Weizman L. N.
Breeding of guinea fowl.- M.: Rosselkhozizdat, 1983.- 30 p., ill. (B-chka "Domestic animal husbandry").
The brochure is dedicated to the cultivation and maintenance of guinea fowls at home. Much attention is paid to the practical methods of their breeding in household plots.
Designed for a wide range of readers.

The brochure is dedicated to the cultivation and maintenance of guinea fowls at home. It provides information about the origin, biology and habitat of these birds. Much attention is paid to the practical methods of their breeding in household plots. It contains data on various breed groups and populations of guinea fowls, their comparative productivity.
The brochure is intended for a wide range of readers.

CONTENT
Origin and distribution of guinea fowls
Morals and habits
breeds
Productivity and product quality
Completion of the parent stock
Breeding features
Incubation of eggs and hatching of young
Rearing of young animals
Content of adult guinea fowls
Feeding
Diseases and their prevention
Product processing
On the conditions for the acquisition of guinea fowl and guinea fowl eggs

The Food Program of the USSR for the period up to 1990 set the task of providing the population with all kinds of foodstuffs. Household poultry farming on the farms of collective farmers, workers and employees of state farms is a significant reserve for obtaining valuable dietary products - eggs and poultry meat.

As a rule, in household plots they keep chickens, geese, ducks, less often turkeys. And only as a great rarity among some amateur poultry farmers can you find a guinea fowl. Meanwhile, this bird deserves more attention than it has received so far. "Royal Bird" - this name is consistent with the high quality of this meat and eggs. Compared to chickens, guinea fowl carcasses contain 10-15% more edible parts, mainly muscle, and the latter have more hemoglobin. In addition, guinea fowl carcasses have less fat than chickens. Caesarean eggs are distinguished by unusual strength and keeping quality (about a year) and at the same time do not lose their nutritional properties. The yolk of caesar eggs has an intense orange color, which indicates the presence of a large amount of carotene in it.

In order to develop guinea fowl breeding in 1981, new purchase prices were approved (2 rubles 60 k.) for 1 kg of poultry live weight. Thus, breeding guinea fowls in a private household, you can provide your family with dietary products, and sell their surplus to the state.

DISEASES AND THEIR PREVENTION

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Treating a sick bird is not easy, and not always rational. It is easier to prevent, to prevent the disease.

How to keep birds healthy?
First of all, one must constantly keep in mind that the use of poor-quality feed almost inevitably causes the disease of the bird and often its death. In no space case should you give the bird food that has been stored for a long time, musty, moldy, spoiled.

Feeders, drinkers, inventory must be kept clean, washed with hot water (with soda) and dried in the sun or near any heat source.

If infectious diseases among poultry (hens, turkeys) are detected in nearby farms and mass vaccinations (vaccinations against infection) of the poultry population among the population are carried out, you should not avoid them. They will reliably protect the bird from possible diseases

Note that guinea fowls are not susceptible to many diseases that affect domestic chickens and especially turkeys, but in some cases some diseases can cause mass death of young animals. Adult guinea fowls are extremely viable, they endure extreme cold (but not dampness), extreme heat (although they can also experience heat strokes). In terms of their ability to endure cold, adult guinea fowl rank first among poultry.

Infectious diseases in the maintenance of guinea fowls in household plots in small groups are observed very rarely.

Only with excessive crowding of birds, placing them in dirty, poorly ventilated and damp rooms, epidemics can occur, especially dangerous for young animals. Appropriate prevention, careful observance of cleanliness in the premises and on the paddocks, proper feeding with benign, high-grade feeds can prevent the spread of diseases.

In newly bred or acquired on the side of the cesareans, one can observe poor healing of the umbilical cord, the presence of a bleeding wound on the abdomen. From the very first days of life, they should be given antibiotics (TCP-ramycin dissolved in drinking water, 4-5 thousand units per head per day). Any stomach disease in birds (such as diarrhea) requires the immediate attention of a veterinarian.

The vast majority of these diseases can be easily prevented by following the usual preventive measures, ie. keep the bird in clean, dry, ventilated areas, regularly replacing or supplementing the litter (especially near drinking bowls), feeding only fresh, complete feed, regularly introducing green and juicy feed into the diet. It is recommended to give the bird a freshly prepared pale pink solution of potassium permanganate every 2-3 days to protect against gastric diseases, using only glass or ceramic dishes for this.

The disease ends, as a rule, with paralysis of the limbs, and within a few hours the entire livestock of the cesareans may die. Very often, trichomoniasis in cesareans is accompanied by a massive defeat of these birds by the mi-hetera worm with kitties. Being on limited walks in rainy, damp weather, guinea fowls drink dirty water from puddles and at the same time can become infected with worms. To avoid this, birds should receive clean, regularly changed drinking water and only in the poultry house.

Currently, veterinary science has quite effective drugs that allow not only to treat trichomoniasis, but also to prevent its further spread among the entire livestock.

Among non-contagious diseases in guinea fowl, beriberi is often found - a lack of vitamins, especially group B. These vitamins are found in large quantities in fresh baker's yeast.

It has been established that feeding guinea fowls with wet compound feed, mixed with a solution prepared from a small amount of yeast (about 0.5 g per head per day), has a very favorable effect on the health of young and adult birds, improves feed availability, enhances oviposition, and strong, well-developed crown princes. Therefore, before and during the breeding season, you should regularly give guinea fowl yeast top dressing (preferably once a day, during the morning feeding).

Traumatic injuries due to fright are very common among adults and especially young guinea fowl. As we have said, guinea fowl are shy. The appearance of strangers in the house, dogs, cats, rats, mice causes stress in the birds: they huddle in the corners, trying to hide, crush each other. Therefore, you should not disturb the guinea fowl at night, and during the day, do not allow strangers into the house.

Often, at the height of oviposition, females experience yolk peritonitis, or ruptures of the oviduct, resulting from bird bruises during a fall, or fright, or crowded content. In the initial stage of the disease in guinea fowl, the abdomen increases, becomes hard to the touch; the bird stops laying eggs and subsequently dies. Sick birds should be isolated and slaughtered immediately.

YOUNG GROWING

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If cesarean chicks are grown under a hen (or a medium-sized turkey), the task of the poultry breeder is simplified, since this process is almost no different from the process of growing chickens. It is necessary, however, to take into account that already at about a week of age, the cesareans become very mobile, and soon begin to try to fly. In order to avoid “flights”, it is necessary to remove the brush on one of the wings from the guinea fowl (with any method of rearing) at the age of one day (as shown in Fig. 8), preferably with an electric knife, which will exclude blood loss, contamination of the wound, etc. Such an amputation won't let the birds fly. Amputation of a part of the wing can also be performed with scissors, then cauterize the incision site with tincture of iodine.

When growing cesareans without a hen, you need to prepare a heated room for them, protected from rain, wind drafts. An artificial source of heat and light is installed in the poultry house (an electric brooder, one or more electric lamps with a metal lampshade-reflector at a height of 15-20 cm above the floor). On a bed of dry sawdust, several layers of newsprint or dry clean river sand, place a small tray feeder (Fig. 9) and a vacuum drinker (for example, a liter glass jar, set upside down on a saucer) with clean water at room temperature (Fig. 10 ).

The temperature of the air under the heater in the first 6-8 days of the life of the cesareans should be in the range of 32-36°C. Birds are placed so that they can freely exit from under the brooder and enter the room temperature zone (about 20 ° C). Such a temperature difference under the heater and outside it has a beneficial effect on the birds. At the same time, it must be remembered that guinea fowls, and adult guinea fowls, should not be kept on a damp litter, let out in a solarium and for walking during rain or immediately after it, as well as in dew. Wet cesareans need caring care.

During the first month of life, heaters should work almost around the clock. In the future, the duration of the heated period and the air temperature are gradually reduced, and by the age of three months, the cesareans can do without additional heating.

Tsesars usually stay in a pack. Once free, they are able to move away from the "home" for quite a considerable distance, but by the end of the day they return back. Large herds of caesarlings and adult guinea fowls can be grazing in meadows, harvested fields, forest edges, along the banks of water bodies, etc. You should only occasionally watch them, protecting them from predators (foxes, hori are big lovers of caesarine).
Caesareas can also be grown in cages, like chickens. In this case, care for them is simplified, but special attention must be paid to feeding.

Although guinea fowls are hardier than chickens and turkeys, you need to carefully monitor their health. If the birds do not scream, are inactive, sit ruffled, fluffing their feathers and lowering their wings, this indicates their ill health and, possibly, the onset of an infectious disease. If this situation occurs, you should immediately contact your veterinarian.

It is necessary to maintain cleanliness in the room for cesareans, periodically add dry bedding or completely replace it, change drinking water three times a day. Feeders and drinkers should be thoroughly cleaned and washed daily.

EGG INCUBATION AND HATCHING

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For breeding purposes, eggs are used that were stored for no more than 6-7 days under appropriate conditions: in a dark room, at an air temperature of 2 to 6 ° C and a humidity of about 70-80%, laid in special cells with a blunt end up.

Before laying in the incubator (or under the hen), the eggs are carefully sorted and viewed in the light (candling) in a dark room. For incubation, eggs weighing at least 40 g are suitable, with a regular pear-shaped shape, with a strong shell (without cracks). Eggs that are too large or very small, as well as double-yolked, irregularly shaped, contaminated, long-stored eggs should not be incubated. To prevent incubation of eggs with damaged shells, it is recommended to gently tap one egg on another: if a rattling sound is heard, then one of these eggs has a damaged (cracked) shell. Contaminated eggs can be washed with a freshly prepared weak (pink) solution of potassium permanganate, and then dried.

At incubation stations, to destroy various microflora (i.e., bacteria, fungal spores) on the surface of the shell, pre-incubation irradiation of eggs laid in special trays with ultraviolet lamps for several minutes is used. Ultraviolet irradiation, in addition, has a stimulating effect on the developing embryo, and therefore the hatchability of young animals increases by 5-7%. Disinfect eggs with formaldehyde vapor.

