them go on the hunt for strangers, it is interesting to see I have another 9 in the brooder at this time they will be nearly fully grown before I let them out with the rest of the mob or they will not survive. I have watched them on the road standing up to a Tractor, they have rounded up a mate of mine because I was not there at the time so they bailed him up in his car .I have no idea what they would do but its great to watch Trev
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Post by mikemurphy on Mar 2, 2010 20:50:05 GMT 8
You can get a snake trap - a circular thing like a maze - the snake goes in and winds round but then it can't get out. That cage/trap place at Baldivis has them.
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Post by annieyokie on Mar 3, 2010 21:23:26 GMT 8
Thanks for that Mike Ill go get one .Iv had 2 dead hens this week .I thought it may have been the heat but today was cool .They were all very strong healthy happy birds. Two days in a row found dead flat on their backs no warning and the polish last week same thing .Only thing I can think of is a snake bite and there is a snake hiding in the pens somewhere .Im getting Ross to check how the last one died but a snake is on the cards i haven't had any sightings or problems since I put lights in ,water outside and got guinea fowl but the guineas are in another area.
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Post by pianochook on Mar 3, 2010 22:50:11 GMT 8
Anne, that's so sad and must be very annoying for you!!! I hope that trap works and you get the thing (I'm afraid to have a go at snakes now...)....so it's really Snake 3 - chooks 1 .... the other option of course is sending the guineas on patrol, or you'll have to get the turkey after all ( :osorry, just couldn't help it )
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Post by mikemurphy on Mar 4, 2010 8:03:02 GMT 8
I mix guinea fowl with chooks in the open range but not in the pens apart from the one that thinks it is a chook. The guineas do attack the chooks occasionally, but not all the time and usually the chooks can get away. I've noticed they often go for young cockerels. If I leave a gate open to let the hens out, the guineas will go into the pen after the food. The hens will go back in there with them but young chooks will stay away until I drive the guineas out. My advice is unless you have a big area like a paddock or orchard, only run a few guinea fowl - about six. More than that and they not only make a lot of noise but they can destroy a lawn or a flower bed. They don't dig up plants like choos do but they will dig bathing holes in the lawn and in flower beds and they will scatter any mulch far and wide. Unlike chooks, which I find separate in small groups once they are free ranging, the guinea fowl stay together in a pack, so the effect of their damage is concentrated. All that said, I have never seen my guinea fowl attack a snake. The hens will attack a snake although I have not yet seen them kill one. Usually I hear the ruckus and go down and find the snake racing round inside the wire trying to get out with the hens in pursuit.
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