Guinea fowl is an animal of agricultural purpose. When compared to another poultry, it has a number of features. This species is well adapted to various climatic conditions. It is very resistant to various infections and diseases. Guinea fowl is not picky at home, does not cause any special difficulties in feeding.
This bird is able to eat several hundred insects a day. She does not neglect the
Colorado potato beetle. Therefore, it can be safely used at its summer cottage as a
biological weapon in the fight against this type of pest. Guinea fowl at home, as it used to be in natural ones, is a gregarious bird. Due to this, they are easily distilled from one site to another, for example, after harvesting.
The color of the guinea fowl depends not only on the breed. It was revealed that gray guinea fowl have a greater mass (by 7%), compared with bluish individuals. They have an egg mass of 3% more. But the fecundity of birds with a bluish plumage is higher by 14%. A white guinea fowl at home is able to lay a greater number of eggs than its relatives of a different color, but their carcass weight is lower. A gray guinea fowl is preferable; breeding it is most profitable. The growth rate of the chicks significantly exceeds the performance of white and blue breed.
However, these birds are not common in our country. Although guinea fowls are capable of increasing weight up to two kilograms, their meat is very tender and not quite fat, it tastes like game. Breeding guinea fowls is best to start with a breed of pearl or blue plumage.
Males can weigh up to one and a half kilograms. Females are somewhat larger and reach two kg. Birds carry up to 150 eggs per year. The mass of each ranges from 40 to 46 grams. The egg is brown, sometimes speckled. The shape is somewhat reminiscent of a pear. The presence of a small number of pores in the shell makes it possible to store up to 90 days at a temperature of up to 18 degrees. Guinea fowl at home begins to lay eggs in April and is carried on through October. Daily egg laying occurs in the warmer months.
Guinea fowl at home prefer to lay eggs in a large nest, on the ground, near a fence in a field, in tall grass. When the female lays eggs, the male guards nearby, quietly chirping.
In general, these birds are very talkative. They make creak-like sounds. If something bothers them, they scream so much that tinnitus appears . Guinea fowl know how to fly, but for some reason they are lazy. Males can be quite aggressive.
Guinea fowl should be let out only at a temperature not lower than minus five. With the onset of cold weather, it is necessary to transfer it to a pre-warmed house.
As a rule, omnivorous and unpretentious, in the summer these birds are able to provide themselves with food: they have enough insects, only in the evening can they bite from the feeder. In winter, the best food will be a mixture of boiled root crops with compound feed. It is recommended to add vitamin premixes to food. Also, birds love whole grains, cabbage, beets. Water should always be fresh and clean.