When breeding guinea fowls in the hatchery, the usual methods are used, designed to produce chickens. The temperature, humidity and speed of air movement in the incubation chambers, the number of egg turns and other parameters are well known to the workers of any hatchery. We will only point out that for hatching trays with eggs are transferred to hatching chambers on the 26th day of incubation. At the same time, the humidity in the hatching chambers is maintained 5-10% higher than during the incubation of chicken eggs. If the incubation is carried out correctly and the eggs were fresh, stored for a short time and obtained from a good, healthy bird, the hatching of the cesareans proceeds safely - quickly and amicably. Usually, a few hours after the transfer of egg trays to the hatchers, mass hatching begins.

Caesarea cubs cannot be kept in an incubator for a long time. As soon as the caesars dry and fluff up, they are taken out of the incubator and placed in special boxes for day-old young animals, 25 heads per department. After 2-3 hours, a second sample of cesareans is carried out, and even later, a third. The best quality cesareans are birds from the first sample. However, the caesarlings of the second sample after some overexposure are also quite suitable for rearing.

If you grow caesar chicks under a hen or turkey, you can lay 15-20 caesar eggs under a medium-sized hen, and more under a turkey. A mother hen is selected, tested for maternal qualities.

When growing cesarean chicks under a hen, along with chickens, chicken eggs should be laid a week later than caesar eggs in order to ensure the same age livestock in one group. Usually, a mother hen that has just hatched several chickens (or young of other types of poultry) accepts cesareans without much resistance. It is better to plant them in the evening, in a semi-dark room. It is not recommended to plant cesareans of different ages under one hen, in this case, younger birds will develop poorly and most of them will die. The hens brought up by the hen are very attached to her, and even when they are already quite adult birds, they follow her everywhere.

The gray-speckled cesareans hatched from eggs resemble chickens, but are somewhat smaller and much more mobile than the latter. The body is covered with brownish down, and on the head and back you can see alternating light and dark brown stripes. The abdomen is light gray, the paws and beak are light pink, the beak at the end is blunt, as if chopped off.

In blue cesareans, the down is lilac in color, while in white and cream ones it is snow-white, with weakly pronounced reddish or bluish stripes on the head, and sometimes without them.

During the first three or four days of life, the cesareans are inactive, most of the time they lie under a heater (brooder) or under a brood hen, eyes closed and legs stretched out. Only later do they become livelier, begin to eat well and run.

The cesareans grow quite quickly and after a month they begin to gradually fledge. Usually at the age of three months they are fully feathered and differ from adult birds in their smaller size and the absence of a crest on their heads. By this time, their live weight reaches 1 kg.

COMPLETING THE PARENT STOCK

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It is not advisable to acquire a small group of birds during the initial establishment. The larger the flock, the better the birds are preserved, develop and grow faster. At least 20 heads of daily young animals for compiling a herd - this rule must be followed by a beginner guinea fowl breeder.

To create your own parent flock from among the grown guinea fowls, it is necessary to select the best for reproduction by culling birds with body defects, poorly fed, lame, sick, with atypical coloring (for a given breed group or population). Birds are also culled with signs of rickets (curvature of the sternum or keel), one-eyed, with crossed halves of the beak, emaciated, with impaired coordination of movements, with swollen bellies. The average weight of five-month-old birds (at this age sorting is most successfully carried out) is at least 1.3 kg for females and 1.4 kg for males (later on, the weight of males almost does not increase, and females, on the contrary, continue to grow and by 7- 8 months of life, their weight is 1.7-1.8 kg). The eyes of a healthy bird are convex, shiny, very mobile, the pupil is of the correct form (not reduced, point to offensive or slit-like).

Although males and females are the same in plumage color (within each population and breed group), nevertheless, guinea fowls have quite characteristic signs of sexual dimorphism (i.e., external differences between males and females), with which you can distinguish them by gender and select the right birds.

At the age of five months, in normally developing cesareans, one can notice distinct differences in the shape and size of the head appendages. In females, the cere is small and flat, almost not rising above the beak; in males, it is noticeably larger, tuberous, rises with a beak, and is brighter colored. The crest on the head of females is small, directed backwards, while in males

it is larger, located vertically on the head, and the head is more massive. Finally, the earrings on the sides of the head in males are usually larger and often twisted.

In females at the age of five months, the pubic bones diverge slightly (one or two fingers freely enter between them), in males (or in underdeveloped females) they are closely approximated to each other. As the females mature, their pubic bones continue to diverge (by the beginning of oviposition, two to four fingers can be placed between them).

For complete reliability, you can apply the so-called cloacal method of determining sex. The bird is turned upside down and carefully spread the edges of the cloaca with your fingers. At the same time, a small pinkish cylindrical formation (penis) up to 1 cm high protrudes out of the male. This method, however, is rather laborious and causes concern to the bird. The sex of the guinea fowl is quickly and fairly reliably determined by the profile of their head, i.e., the size and shape of the wax, as well as the condition of the pubic bones, weight and fatness.

It is recommended to leave four or five females per male. It is desirable to have at least two or three males in the herd. Completely healthy, large males with clearly defined secondary sexual characteristics (large head, convex cere, large comb and earrings, well-developed vocal sac), mobile, active, with shiny bulging eyes, evil and strong should be left on the tribe. Such males, as a rule, turn out to be good producers and steadfastly pass on their qualities to their offspring.

Females should be with a small head, cere and crest, well-fed, with divergent pubic bones and a soft, convex belly. Earrings on the head of females are smaller than those of males, in most cases flat, in addition, in Siberian white female guinea fowls, the general background of the plumage color is somewhat darker, while the males of this breed group are almost white (this phenomenon in poultry is name for autosexuality).

Thus, a parent stock will be created, consisting of a group of males and the required number of females. It should be borne in mind that females are somewhat less viable than males.
In our opinion, in household plots, it is most profitable to grow cesarean chicks for meat up to 4-5 months in summer and autumn, acquiring daily young at poultry farms, IRS or breeding them under a brood hen. Fans interested in obtaining food and breeding eggs can leave guinea fowls for the winter in groups of 5-50 heads.

In the first month after the start of oviposition, guinea fowl eggs are still quite small, sometimes irregular in shape, unsuitable for incubation. In addition, young males reach sexual maturity, usually a month later than females. For these reasons, the vast majority of eggs laid in the first 4-6 weeks of laying are infertile. Such results can be avoided if the parent herd of guinea fowls is assembled, in which the males will be older than the females by 1-2 months.

FEEDING

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Caesars are fed in much the same way as chickens. The difference lies in the fact that the former require a little more crude protein (proteins) in the composition of the daily feed ration - about 23-24%. At an older age, the content of crude protein is reduced to 17-19%. In addition, cesareans, compared to chickens, need more green and succulent feed. Starting from a week old, they willingly eat finely chopped young fresh grass (clover leaves, alfalfa, lettuce, wild cereals, dandelion, cabbage leaves).

It is desirable to diversify diets for cesareans. Compound feed for chickens (especially for broilers), fresh cottage cheese, powdered milk, dry millet groats, fodder wheat and corn (in crushed form) are most suitable for feeding them. Crushed chalk, crushed shells, coarse-grained and well-washed river sand, thoroughly boiled and crushed eggshells are required in the diet. In the first days of life, cesareans eat well boiled and chopped eggs. Starting from the age of one month, it is useful for them to give 0.1 g of fresh baker's yeast daily (the yeast is ground and mixed with the main feed). Birds and all kinds of food leftovers, tops of vegetables, chopped hay and hay dust, turnips, fodder beets, grass meal, chopped corn leaves, freshly prepared sour silage and haylage (fresh) eat with appetite.

With cage keeping, birds especially need additional green and protein feed (including baker's yeast).

With proper feeding, the cesareans reach a mass of 1-1.3 kg by the age of three months. At the same time, for each kilogram of growth, they spend approximately 3-3.5 kg of feed (compound poultry feed). In this case, the cost of one bird grown on an individual farm (without taking into account the labor costs of its owner) will be approximately 1 ruble. (this amount includes the cost of 3 kg of compound feed and the price for one daily guinea fowl).

Adult guinea fowls are unpretentious to feed, but their specific characteristics and needs should be taken into account. In the homestead, the main diet for adult guinea fowls consists of 130-150 g of bird feed or srnossssi, as diverse as possible. In addition, birds constantly, and periodically in winter and spring, receive green food in the form of chopped grass and vegetable tops. Each guinea fowl consumes fresh greens in the range of 30-50 g per head per day.

Grain feed in the diet can be replaced with various food waste from the table (boiled potatoes, cereals, etc.): an additive from baker's yeast, etc. A wet mash can be prepared with a small amount of milk (or skim milk) or yeast dissolved in water (which significantly increases egg production).

If adult guinea fowls daily use paddocks, forage in the garden or in the meadow, they almost completely satisfy their needs for animal feed at the expense of insects, worms, slugs, frogs and mice. Otherwise, you have to additionally introduce animal feed into the diet: fish waste (boiled), chopped boiled meat, low-fat cottage cheese, etc. Adult guinea fowl are fed three times a day: at 7-8 in the morning, at 12-14 day and at 18-19 pm. Water is changed three times a day; in cold weather, it should be at room temperature.

In addition to the main diet, guinea fowls should always have mineral feed in a separate feeder: crushed sea or freshwater shells, crushed chalk, wood ash. Coarse-grained clean river sand or fine gravel should be added to the same feeder. Mineral feeds contribute to the formation of a strong egg shell and maintain the optimal calcium content in the blood of birds, large grains of sand or fine gravel, while in the stomach, contribute to the grinding and grinding of the food eaten.

It is expedient to feed poultry feed of factory preparation in a dry form. Usually, a passport (specification) is attached to each batch of feed, which indicates the ingredients (components) of this batch of feed, as well as the content of crude protein in it, i.e. protein substances of animal and vegetable origin (in percent). The lack of protein substances is compensated by giving additional feeding or crushed cakes and meals (sunflower, soybean, linseed).

An excellent grain feed for guinea fowls is crushed corn (with the addition of cake or meal). Of the green fodder, clover, alfalfa, meadow grass mixture, cabbage leaves, quinoa, nettle, young birch leaves, mulberry, chopped needles, dandelions, burdock leaves, turnip root crops, rutabaga are very useful and readily eaten by guinea fowl. It should be noted that guinea fowl are reluctant to eat the tops and roots of carrots.

