Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Mixing Poutry and Fowl  (Read 7493 times)

Offline dpence

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 672
  • Gender: Male
Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« on: May 18, 2009, 01:08:40 pm »
My wife and I are debating extending our variety in the hen yard.  Thinking of adding some guineas and turkeys.  We have separate pens for raising chicks.  Are there any little hints, secrets we should consider before venturing into this?  What about food considerations?  Special blends?  Thanks in advance.

David
 

Offline Natalie

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1478
  • Gender: Female
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2009, 02:15:44 pm »
The only thing that I have heard is not to allow turkeys and chickens to roam in common areas together or to house them together.
Turkeys can get a disease from chickens called blackhead.
I do know some people who have done it and gotten lucky but I don't know if I would risk it myself.

Offline Robo

  • Technical
  • Administrator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 6778
  • Gender: Male
  • Beekeep On!
    • Bushkill Bee Vac
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2009, 02:36:28 pm »
I have chickens and guineas free ranging together and in a common coop without issue.    I have also heard the same about turkeys and chickens.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline dpence

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 672
  • Gender: Male
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2009, 03:41:48 pm »
Ok.  Looks as though guineas are it.   I also heard turkeys tend to head out and roost down in the trees near the creek...LOL. 

Offline danno

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 2283
  • Gender: Male
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2009, 03:56:33 pm »
Have you ever been around a flock of guineas?   They are about the noisiest thing I have ever heard.  If they are free range they will start roosting in trees and on buildings.  When the sun comes up you better be ready to get up because they will see to it that you and your neighbors wont sleep.  Mine also beat up on my chickens.  My mother warned me about them but I had to learn for myself.  The first sunrise after the first night they spent out of the hen house was there last.  My wife said it was them or her.  One good thing about them is they are very good eating

Offline fermentedhiker

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 514
  • Gender: Male
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2009, 04:59:24 pm »
I've never kept them, but keep thinking about it.  I have the book "gardening with guineas" and it recommends using turkey feed as opposed to chicken feed because guineas require a higher protein diet than chickens do.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
--Douglas Adams

Offline Jerrymac

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 6047
  • Gender: Male
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2009, 06:14:18 pm »
I have guineas and chickens running loose together. The Guineas always go into the coop at night. If anybody beats up on anyone it is the chickens beating up the guineas, but no more than they pick on other chickens. My guineas were raised from chicks with chicken chicks and so I guess they think they are chickens. So to me they are the same as chickens  :idunno:

Yes they are noisy. Love it when they go over to the neighbors house and sit on their fence or house just squawking away. The neighbors have noisy vehicles so it is just payback  :-D
:rainbowflower:  Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.   :rainbowflower:

 :jerry:

My pictures.Type in password;  youview
     http://photobucket.com/albums/v225/Jerry-mac/

Offline thomashton

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 271
  • Gender: Male
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2009, 08:47:24 pm »
I've kept chickens, guineas, turkeys, ducks, and geese all together. Never had any problems with the turkeys getting diseases from the chickens--just bad genetics in turkeys.

As for guineas, mine have beat up a bit on the chickens. Usually it's just chasing and feather pulling. My guineas mostly would come home at night. I had three that spent the summer away but then came back in the fall to roost in the coop over fall and winter.

My wife doesn't like the noise and yes, they can be really noisy. My largest flock was seven birds. I think it's part of their charm. Just like geese. I have a place in my heart for ill behaved animals. That's why I keep goats too.
After 18 months of reading and preparation, my girls finally arrived on April 11th (2006)!

Offline dpence

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 672
  • Gender: Male
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2009, 10:38:17 pm »
Yes I know Guineas are a bit noisy.  No matter.  We might even get a peafowl...LOL

Offline Natalie

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1478
  • Gender: Female
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #9 on: May 19, 2009, 10:14:21 am »
Peafowl are nice the only cons I have heard about them is that they can be more fragile as chicks than some other fowl and they like to take off.
I know someone who raises them and she has a few that will regular go missing for days at a time and then come strolling back in the yard.
That would drive me nuts.

Offline Cindi

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 9825
  • Gender: Female
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #10 on: May 19, 2009, 10:47:17 am »
David, I have had Muscovy ducks, turkeys and chickens all together during the day.  The turkeys had their own house because turkeys insist on heading to bed at least an hour before sundown.  If I didn't lock them in, they would fly up to the roof of the coops.  My henhouses are the boxstalls from our horses (when we had them).  The roofs are probably no less than 15 feet tall on the tall end.  The turkeys would want to go up there, rain or shine and then they would call and call and call.  Now if one ever has heard a turkey that thinks it is in peril, their voice can be heard far and wide, they are loud, and it is something that cannot be ignored.  So.  They had their own house.  We have lots of rain here and allowing the birds to naturally roost outside is not an option.  I don't have the turkeys anymore, they were too much work for the set up that I have.  When we move and I am set up better for turkeys, where they can't roost on their house, I will get more.  They are a delightful bird, that will keep you watching and looking at them, I loved my turkeys, they went to a woman who was in love with them, and they are well taken care of. 

I have also heard of blackhead that turkeys can get from a parasite that chickens can live with, but it affects turkeys.  My turkeys never got that thing, they were healthy right through to the bone.  I know that because we have eaten the youngsters, smiling.  Heritage turkey is nothing like the commercial bird.  WE had a taste test of both types, and no one wanted to finish eating the store bought one, whah.

