Quail vs Guinea Fowl

[stirkle]

Hi guys,

So I will soon be adding to my poultry collection. Unfortunately not a peacock or a goose.

The choice is between guinea fowl or quail... My question is... how easy is it to keep either of these and also can I allow them to free range like my chickens or ducks or, like pheasants, will I need to get a cage to keep them in...

 

[Riffecreek]

Guineas can free range.. quail can't..

Both are fairly easy to raise and keep.. If you choose quail, feed good game bird feed and keep them away from the chickens!

 

[stirkle]

why can't quail free range?

 

[Riffecreek]

Because they will fly off and never be seen again!!

 

[stirkle]

right... guinea fowl it is

 

[Dirk Chesterfield]

My Brother-in Law has Guinea Fowl. He describes them as the most hideously ignorant creatures he has ever encountered, dumber than a stump. I must agree. Every strange thing they encounter results in them screaming their brains out. Unfortunately they have zero memory and are afraid of everything including their own shadow. They are obnoxiously loud birds. I wouldn't keep their pen less than 100 yards from your house. Some folks just love them but I'm sure most neighbors within 500 yds would disagree.

Quail on the other hand are very quiet compared to Guinea's. They pull their weight in the egg / meat department, can be kept in a very small area and have a fed conversion rate that is hard to beat. Their only real drawback is you can't let them free range to cut your feed costs.

 

[stirkle]

I dont want to keep any animal locked up and I dont want a hideous cage in my garden...

I love loud animals they make me chuckle. So may get guinea fowl otherwise more ducks.

 

[toejam]

Guineas are loud If something strange or new comes into the yard. Mine really don't "sound off" very often. Most of the time they make little chirps throughout the day. I would get them.

 

[stirkle]

Well I would prefer a couple more indian runners as I sell my eggs and they go down extremely well!

But I like the blue guinea fowl i have seen and wouldn't mind getting them and wouldn't mind the noise whatsoever.

I take it they are good warning for other birds such as chickens and ducks as we had some idiots dog kill one of my hens. thankfully the only tragedy thus far *touch wood*

Are they similar to peacocks in the calls area as I like the peacock noises

 

[millebantam]

Here ya go. Make sure ya turn the volume way up.