Guinea fowls are given only freshly harvested greens. Old, coarsened greens or dried tops, which have largely lost their nutritional value, they consume poorly.
Feed should be given in such quantity that the birds completely eat it within an hour. It is better to apply it in small portions, about one third of the capacity of the feeder, and after eating this portion, add a new one.

When planning the amount of feed for one guinea fowl per year, we can conditionally assume that it needs about 32 kg of grain feed (or poultry factory feed), 3.5 - animal feed (as an additive to the grain mixture, if there is no good feed), 4 - root crops , 12 - greens, about 0.5 - baker's yeast and 2 kg of mineral feed; poultry greens consume up to 50 g per day. If guinea fowls use unlimited walking, while receiving regular feeding in the form of food waste, then the annual consumption of concentrates (compound feed or grain mixture) is sharply reduced.

With cage keeping, bird care, of course, is greatly simplified, but more attention needs to be paid to its feeding. After all, with outdoor content, especially in the presence of unlimited walking, birds find a lot of various foods, mainly various insects, worms, grass, etc. the amount of green top dressing, baker's yeast, clean water, etc. In winter, it is useful to include spruce needles in diets.

Birds must regularly receive mineral supplements (crushed chalk, crushed and boiled eggshells), otherwise they begin to lay eggs with thin, fragile shells (or even without it). The bones of guinea fowls that do not receive enough mineral feed (a significant part of which are calcium salts) become brittle and, with sudden movements of the bird, can be injured.

Feed in the feeders should be replaced (or added) 2-3 times a day, the water should be changed regularly.

Morals and habits.

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Guinea fowls were domesticated later than other agricultural birds and largely retained the habits of their wild ancestors. First of all, these are mobile gregarious birds. Therefore, they are very easy to distill from one room to another, graze and walk. At the same time, it is not easy to catch a guinea fowl, even in a small closed poultry house: the bird is very shy and does not immediately get used to the person constantly caring for it. friend. Having got used to a person, guinea fowl approach him fearlessly.

Despite the fact that guinea fowl tolerate cell content well, they “feel” better on the floor, in small poultry houses with solarium paddocks, which is especially important in home gardening.

The cry of guinea fowl resembles the cries of a flock of rooks at a nesting place. With full mowing, they constantly coo - "talk". If the guinea fowl scream - this indicates their health and good condition.

Guinea fowl partially retained the ability to fly, especially young birds: already at the age of one month, guinea fowl easily take off and can overcome several tens of meters “without landing”. Adult birds easily fly up to the roofs of one-story buildings, tree branches, where they sit for a long time. During long walks (foraging) they get various food: insects and worms, seeds of weeds, and most importantly - young, juicy grass. Guinea fowl need about the same amount of green food as geese. You can graze birds in the orchard, in the garden. At the same time, one should not be afraid that the guinea fowl will damage the beds - they are more “careful” with them than. for example, chickens also successfully eat insects, including the Colorado potato beetle.

Guinea fowl do not lay in artificial nests. They prefer to make “collective” nests on paddocks, under bushes or in the grass, and many, and sometimes all, females of the herd lay their eggs in one nest. To avoid loss of eggs, guinea fowls are kept indoors or on a small fenced range until 2 pm, after which they can be released for foraging, and in the evening the birds will return on their own. There are reports in the literature that guinea fowls control pests in orchards and berries.
When kept together with other poultry, guinea fowl keep independently, quickly "pacifying" the pugnacious. They are more disease resistant than chickens and turkeys.

ON THE CONDITIONS FOR THE PURCHASE OF GUINA FOWERS AND CAESAR EGGS

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It is more expedient to purchase breeding eggs, young or adult birds in specialized poultry farms, which guarantee the origin of the purchased birds, their health and productivity and provide birds or hatching eggs at a fixed price. When buying, you should STUDY the veterinary certificate, which reflects all the information about the purchased bird (eggs). You can buy eggs in a standard package (360 pieces in a special box with cells).
The nearest hatchery and poultry farm will incubate the eggs

station (IPS), it can also organize the purchase of breeding eggs for a group of amateur poultry farmers.
Among the farms where guinea fowl are bred and raised are the Beshtaugorets poultry farms (Stavropol Territory, Essentuki, Zolotushka station), Volzhskaya (Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Pomary station), Noginsk and Glebov poultry farms, Kuch and a certain state breeding poultry plant (Moscow Region ), Experimental farm VPITIP (Zagorsk), Soligorsk poultry farm (Belarusian SSR), Tuymazinsky poultry farm (Bashkir ASSR, Tuymazy), collective farms in the Odessa region, Altai Territory (Talmenka village), Priirtyshsky poultry farm (Omsk region) and others

Breeding eggs can be obtained from May to August. Of course, the sooner the cesareans are hatched, the sooner they will get stronger in the warm season and leave well-prepared for the winter. But even from late (for example, September) hatching, with proper maintenance and plentiful feeding, it is quite possible to get good replacement young animals from the caesars.

Guinea fowl can also be bought at a daily age, when their transportation is most painless for the bird. Older cesareans need appropriate containers during transportation, sometimes they need to be fed and watered on the way, but they are easier and faster to grow (starting from a month old). It is better not to purchase adult birds.

For those wishing to purchase breeding material, it should be recalled that all of the farms listed above are not able to send hatching eggs or daily young stock by mail. This is due to the fact that there is no way to guarantee timely (within 1-2 days) delivery of eggs to customers, as well as to ensure the preservation of their quality.

Therefore, in order to purchase eggs or day-old young animals, it is recommended, after agreeing with the farm, to come there yourself and personally take the eggs or young animals.

There is another way: order the required number of breeding eggs from the farm through the nearest hatchery, which the farms can send by direct flight by plane (even without an escort), in a standard package, 360 pieces in one cardboard container with gaskets.

Young animals are best transported in special boxes with 4 compartments, each of which is planted with 25-30 heads of daily cesareans. You can also carry them in wicker baskets with a hard bottom, covering them with cloth on top, protecting them from drafts, rain and overheating. During the day, the cesareans do not need food and water.

When purchasing eggs or young birds, it is necessary to obtain veterinary and breeding certificates from the farm. The fee for purebred material is slightly higher than for outbred material.

FEATURES OF BREEDING

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During the breeding season, guinea fowls must be provided with enough space for mating games. In a cramped room where the birds are crowded (more than five heads per 1 m2 of floor area), as well as when kept in cages, the birds do not mate and the eggs (all or almost all) are infertile. To obtain fertilized eggs, four to five females are kept for each male.

Eggs for incubation are collected in the first half of the day and put in special cells with a blunt end up. It is imperative to ensure that the birds do not rush on paddocks after rain, when it is dirty, otherwise the egg shell will be so dirty that they cannot be incubated. It is allowed to store hatching eggs for no more than 7 days in a cool, dark and not too dry room at a temperature of 2 to 6 ° C.

The joint maintenance and breeding of guinea fowls of various colors is undesirable. As a result of free crossing of differently colored birds, cesareans of the most unexpected color appear, and their productivity may be lower than that of their parents. When guinea fowls are kept together with chickens, hybrids may appear (i.e., such birds in which one of the parents is a guinea fowl and the other is a rooster or chicken). These are rather large birds, which differ from purebreds in that they do not have appendages on their heads (comb, earrings, etc.). The gonads in hybrids are not developed (in appearance, and often even after opening the sex of such individuals, it is difficult to establish), and therefore the hybrids are sterile, although they are distinguished by viability and longevity.

In guinea fowls, to a greater extent than in domestic chickens and turkeys, individual sexual selectivity is developed. Wild guinea fowl are monogamous, that is, they usually keep in married couples, but when domesticated, under the influence of artificial selection, the guinea fowl “switched” to a polygamous lifestyle.

If the male died or disappeared, then the female guinea fowls who were with him lay fertilized eggs for another 10 days, from which healthy guinea fowls can be hatched. In the future, when the females are isolated from the males, the fertility of the eggs gradually decreases, and the viability of the hatched cesareans deteriorates.

About 20 days after the removal of the males, the females begin to lay unfertilized eggs. From this, by the way, it follows that when one male is replaced by another, the reliable origin of the offspring obtained from him can be guaranteed only three weeks after the replacement of the sire.
A new bird in the herd is met unfriendly. In order to avoid fights between birds, skirmishes, it is better to combine several birds, previously “unfamiliar” with each other, into a new flock at the same time. This will help to avoid stress in the bird, to keep the flock.

How long can adult guinea fowls be kept? It is known that young birds start laying eggs earlier, rush better and longer. However, their egg fertility is somewhat lower than that of two-year-old (over-fertile) females. In addition, eggs obtained from two-year-old birds turn out to be larger and the cesareans hatch from them better, more friendly and larger. Two-year-old males are believed to provide higher egg fertility than young ones. In any case, if a young male during the breeding season ensured a high fertility of eggs in the females who were with him, and the hatchability of the young and the safety were at a high level, it is advisable to leave such a producer for another season. At the same time, closely related breeding (i.e., crossing between parents and their children, siblings, etc.) should not be allowed for guinea fowls, as a result of which weak, non-viable offspring appear. Individual guinea fowl breeders should annually exchange producers among themselves or acquire new ones on the side.

After the second breeding season, it is desirable to replace adult birds with young ones. This is due to the fact that in three-year-old females, egg production decreases again, and the mass of eggs decreases (even compared to pullets). In addition, three-year-old males may be impotent. By the way, in appearance, two-year-old and especially three-year-old females begin to resemble males: their cere, comb and earrings increase.

PRODUCTS PROCESSING

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Abroad, guinea fowl meat is used as a substitute for game. As you know, the meat of wild birds (partridge, hazel grouse, black grouse) is dark (due to the increased content of hemoglobin in the muscles), and that of guinea fowl is white. But if you keep the blood in the carcass when slaughtering the bird, then the caesarino meat will completely imitate the game.

