Common guinea fowl: description, breed, breeding

The guinea fowl is considered a wild bird, which the person has tamed, and now such living creatures can easily be found in the yard of the poultry-lovers. These birds are very friendly and easy to hand over, also considered to be excellent watchmen: when they see a stranger, they raise an unimaginable hubbub even before the dog. They run and fly very fast, so the guinea fowls are cut off so they do not flee from the yard.

Appearance

The guinea fowl is no bigger than a chicken in size, it has a horizontal trunk with a dense feathering of smoky blue, cream or brown in a light speck. She has a small tail and a long neck. Also, the guinea fowl, the photo of which is in the article, looks similar to turkeys and quails, there is no plumage in the place of contact between the neck and the head of the bird, and rough leathery growths of bluish color are located, and there is a small fleshy crest on the head, the same is located on the chin .

Males and females of this species are very similar, but still you can distinguish them. The main distinguishing feature is the head: the female guinea fowl has a head much smaller than the male. Also, females have a neat little beak, while in males it is thicker and larger in size. The female keeps her head always straight, while the male guinea fowl feeds it a little. According to these signs, it is quite easy to distinguish the sex of a bird. Even an amateur will cope with the task.

Species of guinea fowl

Guinea fowls are wild and domesticated.

The wild include such breeds:

1. Graphite guinea-fowl has a cobalt color with long white strips on the trunk. This breed lives next to water and keeps flocks, and with the onset of the breeding season is broken up into pairs.
2. The turkey has naked pink and red parts of the head and the top of the neck. The bottom of the cheeks and the ear area are milky white, and the rest of the body is black with small white pestrinami. Such a bird reproduces well and keeps flocks.
3. Curly - has a black plumage with spots of pale blue, feathers under the eyes and on the throat are red. On the head in the form of a cap are curly, soft feathers, they live in low grass with bushes.
4. Crested guinea fowl - the naked part of the head and neck they have blue. The black crest on the head looks like a cap, the rest of the plumage is black with a blueness and bright spots. They keep flocks and in the nesting period they are divided into pairs.
5. Guinea fowl - has a dense physique and a dense plumage, the head and part of the neck without feathers are white, and the rest of the body is dark with bright spots. They dwell on the ground surrounded by large grass and keep small flocks.

Poultry breeds

The domestic breeds of Guinea fowl are outwardly similar to wild, but differ in their weight and egg-laying. Among them are the following:

1. The Volga guinea fowl has a white color, the weight of such guinea fowl is 1800-2300 g, and the egg production of one bird per season is 100-110 eggs.
2. Zagorodskaya white-chested - has a white chest and abdomen, and the back is gray-speckled. Poultry meat is very similar to chicken, as such a breed was created by crossing with a white chicken.
3. Silver-gray guinea-fowl is the most common breed, the weight of an adult male is 1800 grams, and the female is 1600 g. The meat of this bird is of high quality, and the egg-laying capacity reaches 85-90 eggs per season.
4. Siberian white - has a matte plumage and a dark beak. The breed differs from the others in that it quickly gains weight, is resistant to low temperatures, and also has a calm character and high egg production.

The conditions of keeping guinea fowl

The guinea fowl (photo of the bird, see below) is a freedom-loving bird, loves to run. If you keep this species in the household, you need a spacious enclosure, if you keep the birds indoors, then they will not be so prolific. When walking, they keep flocks and quickly get used to the owner. If the guinea fowls are walking around the garden, then one can not worry, such birds do not rake the beds, but on the contrary they peck worms, Colorado beetles (this is their big use for the farm) and weeds.

They are unpretentious birds and in winter can be in an unheated room, but on the floor there must be a dry litter, for example, in the form of sawdust, which must be changed once a month. In eating guinea fowls are indecipherable, they are suitable for mixed fodder, any grain. Half of the diet should be green, it can be supplemented with vegetables - pumpkin, zucchini, cucumbers and boiled potatoes.

Guinea fowl breeding

When propagating guinea fowl it is necessary to take into account that for one male it is necessary to leave 5-6 females, and the male must be several months older. Mating with them occurs only on a long walk. After fertilization, the presence of the male is not necessary, the female will carry fertilized eggs for about 20 days without it. They need to be collected every day and put up with a blunt end up, but guinea fowl is a bad mother, so it's better to lay eggs under a chicken or put it in an incubator.

After the chicks are born, it is very important to cut the brushes on the wings immediately so that they do not fly away. In the early days of life, the chicks need to be fed with boiled eggs, mixed with wheat, cottage cheese and greens, they should drink curdled milk or whey. From the week of age they need to be accustomed to dry food, for example, in the morning you need to give a dry mixture of grain and grass, and in the evening the same mixture, only moist. After 2-3 weeks the chicks can already be let out for a walk, where they will gladly use bugs and worms. At the age of about 6 months the bird needs to be selected to create a new offspring.

Useful properties of guinea fowl

In comparison with other species of feathered, guinea fowl is dietary, although it tastes like game, and their eggs are rich in vitamin A and do not cause food allergies. Guinea fowl is rich in proteins, amino acids, so it is recommended to use this product daily for people of any age. It is also hypoallergenic and has a beneficial effect on the human body.