Turkeys can be a little on the aggressive side to the other birds when they are beginning to think about laying eggs.  They will single out someone and just keep walking around and around, surrounding the bird.  There was never any harm done on these walkarounds, but sometimes, they just didn't like a specific bird.

Anyways, just a little experience that I have had with heritage turkeys.

I would never have guineas because the the hideous noise they make.  To me, the sound is intolerable.  Where we live there is alot of bush surrounding the perimeter of my property and it seems to echo noise.  I couldn't have such a noisy bird here.  Good luck with your endeavour.  Have a most wonderful and awesome day, love life, health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline danno

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 2283
  • Gender: Male
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #11 on: May 19, 2009, 10:53:29 am »


  "I would never have guineas because the the hideous noise they make.  To me, the sound is intolerable.  "

I 2nd that Cindi!!!!!!!!!!    Its hideous and loud!!!!!!!!

Offline dpence

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 672
  • Gender: Male
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #12 on: May 19, 2009, 12:31:24 pm »
I don't mind noise...lol.  We have cockatiels in the house, a goose, and sugar gliders...(they get a bit musky sometimes).  It's a zoo around our house.  Our rooster usually crows around 3:30 in the morning...and the Nigerian dwarf goats start in as soon as you walk out the back door.  They are spoiled brats.  Jerrymac, my neighbors are a bit noisy too...its a two-way street.    :evil:

David

Offline Jerrymac

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 6047
  • Gender: Male
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #13 on: May 20, 2009, 10:31:13 am »
The neighbor has several pickup trucks, all of them with loud pipes. But the worst is a little pickup. I believe it must be straight pipes. And he can't just start it and drive off, or drive in and shut it off. Nope there has to be this series of reving it up. And then there are those days he can't seem to get something adjusted just right. He'll be under the hood and a constant vroom vroom vroom for thirty minutes or more  :roll:
:rainbowflower:  Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.   :rainbowflower:

 :jerry:

My pictures.Type in password;  youview
     http://photobucket.com/albums/v225/Jerry-mac/

Offline dpence

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 672
  • Gender: Male
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #14 on: May 20, 2009, 10:49:08 am »
The neighbor has several pickup trucks, all of them with loud pipes. But the worst is a little pickup. I believe it must be straight pipes. And he can't just start it and drive off, or drive in and shut it off. Nope there has to be this series of reving it up. And then there are those days he can't seem to get something adjusted just right. He'll be under the hood and a constant vroom vroom vroom for thirty minutes or more  :roll:

Sounds like the foot-feet tune up.  Perhaps one day you may here the sound of a connecting rod exiting the side of the engine block.   :evil:

David

Offline fermentedhiker

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 514
  • Gender: Male
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #15 on: May 20, 2009, 10:47:56 pm »


  "I would never have guineas because the the hideous noise they make.  To me, the sound is intolerable.  "

I 2nd that Cindi!!!!!!!!!!    Its hideous and loud!!!!!!!!

For those who are interested in keeping some guineas for interest or tick control(as opposed to eggs or raising more birds)  I've read that keeping all males usually solves the noise trouble.  Instead of the constant "buckwheat" call it's just a "chi chi" type thing.  Supposedly the males also learn not to get excited about things they've seen before or at least not as much as the females.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
--Douglas Adams

Offline dpence

  • Field Bee
  • ***
  • Posts: 672
  • Gender: Male
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #16 on: May 27, 2009, 03:41:06 pm »
We are going to pickup some hatching eggs (guineas) this evening.  I have a couple old hens that are broody, figure I can slip them under one or two.  BTW, built myself and egg candler, after the we cracked an egg that had a reasonably developed chicken in it, figured I might want to check them out a little closer.  Old hens move eggs sometimes I think. 

David

Offline hpm08161947

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 17
  • Gender: Male
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #17 on: June 02, 2009, 04:51:00 pm »
One thing about guineas that I have not seen mentioned is that you do not have to feed them!! At least not once they are about 6 months old and turned out to live on their own.  We have many guineas and the noise they make is kind of nice to us.... but guess it's a matter of taste.  We sure don't have ticks..... guineas love a tick....  don't know how they survive - except by eating insects and grubs, but they do.  Every night they come home and nest in one China Berry tree  - never woke me up.  One things is that you need land to keep guineas - free range guineas are definitely not for the suburbs.  20 guineas probably need about 100 acres to be free range.  O yea - they really are good eatin.

Offline poka-bee

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1651
  • Gender: Female
  • I am NEVER bored!!
    • Darby Farms
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #18 on: June 02, 2009, 07:06:06 pm »
Their eggs are good too, but the shells are VERY thick for such a small egg!  What is the meat like?  I do notice that Miss Ginny eats far less than the chix but she will still go in & snack.  J
I'm covered in Beeesssss!  Eddie Izzard

Offline hpm08161947

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 17
  • Gender: Male
Re: Mixing Poutry and Fowl
« Reply #19 on: June 02, 2009, 08:26:47 pm »
My wife says the eggs of the guinea are richer than chicken eggs - I know it's a pretty big yolk for the size of the egg.

As far the taste of the guinea - I think it is a lot like pheasant - the big pheasants like ring-neck.  Now my wife says it reminds her of a more delicate version of turkey - not sure I agree with her - I just know its good..... amazing how good meat can be from a steady diet of bugs.

I think I like them because they have a fairly complex behavior pattern - not as complex as bees - but still fun to watch.  For example - they appear to be monogamous - the male guards the female while she sits of the eggs - when you approach the clutch he tries to run off and get you to follow him.

O yea - they don't eat bees - at least not here.