Guinea fowls are slaughtered already at the age of three months, when the birds are quite well-fed. At this age, the meat of guinea fowls is distinguished by tenderness, easy digestibility, the maximum content of essential amino acids and the minimum fat. Adult guinea fowls, especially females, are characterized by excellent fatness, the presence of a small amount of subcutaneous and internal fat, denser and somewhat dry meat (more tasty than that of young animals). Such birds weigh 1.5-2 kg, and often more.

It is convenient to catch guinea fowls with the help of a metal trapping hook, with which they are hooked by the leg. In this case, all other birds are not afraid. The caught guinea fowl is quickly killed, chopping off its head and letting the blood flow out completely (the guinea fowl is a full-blooded bird). Then, while the bird is still warm, they immediately begin to pluck, since after cooling and stiffening, the feathers will be removed with difficulty. If you need to pluck the bird quickly, the carcass of the guinea fowl is immersed for 2-3 minutes in a bucket of hot water, after which the feathers are removed without hindrance. During plucking, care must be taken not to damage the thin skin of guinea fowls.

A completely plucked bird is sometimes singeed (to remove thin thread-like feathers from the surface of the skin), then opened, the esophagus, stomach, and goiter are removed. The liver is removed carefully so as not to damage the gallbladder (otherwise the liver and the carcass itself inside will be very bitter). They also take out the heart, oviduct in females. Thoroughly washed muscular stomach (without the inner film-cuticle), liver (without gallbladder) and heart are used as food. Then the gutted carcass is repeatedly washed under running water, the non-feathered parts of the legs (metars), the neck at the base, and the ends of the wings are cut off. The guinea fowl carcass prepared in this way is placed in a refrigerator or cellar (without freezing it) and kept chilled for 1–2 days so that the meat “ripens”. If long-term storage is required, guinea fowl carcasses are frozen and kept at a temperature of about minus 18 ° C for 1-3 months.

Below are some of the most famous recipes for preparing various guinea fowl dishes. Note that the broth from whole carcasses of guinea fowl turns out to be too lean and inferior in taste to the broth made from chicken carcasses. A very good broth can be made from offal and bones of guinea fowl, from which the meat is previously removed.

Fried guinea fowl (classic). The chilled or defrosted gutted guinea fowl carcass is placed in a saucepan or basin, where a weak solution of table vinegar is poured. In such a solution, the carcass should be kept for a day, which significantly improves the quality of the meat, making it softer. If part of the carcass is not covered with liquid, you need to turn it over several times during the day. The carcass is removed from the vinegar solution, washed thoroughly under running water, allowed to drain and thoroughly rubbed (legs, wings, breast, stomach and back) first with table salt (on a wet surface, the salt will immediately dissolve and cover the entire carcass with a thin layer), then with fat. You can put several apples cut in half (without removing the core from them) or pickled or fresh plums into the cavity of the bird's abdomen, then sewing the cut with threads.

The carcass prepared in this way is placed on a preheated and greased baking sheet or in a roaster (if there are several carcasses, they are placed freely on the baking sheet so that they do not touch one another), add about 0.5 cups of water and put in the oven with low heat (ducklings do not cover with a lid).

Approximately every 10-15 minutes, the carcass is carefully turned over, poured over with its own juice accumulated at the bottom of the baking sheet, or with a small amount of water, in no case allowing the bird to dry out and even more so burn in the oven: it must be fried and stewed at the same time. It takes about an hour to cook a young bird, an adult guinea fowl - 1.5 hours. After the carcass is completely reddened, you need to turn it over two more times, but no longer add water. On the contrary, the liquid at the bottom of the pan should dry out (and the bird will brown even more). Ready guinea fowl is immediately cut into portions. It is good to serve fresh herbs (parsley, dill, celery), apples, berries as a side dish in summer and autumn. Pieces of the carcass are poured with the sauce in which it was baked. In addition, you can prepare a separate sauce of pureed apples with garlic and serve.

From the meat of guinea fowl, separated from the bones, cutlets are prepared, which are distinguished by a peculiar taste.
A number of countries have their own, national recipes for cooking guinea fowl. So, in Italy, carcasses are put on skewers and fried over special braziers, slowly turning the birds. In France, guinea fowl are stewed on large metal dishes. Hungarian chefs fry guinea fowls, after stuffing the carcasses with smoked lard. Sometimes, instead of water, a little table wine is added to the baking sheet. Carcasses are also stuffed or cooked with sauerkraut. Poultry smoking is common in Estonia. Guinea fowl prepared in this way are distinguished by tender meat and unusually tasty.

Caesar eggs are consumed boiled, fried, as an omelet, used for cooking and especially confectionery. Lubricated with the yolk of caesar eggs, pies acquire an exceptionally attractive appearance. The yolks of caesar eggs, mashed with sugar and chilled, are delicious and resemble the best varieties of ice cream.

BREEDS

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As a result of a long-term joint work of breeders and poultry specialists, two domestic breed groups of guinea fowls have been created: Siberian white and Zagorsk white-breasted. Only a few farms continue to breed common gray-speckled birds (Fig. 3). At the same time, this population should not be allowed to completely disappear. After all, each such group is genetically unique and is of great importance for further breeding work.

Siberian white guinea fowls are white birds. On the general creamy-white background of their plumage are brilliant snow-white spots. The beak and legs are dark pink, the carcass is white-pink, the head and neck are white-blue, the earrings are red (Fig. 4).

Siberian white guinea fowls are descendants of three individuals of white color (recessive mutants) obtained from gray-speckled guinea fowls of the Siberian population bred in the Omsk region. The birds have a relatively long body, a deep chest and an elongated keel. The pectoral muscles are especially developed in females. Practically do not lose feathers until autumn.

Compared to the birds of the original gray-speckled population, Siberian white guinea fowls are more egg-laying (by about 25%), grow faster, and behave more calmly in the house and on the run. For backyard poultry farming, it is important that they are much more enduring than gray-speckled ones, more viable and unpretentious to the conditions of keeping and feeding. The quality of their meat and eggs is the same as that of guinea fowls of other breeds. These birds are constantly exhibited in the Poultry Farming pavilion at the USSR Exhibition of Economic Achievements and have repeatedly earned high marks.

Zagorsk white-breasted guinea fowls (Fig. 5) are peculiarly colored birds: their back and wings are gray-speckled, and their neck, chest and belly are white, without spots; the carcass is light, the plumage is fluffy, but looser than that of the Siberian whites. In terms of their productivity, they are very close to Siberian whites. This vicious group was created by scientists from the All-Union Scientific Research and Technological Institute of Poultry Farming (Zagorsk).

Occasionally, amateurs can meet blue guinea fowl (Fig. 6). The main background of their plumage is not dark, like in gray-speckled, but light lilac.

Finally, a small group of so-called cream, or suede, guinea fowl should be noted. Outwardly, the birds resemble Siberian whites, but are slightly smaller than them, and the carcasses are darker. In terms of live weight and egg production, they are noticeably inferior even to gray-speckled ones.

Guinea fowl of any breed can be recommended for breeding in home gardens. It is only necessary to take into account that Siberian whites and Zagorsk white-breasteds were bred as a result of long-term selection and their productivity is higher than that of gray-speckled. Under all conditions, one should limit oneself to any one population or breed group of guinea fowls.

PRODUCTIVITY AND PRODUCT QUALITY

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The guinea fowl is an agricultural bird of a predominantly meat direction. Although the productivity of these birds is less than that of chickens, the quality of meat and eggs is exceptionally high.

The live weight of adult guinea fowls is on average from 1.5 (for males) to 1.8 kg (for females). Unlike other poultry, adult female guinea fowls are larger in weight and fatter than males. The mass of daily cesareans is 27-28 g, three-month-old - from 1 to 13 kg. As you can see, during this period, young birds increase their initial weight by 35-40 times.

Guinea fowls of various populations or breed groups carry 60-120 eggs during the breeding season (from April to September). Caesar eggs are characteristic pear-shaped, light brown in color; their shell is covered with small specks and dots (Fig. 7). The mass of one egg ranges from 38 to 50 g.

The content of solids in the yolk and protein of relatively small guinea fowl eggs is almost the same as in larger chicken eggs, while the amount of vitamin A and carotenoids is 1.5-3 times higher. The shell of caesar eggs is 1.5 times thicker and 3 times stronger than chicken shells. Undershell films in guinea fowl eggs are also very durable. Due to the strong shell, caesar eggs can be stored with a blunt end up (as food) for a long time (up to six months or more) and transported by any transport over very long distances.

Guinea fowl carcasses are somewhat darker in appearance than chicken carcasses. This is explained by the fact that, unlike the carcasses of domestic chickens, they have thinner skin through which muscles shine through, while the muscles contain more muscle hemoglobin (myoglobin), which is why the meat of guinea fowls is colored more intensely, and the skin, especially in carcasses of gray-speckled guinea fowls , more pigmented than chickens. When heated, the skin and meat of guinea fowl turn white.

It is important to note that in guinea fowl, the bones are thinner and lighter, and the muscles, especially the most valuable in nutritional terms, are white (pectoral), relatively larger than those of chickens. Tsesarinos meat is dense and, in addition, it contains more (5-7%) dry matter compared to chicken.

Recent studies have revealed another feature of guinea fowl meat: in terms of the content of essential amino acids and, in particular, their ratio to each other, it can be attributed to the best diet. To taste, a well-cooked guinea fowl resembles forest game (partridges, pheasants).

Origin and distribution of guinea fowls

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Guinea fowls belong to the order of chickens. In their biological properties, they differ markedly from their related domestic chickens and turkeys. Domestic guinea fowl are descended from the common, or gray, wild guinea fowl, which is currently found in the forests and savannas of West Africa.

Guinea fowl were domesticated in Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Africa. In the XIV-XV centuries. guinea fowl were brought to the Mediterranean countries from West Africa (Guinea). Since that time, they began to breed in most European countries, and later they spread virtually everywhere.

On the territory of our country, guinea fowl have been bred for a long time in the Black Sea region. At first, they were kept as ornamental birds in very small numbers by a few hobbyists. Only since 1945, when a batch of guinea fowl was brought from Hungary to two poultry farms near Moscow, they began to be grown in industrial and breeding farms.

