Guinea fowl at home - an unpretentious biological weapon in the fight against the Colorado potato beetle

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Guinea fowl is an animal for agricultural purposes. When compared with other poultry, it has a number of features. This species adapts well to various climatic conditions. It is very resistant to all sorts of infections and diseases. The guinea fowl is not picky at home, it does not cause any particular difficulties in feeding.

This bird is capable of eating several hundred insects a day. She does not neglect the Colorado potato beetle. Therefore, it can be safely used in your summer cottage as a biological weapon in the fight against this type of pest. The guinea fowl at home, as it once was in natural conditions, is a herd bird. This makes it easy to move them from one area to another, for example, after harvest.

Not only the color of guinea fowls depends on the breed. It was revealed that gray guinea fowls have a greater mass (by 7%) compared to bluish individuals. Their egg weight is 3% more. But the fecundity of birds with a bluish plumage color is 14% higher. White guinea fowl at home is able to lay more eggs than its relatives of a different color, but the weight of the carcassthem below. The gray guinea fowl is preferable, its breeding is most profitable. The growth rate of chicks is much higher than that of white and blue breeds.

However, these birds are not very common in our country. Although guinea fowls are able to gain weight up to two kilograms, their meat is very tender and not entirely fatty, it tastes like game. It is better to start breeding guinea fowls with a breed of pearl or blue plumage.

Males can weigh up to one and a half kilograms. Females are slightly larger and reach two kg. Birds lay up to 150 eggs per year. The mass of each ranges from 40 to 46 grams. The egg is brown, sometimes speckled. The shape is somewhat similar to a pear. The presence of a small number of pores in the shell makes it possible to store up to 90 days at temperatures up to 18 degrees. Guinea fowl at home starts laying eggs from April and rushes through October. Daily egg laying occurs during the warmer months.

Guinea fowls at home prefer to lay eggs in a large nest, on the ground, near a fence in a field, in tall grass. When the female lays her eggs, the male guards nearby, chirping softly.

In general, these birds are very talkative. They make sounds like creaking. If something bothers them, they scream so loudly that there is a ringing in the ears. Guinea fowls can fly, but for some reason they are lazy. Males can be quite aggressive.

Guinea fowl should be released outside only at a temperature not lower than minus five. With the onset of cold weather, it is necessary to transfer it in advanceinsulated poultry house.

As a rule, omnivorous and unpretentious, in summer these birds are able to provide themselves with food: they have enough insects, only in the evening they can peck from the feeder. In winter, the best food will be a mixture of boiled root vegetables with mixed fodder. It is recommended to add vitamin premixes to food. Birds also love whole grains, cabbage, and beets. Water should always be fresh and clean.