Currently, guinea fowl are successfully bred in the Baltic States, the central regions, the Volga region, Ukraine, Moldova, the North Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Belarus, Siberia and the Far East. These birds tend to acclimatize well. They are more hardy and unpretentious than domestic chickens and turkeys.

Adult guinea fowls have a characteristic gray-speckled coloration (the same as that of wild ancestors). On the dark gray or black background of their plumage, small shiny white spots, arranged in the correct order, are distinguished - pearls, or “pearls” (in most countries, guinea fowls are called pearl chickens for this reason). Among the birds of a typical gray color (Fig. 1), there are guinea fowls with a peculiar blue plumage. Other colors are also available: white, cream or blue. Both in males and in females, the plumage is colored the same, while the young look different.

The upper part of the neck of the birds is naked, with sparse and short hair plumage, the legs (tarsus) are not feathered, dark gray or dark pink. The plumage of guinea fowls is dense, well adjacent to the body. The color of the non-feathered areas of the skin on the neck and head is white-blue, the beak is gray-pink. The crest (helmet) is light brown, leathery, with a bone base. Below the beak, on both sides, are fleshy white-red

earrings, flat or twisted. Above the beak is the so-called cere (soft tubercle, Fig. 2), under the beak is a small webbed thickening of purple color (voice bag).

Option one: predominantly obtaining dietary and gastronomic food eggs. After sorting, the birds are placed in an insulated and heated room at the rate of 5 heads per 1 m2 of usable floor area. A deep litter is laid on the floor: a 10-15 cm layer of dry sawdust, peat, straw, dry coarse sand, feeders are installed (at the rate of 5 cm of the feeding front per bird) and drinkers (1-2 cm of the watering front per head). The room temperature must be at least 14°C.

The light regime in the poultry house is important. For diurnal cesareans, daylight hours (lighting) last 24 hours a day. Starting from the age of three weeks, the daylight hours are reduced by about one hour per week, bringing it to the age of five months to 8 hours and maintaining such daylight hours for a month. When the birds reach the age of six months, they begin to increase it by one hour a week and so bring it up to 14 hours. Later, the length of daylight hours is increased in accordance with the natural; by the end of June it is approximately 17 hours (for the middle band). From the beginning of July, daylight hours are maintained at the achieved level (17 hours) with the help of additional lighting, gradually increasing as the duration of natural daylight hours decreases. Using such a light regime, it is possible to achieve an increase in the egg production of birds by 20-40 eggs during the year.

Usually in October - November, egg-laying in guinea fowl completely stops. If by this time the daylight hours are gradually reduced from 17 to 8 hours during the month, the guinea fowls will begin to quickly shed, and having changed the old plumage and having reached the same, and sometimes even greater live weight, the birds will begin the second cycle of oviposition in 2-3 months, within which will lay a significant number of eggs, and larger than those of young laying hens (although the number of eggs obtained from an over-earned, two-year-old bird will be less than from a young one).

It should be noted that the presence of males in the herd of guinea fowl is not necessary to obtain food eggs.

Option two: obtaining hatching eggs. In this case, the duration of daylight hours begins to increase from the age of seven months of the bird. By this time, young guinea fowls have time to develop, get stronger, and, although they are somewhat late with the start of oviposition, they carry large and more suitable eggs for incubation. Of course, the presence of males in the herd of breeding birds is mandatory.

Daylight hours when receiving hatching eggs, however, should not exceed 15 hours in order to ensure a more uniform supply of breeding products. In the second half of summer, it is recommended to use additional lighting, otherwise egg-laying will stop in the first decade of September, after which the guinea fowl will begin to molt. If guinea fowls are kept in natural light in winter, they will not rush.

In summer, guinea fowls wake up early. In the mornings, they eat up the food left over from the evening, and by the time the owners arrive, they accumulate at the door of the poultry house. After cleaning the feeders and drinkers, cleaning the premises, the guinea fowls are given a morning portion of feed and fresh drinking water, then they are released to a fenced range - solariums, where they are throughout the first half of the day, except for the time they spend in the room for laying eggs. Sometimes birds rush not in a poultry house, but in a solarium, in a small depression in the soil, under a bush or near a fence.

At noon, guinea fowls are given a second portion of feed, the eggs they lay are collected, and the birds are released for unlimited walking, in the garden, in the garden or on the street, in the field. Keeping in a dense flock, guinea fowl forage during the second half of the day, pecking at insects, worms, slugs, eating grass. In the evening, the birds are given the final portion of feed.

If the amputation of the hand on one of the wings was not carried out in a timely manner, in adult guinea fowls, the flight feathers on one of the wings are shortened (by 10-12 cm), and this operation is repeated 2-3 times during the year.

In summer, guinea fowl can be constantly grazing in the backyard garden and berry field (at least until the berries begin to ripen). Birds forage well in vegetable gardens (only if the vegetable tops have already grown enough, otherwise they can peck it hard). In the gardens, guinea fowl "weed" all the weeds, clearing the space between the trees and bushes from them. In the event that there is no permanent premises for birds on the plot, they can be kept in a light booth or canvas tent in summer. Such temporary "dwellings" can be assembled and easily transferred to a new location.

In June-July, some guinea fowl tend to incubate: some females linger on laid eggs, hiss angrily when people approach, and generally behave very aggressively. Therefore, eggs are not recommended to be left indoors overnight. Females showing a desire to incubate at the same time continue to lay eggs. On the stomach, they have so-called soot spots - bare, not covered with feathers, skin areas that are hot to the touch. After 1-2 weeks, the desire of birds to incubate weakens, and then disappears altogether. They should not be allowed to incubate, since guinea fowls often leave hatched eggs in nests, do not protect the young from getting wet (which is never observed, for example, in chickens or turkeys).

On a windless sunny frosty day, the bird can be let out for a walk in the solarium. On the snow, you need to lay straw, pine needles or just boards so that the birds do not get wet.

Option three: cellular maintenance of adult guinea fowl to obtain food eggs.
The Ioshkar-Ola repair plant has mastered the production of special block cages for keeping laying hens and other poultry, including guinea fowl, in individual farms. The block cage is designed for keeping up to 20 laying hens (hens or guinea fowls), it is easy to operate and makes it easier for the owner to care for the bird.

The cage is divided by transverse partitions into four nests, each of which accommodates five birds. The walls, roof and floor are made of metal bars welded together.

A feeder is installed on the front wall. A pubic metal drinker is placed inside the cage at the top of the doors. The shed mesh floor has a front edge bent in the form of a tray, into which laid eggs roll.

The cage goes on sale unassembled and is assembled directly on the farm. It is installed on linings made from improvised materials. To collect litter, trays are placed under the cage, which are also made from improvised materials directly on the farm. Their dimensions: length - 895 mm, width - 460, height of the sides - 30-40 mm (sides are equipped on three sides).
Several cells can be stacked in tiers or placed "back" to one another. When using interlocked cages (two or three tiers), the manure collection trays from the upper cages must be placed on the roofs of the lower cages.

The use of block cages makes it possible to reduce the area of ​​keeping birds by 4-5 times compared to the floor method of keeping, reduce feed consumption by 10-15%, exclude additional bird observation during the day, provide the required light regime, high quality of food eggs. Cell dimensions: 1800x450x450 mm. The cost is about 18 rubles.

When keeping guinea fowls in cages, 100-120 eggs can be obtained from each laying hen in one oviposition cycle (5-6 months). After the end of oviposition (or its significant decrease), it is advisable to transfer the birds to floor keeping and artificially induce molting, 1.5–2 months after the start of which the birds have a second cycle of oviposition. At the same time, birds can carry 80-100 larger eggs. The use of guinea fowl in the third year of productivity is not recommended.

Having placed the guinea fowl in cages, it is necessary to provide them with complete rest.

In cages, it is quite convenient (especially in autumn and winter) to grow young animals, starting at about two months of age. In this case, about 10 cesareans are planted in each compartment of the cage.

The guinea fowl is a tamed game. It has been successfully cultivated in the southern countries of Europe for more than 500 years. In Russia, this is a relatively free niche. Meat is considered outlandish, like any exotic, it costs more. It is dietary, compared to chicken contains:

• less water and fat;
• more amino acids in muscle tissue;
• high levels of hemoglobin and protein (27%).

To taste, depending on the breed, it resembles a pheasant, black grouse, capercaillie or partridge.

Eggs are hypoallergenic, ideal for children. Due to the thick, durable shell, the products are perfectly stored for up to six months, transported without loss. One laying hen brings up to 150 eggs per year. The taste is similar to homemade chicken, but this product contains 1.5-3 times more vitamin A.

Our business valuation:

Starting investments - from 100,000 rubles.

Market saturation is low.

The complexity of starting a business is 4/10.

What should be considered before drawing up a business project?

Before you calculate whether it is profitable or not to keep a guinea fowl for earnings, it is necessary to study possible markets. Regular customers are: restaurants, sanatoriums, shops that specialize in dietary products.

The Internet opens up great opportunities for finding customers. Breeders are interested in where to buy young animals, since their breeding herd should be diluted for stronger offspring. The owners of pheasant farms are trying to buy guinea fowl chicks. Representatives of this type of poultry grow faster, carry more eggs. Down and feathers are in demand among manufacturers. Litter can be sold to summer residents.

The payback period and profitability also depend on the availability of a warm room, an aviary, a free-range area with meadow herbs. In order to competently and in detail draw up a project, it is necessary to take into account the costs of:

• purchase of young animals;
• equipment;
• electricity;
• veterinary services (if necessary);
• stern.

Breeding guinea fowl for meat takes 7-8 months from the date of purchase of day-old chicks. By this moment, the individual is gaining 1.5-1.6 kg of live weight, the carcass is on average 1.2 kg. You should purchase at least 20 goals. This is a herd bird. The larger the population, the faster the individuals develop and grow.

For the winter, breeders leave only a breeding herd, at the rate of 4 females per male. At this time, it is profitable to sell adult guinea fowls, the healthiest and largest, to specialized farms. The male is more productive at the age of two years, the female should be a couple of months younger.

The average price is:

• a pair of adults 1-1.5 thousand rubles;
• daily chick from 80 to 150 rubles;
• meat from 500 rubles. per kg;
• eggs: from 10 rubles per piece, incubation 30-60 rubles.

Why a business can become profitable for beginners?

Breeding guinea fowls at home for novice farmers has undoubted advantages. Bird:

• considered the most frost-resistant;
• is unpretentious in care;
• sick less than chickens, geese, etc.

The adult is hardy, especially males. Females, as a result of trauma or severe fright, may suffer from yolk peritonitis. Young growth is more often exposed to epidemics of trichomoniasis. To avoid them, you should keep the drinkers clean, ventilate the room, and prevent dampness. You can not take the bird out in the rain and dew. Subject to simple rules, you can not include the cost of drugs and a veterinarian in the business plan.

Options for keeping guinea fowls: a barn, cages, aviaries, free range

The main conditions for keeping guinea fowls: a dry room, without drafts and good nutrition. The area is selected from the calculation: 3-4 units per square meter. It is necessary to build perches at a height of 40 to 60 cm. For a large flock, long drinkers are prepared so that more birds can come up. If industrial breeding of guinea fowl is planned as a business, it is preferable to buy automated equipment.

These components strengthen the shell, large grains of sand in the stomach help the food to grind better.

It is better to cover the floor with straw, shavings, sphagnum peat. The dirty top layer is replaced once a month, a new one is added. More often you can add fresh bedding near the drinkers to avoid dampness. Keeping guinea fowl in winter does not require special conditions.

It is recommended to maintain a constant temperature in the room: 14-18 degrees. To do this, they put a purchased or home-made stove for the house. To eliminate problems with egg production, with the help of lamps, the length of daylight hours is increased (at least 16 hours).

Guinea fowl is not aggressive, shy. It can be kept together with any poultry. Keeping guinea fowl in cages makes care easier, but requires better and balanced feeding. Greens, protein should be supplied daily.

Block the open-air aviary with a net, about 2 meters high. Since a bird can take off and fly about 10 m, it is better to cut flight feathers by 5-6 cm on one wing. It is necessary for rapid growth and weight gain, it makes it possible to save on feed.

How to organize a full-fledged feeding to ensure rapid weight gain?

Young animals are fed the same way as chickens: feed, wheat or corn, crushed into flour. But chicks need more protein, up to 24% of the daily diet. They love hard boiled eggs. You should diversify your diet with greens:

• clover;
• dandelions;
• cabbage;
• alfalfa, etc.

A useful addition to food for guinea fowls of this age is eggshell. For one month old chick, 0.1 g of baker's yeast should be added to the food.

During the day from May to September, the herd feeds on pasture. Despite this, feeding of guinea fowl should be carried out twice: in the morning and in the evening. An adult requires 130-150 g of compound feed and about 50 g of greens per day. They also need protein food (up to 16% of the diet). In the morning they prepare a mash on obrat or sour. Add to it:

• 0.5 g of yeast per individual;
• boiled potatoes;
• bone meal;
• low-fat cottage cheese.

If the herd is released into the garden, the bird does not break the beds. She happily eats insects, worms, slugs, snails and even Colorado beetles. If you plan to open a guinea fowl home farm and there is no possibility of free range, meat or fish production waste should be included in the daily mash. They are rotated every other day.

They give the bird cucumbers, chopped apples, beets, Jerusalem artichoke, pumpkin. Cabbage leaves are a favorite delicacy. If the food is complete, growing guinea fowl is not a hassle. The bird quickly gains weight, rushes every other day and has high immunity.

Features of breeding young animals and the subtleties of caring for chicks

It is better to lay eggs in the incubator in the spring. By the New Year, you can already plan the slaughter. Specialized farms that have a veterinary certificate are the best option where to buy guinea fowl eggs for an incubator or breeding chicks under a hen.

Guinea fowls are considered bad mothers. Chickens and turkeys do better with this role. After hatching the chicks, they take care of all the worries. Under the chicken should be placed from 15 to 20 eggs. Under the turkey fits more. If chicken eggs are laid along with guinea fowl eggs, it should be borne in mind that the incubation of guinea fowl eggs lasts 26 days. In chickens, this period is less than a week.

In the conditions of their own farm, eggs are selected for breeding chicks:

• weighing more than 40 g;
• fresh, which were demolished no earlier than a week before laying;
• correct shape, no damage.

They are stored in a dark, cool place (about 6 ° C). Be sure to put in a container with a narrow edge down. The dirt is washed off, the shell is treated with potassium permanganate. Before placing in the incubator, it is recommended to irradiate them for a couple of minutes with UV lamps. The procedure destroys bacteria, increases hatchability, facilitates the subsequent care of guinea fowls.

In the hatchery, the cesareans are kept until they are completely dry. Then they are placed in a special box or box for young animals. There should be no more than 20 chicks per 1 m 2. Day old chicks are kept under a quartz lamp for 2 minutes. This has a beneficial effect on strengthening the immune system. The correct technology for growing guinea fowl differs little from breeding other types of birds. Young animals are placed in an electric brooder, where a constant temperature (28 ° C) is maintained for the first week.

If the maintenance of guinea fowl is organized at home, and there is no special equipment, a special heater is installed at a height of up to 20 cm from the floor. The temperature below it should be within 32 ° C. The floor in the room with the chicks is covered with sawdust or straw, covered with paper on top so that the paws do not fall through.

You can buy day old guinea fowl chickens. They tolerate transportation very well. The first 3-4 days the chicks are inactive. Then they start running and eating well. It is imperative to install a vacuum drinker (a liter jar turned over a saucer) and a feed tray.

From the twentieth day, it is recommended to lower the temperature by a degree until it equals the environmental indicator. After the third week, the young are released into an aviary near the house. It should be dry, preferably covered with shrubs or trees on the sides to form a shadow. By the age of three months, the young growth looks little different from adults, only in size.

Of the several dozen breeds of guinea fowl, the most famous are:

• white-breasted Zagorsk;
• Siberian white;
• Volga white;
• ordinary (gray-speckled, blue and white).

The last species is the best for breeding. If you want to get a lot of eggs, then you should choose a white breed, they are the most egg-laying: they are able to bring about 120 eggs per year.

Buying guinea fowl chicks, site requirements

So, where to start building such a business? We make all calculations based on the fact that 50 guinea fowl will be grown. You can buy chickens at any poultry farm.

Daily crowns cost about 2 dollars apiece, monthly - already about 6 dollars.

To equip a poultry house on your site and a place for walking, you will need 15-20 acres of land. Guinea fowls love light and space, so they will not grow in cramped quarters.

Room for keeping guinea fowl

Special conditions for growing guinea fowl are not required. . The space should be formed at the rate of 1 square meter for 2-3 birds. In winter, guinea fowls are kept in poultry houses, because they need a lot of heat.

In the middle of spring, they can already be released for walking. To do this, in the yard you need to allocate a place with an area of ​​\u200b\u200babout 10 acres and enclose it with a wire mesh. The height of the grid is at least one and a half meters.

It is necessary that on the site there was a natural shrub, a small house with perches, feeders.

In the evening, guinea fowls are driven into houses to perch, and at 6 in the morning they are let out for walking and fed.

Growing guinea fowl in cages

Removes the need to constantly watch the birds and makes it a little easier to care for them. For 20-25 heads, a block cage measuring 1800x450x450 mm is needed.

It is made of metal mesh and is divided into four sections. Place for feeders - on the front wall of the cage, and for drinkers - at the top of the door. Pallets are placed under the cage, in which the litter is collected.

Guinea fowl care

Light and temperature

Wherein shady places should also be left in the aviary for guinea fowls so that the birds can regulate their body temperature for themselves.

Chicks need a temperature of +30 degrees, adult guinea fowl - about +18. Even in frosts in the house should not be colder than +15 degrees.

Disinfection

The more you guinea fowl, the more thorough they need care. The house should be disinfected every 3-4 weeks. And if possible - the more often, the better.

Guinea fowl feeding

The best food for guinea fowls is cereals (corn, oats, barley), carrots, herbs, clover hay, chopped needles, fishmeal. Guinea fowls should be fed three times a day (at 6 am, 12 pm and 6 pm). In the morning and in the afternoon it is best to feed the birds with a wet mash with yeast and succulent feed (vegetables, grass), and in the evening - with grain. For a year, an adult bird eats about 33 kg of grain feed.

Per day, one guinea fowl needs 76 g of grain feed and 4 g of animals. During the laying period, birds need a little more food (about 100 g of cereals and already 15-20 g of animals).

Little caesarings are best fed with chopped boiled eggs mixed with bread crumbs.. You can soak bread in milk. Already in 3-4 months, you can start fattening them according to the scheme given above.

Features of caring for guinea fowl

In order to slightly simplify the cultivation of guinea fowls, it is worth trimming their wings, otherwise the birds can fly over the barriers. To do this, the phalanx on one wing is cut off for the chicks, and the fly feathers for adult guinea fowls.

If you have, and you breed chickens, then the guinea fowl will get along well with them. At the same time, chickens can hatch caesar eggs. After all, the guinea fowl themselves often leave their offspring to the mercy of fate.

Expenses

Since prices are lower for daily cesarean chicks, it will be more profitable to buy chicks for further fattening. For 50 heads you need 100 dollars. It will take about $ 600 for feed per year for all the birds.

About 500 more dollars will be needed to equip the poultry house (feeders, drinkers, etc.) and a place for walking. The total initial investment will be approximately $1,200.

Profit

There are several ways of guinea fowl. Let's analyze each of them in detail.

Sale of chicks. Of the 50 heads, usually about 30 are females. Each of them brings about 20 chickens a year. So, you can earn about $ 1,200 on the sale of daily cesareans.

Meat. On average, one individual weighs 1.5-2 kg. And the cost of guinea fowl meat is 6-9 dollars per kilogram. You can leave 4-5 guinea fowl, earn 600-700 dollars on the meat of the rest. At the same time, before slaughter, they will have time to lay a lot of eggs. Each female - about 50-60 pieces.

Given that a caesar egg costs several times more than a chicken egg, this is about another 500-600 dollars for the sale of eggs.

You can sell meat and eggs yourself, or you can negotiate with wholesale bases or try to supply products to cafes, restaurants, and recreation centers.

Once having studied, guinea fowl, you can already build a full-fledged business on this. Still, this is a kind of exotic, which means that you are guaranteed a stable demand!

Guinea fowl were brought to Europe from Africa in the 16th century. After some time, this beautiful productive bird became interested in Russia. Initially, it was bred only by rich people as an ornamental. Hence its name. "Guinea fowl" means "royal". Later, these close relatives of domestic chickens began to be bred as household livestock. In this article, we will deal in detail with what kind of bird a guinea fowl is and how to care for it.

general description

In appearance, guinea fowls are somewhat reminiscent of humpbacked chickens with a small head and a rounded body. The short tail of this bird is directed downward, and the plumage is dense. One of the characteristic features of guinea fowls is the presence of a horny growth on the head. The legs of this bird are thick, powerful and hardy. It is customary for guinea fowl chickens to cut their wings at an early age. The fact is that these birds are able to fly.

As you can see, the guinea fowl (bird) is very unusual and interesting. The male and female are outwardly very similar, so much so that inexperienced poultry farmers often cannot accurately determine the sex of the bird. However, it is still possible to distinguish between females and males of guinea fowl. The latter are more active and aggressive. In addition, males have a lighter color and larger earrings.

Guinea fowl tolerate both heat and cold well. Therefore, they can be bred in almost all regions of Russia. The only thing to take care of is that the bird's barn is dry. Guinea fowl tolerate high humidity very poorly.

This bird is sick much less often than chickens and ducks. However, if an individual does become infected with something, it will be almost impossible to cure it. Therefore, it is necessary to take care of this bird with strict observance of all the required technologies.

Behavioral Features

So, now you know what a guinea fowl is. This is a domesticated African chicken, hardy and active. You can keep guinea fowl in an ordinary barn along with other feathered animals: chickens, ducks, turkeys. This bird gets along very well with its neighbors - it does not fight, but if necessary it can stand up for itself. The main feature of guinea fowl in terms of behavior is shyness. It is better if the same person always feeds them.

In addition to shyness, this bird is also noisy. She notices strangers and animals immediately and raises a cry. So guinea fowl are also excellent guards.

One of the important conditions for the successful maintenance of this African chicken is the presence of a large paddock. The bird shed should also be spacious enough. If there is no walking next to him, it will not work to breed guinea fowl. In this regard, this very fastidious Guinea fowl is unlikely to mate with a male indoors.

Sometimes these representatives of birds are also kept in cages. This limits the movement of young animals and helps to accelerate weight gain. However, cages for guinea fowls should be free enough. This active bird should be able to move freely around its home.

economic value

A guinea fowl bird is being bred, the photos of which, presented on the page, clearly demonstrate its unusual appearance, primarily to obtain:

eggs useful for human health;

delicious meat.

Modern breeds of guinea fowl are distinguished by precocity. They gain slaughter weight by 45-50 days of age. Egg laying in these birds lasts from early spring to autumn. One hen can produce 90-120 eggs per year. Guinea fowl meat tastes like game and is considered much more useful than chicken and duck. The fact is that it contains much less fat and water. A huge amount of healthy trace elements is also what characterizes guinea fowl meat. The weight of an adult bird in this case can reach 1.7-2.2 kg.

They also have excellent taste. At the same time, they contain much more vitamins than chicken ones.

African chickens are bred in a private backyard, not only for eggs and meat. These birds, among other things, can rid the garden of all sorts of harmful insects. They also eat the Colorado potato beetle, which no other bird does. In most cases, you can safely release a guinea fowl in the garden. She never digs up beds, and she does not peck vegetables.

Reproduction features

When answering the question of what kind of bird a guinea fowl is, it is worth paying a little attention to the methods of breeding it. As already mentioned, in order to get the fertilized eggs of this bird, the owners of the household plot must equip a spacious aviary for it. If the wings of the guinea fowl are not clipped, it must be enclosed with a fence at least 2 m high. Experienced poultry farmers advise planting several bushes in the aviary. This will create an imitation of natural walking, and the bird will feel more confident. For 5-6 females, one male is usually left.

A guinea fowl bird (the photo below confirms this) can sometimes incubate eggs and nurse chickens. However, this African chicken is still considered not very good by the mother. Owners of homestead farms usually do not allow guinea fowl to incubate their eggs on their own. The fact is that this bird is very shy and can easily throw eggs.

In order to get young, caesar eggs are placed under a chicken or turkey. Also, chicks can be bred in an incubator. The operating mode of the device in this case is set the same as when hatching chickens. The only thing is that the humidity parameter inside the incubator should be slightly higher.

The guinea fowl, the bird described above, rushes about once every 3-4 days. At the same time, eggs are laid in the incubator, stored for no more than five days. Before placing them in the incubator, a small test should be carried out. To do this, the eggs hit each other. Of course, only slightly. At the same time, those that make a rattling sound are discarded, since there are microcracks in their shell.

Caring for little babies

Features of growing guinea fowl and other breeds (there are usually a lot of birds in the farmstead) livestock should be known to the owner of the household plot. This is especially true for young people.

Incubated for approximately 28 days. Hatched chicks are cared for in much the same way as chicks. That is, the babies that appear are first put in a box with a bottom lined with paper. From above, such a house for the Caesars is covered with a net. For heating, you can put a plastic bottle of hot water wrapped in a thick cloth inside. Be sure to arrange the Caesars and lighting. In the dark, this bird develops much worse.

Guinea fowl chicks are fed after hatching with a boiled egg, cottage cheese and millet. After a few days, they begin to give greens. In the first two days after hatching, the cesareans are still poorly oriented in the box and may not find food and water. Therefore, they need a little help - to tap a plate with millet or eggs with a finger, dip their beaks in water. Until the age of one month, food is given to the Caesars every three hours. After 30 days go to 3-4 meals a day. Starting from the second week, yeast, salt and fish oil are introduced into the diet of the chicks. A small container with fine gravel should also be placed in a box or in a cage with the Caesars. From the third week of life, you can begin to feed the young with crushed potatoes, boiled potatoes and root crops. There should be a lot of greens in the diet of chicks. They switch to the adult menu at the age of three months.

In order to succeed in breeding, it is not enough to know what a guinea fowl is, what kind of bird (photos of these birds demonstrate their strong physique quite clearly) it is. It is also important to have an idea about some of the features of its cultivation. The Tsesars get used to each other very much over time. Quite complex hierarchical relationships are established in the flock. Therefore, it is impossible to plant foreign chicks in a box. The members of the flock will treat him with extreme hostility.

Another rule that must be observed by the owners of the Caesars is absolute cleanliness in the box. African chicken chicks are very curious. Especially when it comes to what you can eat. Therefore, they often swallow threads, elastic bands, pieces of rags, etc. Moreover, the consequences for them can be the most deplorable.

Up to 4-6 weeks of age, it is desirable to keep the chicks in cages. Then they are transferred to the floor - to the bedding.

What should be the barn

Thus, you now understand the features of such feathered living creatures as the guinea fowl. What kind of bird (reviews from the owners of household plots about it are available mainly as a very unpretentious one), you know. So, for example, in the barn for this bird, you do not need to install any special equipment. All that is needed is to place a standard set here: a long feeder and several drinkers. Like chickens, guinea fowls need perches. However, in this case they are located lower - at a height of 60 cm and at a distance of at least 40 cm from each other. Straw bedding should be laid on the floor of the barn. Nests are made according to the size of the bird and nailed next to the perches.

Without good lighting, as already mentioned, guinea fowl grow very poorly. Therefore, there must be a window in the barn. It is also desirable to arrange ventilation. If you plan to keep guinea fowl in winter, the barn needs to be insulated. These birds tolerate low temperatures well. But in a warmed shed they will still feel more comfortable. Of course, the barn must be dry.

Walking for guinea fowls

An aviary is usually arranged next to the barn. You can fence off the paddock using a regular chain-link mesh. Tree branches should not penetrate into the territory of the enclosure. Otherwise, the guinea fowl will get into the habit of spending the night on them and run wild. It is very good if grass grows in the aviary. Guinea fowl are very fond of various kinds of bugs and worms and absorb them in large quantities.

Feeding an adult bird

Many domestic farmers are well aware of the guinea fowl. At the same time, one of the features of guinea fowls is accelerated metabolic processes. Therefore, this bird needs a little more food than chickens. In food, guinea fowl, however, are completely picky. With great pleasure this active bird eats both mash and grain. The basis of the diet is usually poultry feed (130-150 g per head). In addition, the bird is given a lot of greens (30-50 g per day). Grass and tops are fed only fresh.

Grain feed is sometimes replaced with table scraps. It can be boiled potatoes, cereals, etc. Wet mixers are prepared not on water, but on the back. You can also use a baker's yeast solution. In this case, the egg production of guinea fowl will increase. You should definitely include this bird in the diet and guinea fowl can do without this product only if they are regularly released for walking. Instead of flour, you can use fish waste, low-fat cottage cheese, or some other protein food.

Mineral supplements should also be included in the diet of guinea fowl. It can be chalk, grated shells or wood ash. With a lack of minerals in caesar eggs, the shell will become thinner. They feed adult guinea fowls, like chickens, 3 times a day (sometimes 4 times). At the same time, greens are given in the morning and in the afternoon, and compound feed at night.

Features of keeping adults

Guinea fowls have one feature that the poultry breeder should be aware of. "Guinea fowl - what kind of bird?" We answered this question above. This chicken brought from Africa, unfortunately, still remains quite wild. Therefore, it is necessary to form a herd from young individuals. It is enough to keep a group of one male and several hens together for about a week, and they form a very strong group. It is almost impossible to form a flock of adult birds. If the guinea fowls live on their own, this will adversely affect egg production. The productivity of birds living in a group is usually 1.5-2 times higher in this regard.

Some poultry farmers do not keep guinea fowls in the barn and aviary all the time. After the second feeding, the bird is released for free range (of course, if its wings are clipped). Stray dogs and cats do not pose a particular danger to guinea fowls. This bird is very nimble.

What breeds exist

The guinea fowl bird, the cultivation of which is a relatively simple matter, usually pleases its owners with high productivity. However, egg production and weight gain may vary by breed. Most often, domestic poultry farmers contain:

Siberian white guinea fowl. This breed is characterized by high egg production and resistance to low temperatures. The main distinguishing feature of this bird is its dull white plumage. Siberian white guinea fowls behave calmer than representatives of other breeds. The advantages of these chickens include, among other things, unpretentiousness.

Grey-speckled. This breed is by far the most common. She gained popularity mainly for very tasty meat. In a year, such hens can carry up to 90 eggs. The head of the representatives of this breed is practically not feathered.

Blue guinea fowl. The parent for this breed is gray-speckled. The productivity of the blue is very good. In terms of egg production, it surpasses gray-speckled. One hen can lay up to 120 eggs in a year.

Volga. Chickens of this breed are capable of carrying up to 120 eggs per year. The advantages of the Volga guinea fowl also include precocity. The survival rate of chickens reaches 86%. The color of this breed is very beautiful - cream.

A guinea fowl is a bird whose eggs are distinguished by excellent taste, thus, they can have different colors and be bred, including as a decorative chicken.

Diseases

Most often, the causes of various kinds of health problems in guinea fowls are unsanitary conditions in the poultry house and care errors. Of the most common diseases of this African chicken, one can distinguish:

Trichomoniasis. The causative agent of this disease is a unicellular protozoan. Trichomonas enters the body of a bird along with dirty water or food. Most often, young animals become infected with it. Symptoms are liquid yellow feces, lethargy of the bird, the presence of plaque on the mucous membranes. Affected individuals in most cases die of suffocation.

Dyspepsia. Young animals up to three months also suffer from this disease most often. The reasons for it are usually overheating and low-quality feed.

Well, we hope we answered the question of what kind of bird is a guinea fowl in sufficient detail. Breeding these nimble African chickens may not be as profitable as some other representatives of birds. However, the excellent taste of meat and unpretentiousness have earned them well-deserved popularity among the owners of household plots.

Keeping guinea fowl at home is a delicate matter that poultry farmers approach with all responsibility. Guinea fowls or "Royal chickens" are the most unpretentious of the known domestic birds. But even for them it is important to conduct specialized care. Breeding guinea fowl is much more profitable than breeding chickens. Because guinea fowl bring more meat, which is much healthier. Guinea fowl eggs are stored for one year without losing their beneficial properties. In this article we will discuss the nuances of breeding and keeping.

First, let's figure out what kind of bird it is. Guinea fowl is a domesticated bird with gray feathers, a distant relative of chickens and turkeys. Therefore, the guinea fowl looks like a broiler chicken, with the habits of a turkey. On average, an adult individual weighs within 2 kilograms. They are not picky eaters and do not require special care. Even despite their "African" origin, they are frost-resistant, and can withstand temperatures down to -50 ºС. That will not affect the composition of the meat in any way. Currently, the most popular are three types of guinea fowl:

• Zagorsk white-breasted;
• Siberian whites;
• gray speckled.

Breeding guinea fowl at home begins in two ways:

• The first is to buy sexually mature individuals immediately, and wait for the first offspring. This method is more economical both financially and materially and is suitable for beginner farmers. For the first stage, it is enough to buy only 3-5 heads, including one male. Experienced breeders are required to demonstrate the gender of the birds when buying. The male has larger and brighter earrings than the female. Prepare special cages for transportation in advance for purchase.
• The second is to buy young animals.

Walking guinea fowl and guinea fowl when breeding at home

Buying young animals and caring for them

It is customary to buy young animals at the age of a little more than a day. If you decide to breed for more than one year, then you need to buy at least 20 pieces. From these chicks, in the future, the best specimens with optimal qualities will be selected to organize the main herd. The best time to buy young animals is the end of spring - the beginning of summer.

In the first days of life, the Caesars need special care and a balanced diet.

Temperature

Immediately after birth, thermoregulation does not work well in chickens, so the temperature where the chicks are kept is 36 degrees. In the future, it will drop to 25, but only when the chicks are 3 weeks old.

Nutrition

The first week, the chicks should eat at least eight times a day, and the diet should consist of:

• hard-boiled eggs processed through a meat grinder;
• crushed millet;
• cottage cheese;
• greenery.

From the second week, the chicks need to start introducing crumbly wet food from cereals and greens. Along with this, accustom to dry food.

Chicks eat quickly, so the feeder should be in the form of a rectangle or ring. All birds must have access to the feeder at the same time, otherwise they will remain hungry.

Starting from the age of two weeks, the chicks are recommended to be released into a closed pen. It is there that they feed on the "living" greenery, which is so necessary for them to grow. The most useful are nettle, alfalfa and clover. Birds will also learn to forage for themselves, in the form of various larvae and beetles.

When the chicks are one month old, they need to be transferred to 5 meals a day. And upon reaching 2 months - for 4 times a day.

Guinea fowls of different species eat green leaves in a paddock

Drink

In the first month of life, cesareans are best fed with fermented milk products. The most suitable are curdled milk and whey. A month later, ordinary water is given as a drink.

paddock

The first months they walk the flock in a closed paddock, but as they grow, the birds become accustomed to free range. Birds remember the place and time of feeding well, and will come to the house on their own.

Caring for guinea fowl does not require additional knowledge and skills. Because the requirements are similar to the conditions for keeping chickens.

The presence of guinea fowl in cages is unacceptable, this will lead to the death of the bird, why? More on this later.

Guinea fowls must definitely walk in the fresh air, especially in winter

Territory

After the young growth has grown, conditions are created for keeping and further breeding. It is important to understand that guinea fowls are freedom-loving birds, so they are given a large area for walking.

• A spacious aviary is suitable, in which the birds are constantly. The size of the aviary is calculated from the number of heads - for one bird at least 30 square meters.
• The second way out is to release birds to the backyard territory during the day. For this, a plot with an open meadow or the edge of a forest is perfect.
• If this is not possible, then keeping the birds in a small aviary is acceptable, but then the fertility decreases several times. Guinea fowls fly well, so the height of the enclosure should be at least 2 meters.

A small canopy and a few bushes will make the content more comfortable.

room

In the corral, there must be a room where the birds will spend the night. The room should be warm enough, because in the cold, egg production decreases. There are no special conditions for the design of the premises. You just need to take care of its size - guinea fowls do not like crowding, so each bird should have at least half a square meter.

It is very important that the room is well ventilated. But you need to prevent a draft. This will lead to illness.

The floor in the caesarry is lined with straw, shavings and sawdust. The total height must be at least 15 cm. It is important to ensure that the bedding is always dry and change it at least once a month.

For additional disinfection, the floor must be sprinkled with quicklime.

Perch

Perches are being built indoors. The most optimal shelf diameter is 5 centimeters. The perch is fixed at a height of 40 cm. Also, for the convenience of the birds, it is necessary to prepare several nests where the birds will lay their eggs. Nests should be stable and comfortable.

Feeding

Feeding guinea fowl is similar to feeding chickens. One important condition is that half of the diet is greens. It is also known that guinea fowl eat fresh vegetables well.

General information

Guinea fowls are adapted birds, and get used to the owner's voice. Therefore, when the birds get used to it, they will let themselves be calmly caught. Birds are easily kept in the same pen with chickens and turkeys. The only minus of these unpretentious birds is loudness. But any animal can be trained. Therefore, after some time, when you enter the enclosure and speak, they will no longer be afraid. However, if a stranger enters, the birds will start screaming loudly.

It is also considered that these birds are the most cultured. Therefore, if they are released for a walk in the garden, then all the plants will remain intact. And if you have accumulated a large number of weeds or pests in your garden, then you can easily get rid of them, for which you need to run guinea fowl there.

Guinea fowl walk in a special enclosure, with a feeder and drinker

Maintenance in the winter season

In winter, the same conditions are maintained, but you should pay attention to the consecration. Guinea fowls are light-loving birds, and egg-laying depends on daylight hours. Therefore, in winter it is necessary to additionally illuminate the territory. Lights are turned on at 7 am and do not go out until 10 pm.

Breeding

The maturity of birds comes at the age of six months, and now we start breeding birds. Even a novice farmer can handle it.

Males are selective, so the same female can be fertilized by several males, and some will be left without attention. To prevent this, you need to respect the proportions. There must be at least 5 females per male.

After fertilization, the eggs are picked up and placed point down. Leave them in this position for two weeks. Another valuable quality is that in the temporary absence of a male, females continue to carry the fertilization of the egg for twenty days.

Usually after the birds reach the age of three, the performance decreases. Therefore, it is recommended to breed birds for no more than two seasons.

The incubation period lasts 27 days, during this period the eggs are kept in an incubator, under the same conditions as chicken eggs. However, the humidity should be increased.

After the chicks have hatched, they cut off the brushes on the wings. On the first day, this procedure is painless. Next, the chicks are raised in a brooder. Or leave it to your mother. However, guinea fowls do not have the qualities of a good mother, and it is better if the chicks are raised with chicken or turkey.

Diseases

From birth, chicks are awarded with excellent immunity, so typical diseases are not characteristic of guinea fowl. Often, diseases occur due to violations of the conditions of detention or nutrition. In sick birds, egg production decreases, and in the acute form of the disease, the death of individuals is also possible. Therefore, in order to prevent diseases, it is necessary to observe sanitary rules and provide veterinary care.

Common diseases:

• trichomoniasis;
• pullorosis;
• pasteurellosis;
• mycoplasmosis.

As soon as you notice atypical behavior of birds, immediately call a doctor. Timely assistance will prevent infection of other birds. The doctor will examine the individual, prescribe treatment. Keep a vaccination schedule as well. Why is it better to have a separate notebook or notebook.

Summary

After analyzing the rules for keeping guinea fowl, we can conclude that this bird is undemanding. Any novice poultry farmer can handle this. The guinea fowl business is a profitable business, since, subject to all conditions, the female brings about 150 eggs per year. In addition to eggs, guinea fowl boast excellent meat. Breeding guinea fowl is a simple process, it is important to follow all the rules that you read in our material.