How to start a lucrative Guinea Fowl farming in Nigeria

Guinea fowls, also known as guineas or pintades, are preferred due to their adaptability and hardiness, making them a valuable addition to poultry farming in Nigeria. They have high disease resistance and thrive under diverse environmental conditions. Guinea fowls not only provide meat and eggs but also contribute to pest control on farms. Guinea fowl farming is fun and profitable at the same time if you can manage everything perfectly. Guineas are not among the highly egg productive poultry birds. They will lay around 100 eggs per year.

A guineafowl normally lays up to 30 eggs per year. Guineas are seasonal breeders and if you want to keep them for domestic purposes they need 2-3 square feet per bird. Guinea fowls are not very good mothers because they tend to abandon their eggs after laying. To tend the eggs after laying, you need to invest in an incubator or look for a brooding hen, duck or turkey to lay and hatch them.

It takes a minimum of 28 days for the eggs to hatch – that is their incubation period of the eggs; each egg weighs 40-45 grams. Just like chickens, the guinea fowl also take between 16 and 20 weeks to mature.

Their feeds may not be a huge burden on the farmer because they can feed even on vegetation and grains and without commercial feeds, they will always flourish.

Before diving into guinea fowl farming, aspiring farmers should gain practical knowledge by visiting existing farms and learning from experienced practitioners.

Housing and Equipment: Providing adequate shelter and facilities for the guinea fowls is essential for their well-being and productivity. Also, procuring required equipment such as feeders, waterers, and incubators facilitates efficient farm management.

Acquire Guinea Fowls: Healthy guinea fowls must be obtained from reputable breeders. This forms the foundation of the farm as it ensures desirable traits and genetic diversity.

Feeding and Nutrition: Providing a balanced diet is crucial for the health and growth of the guinea fowls. You can supplement commercial feed with greens and insects for foraging.

Breeding and Reproduction: Managing breeding pairs carefully and providing optimal nesting spaces supports successful hatching and chick rearing.

. Health Management and Hygiene: Implementing preventive healthcare measures, including vaccination and regular health monitoring, minimizes disease risks and ensures the overall well-being of the guinea fowls.

Guinea Fowl Farming presents a huge opportunity for Nigerians who desire to go into agriculture. With careful planning, proper management, and a focus on quality, guinea fowl farming can be a profitable venture, contributing to food security and economic development in Nigeria.

In the wild, guineafowl mate in pairs. This tendency also exists among domesticated guineas if there are equal numbers of males and females. As the breeding season approaches, pairs of guineas will wander off in search of nesting sites. It is not necessary, however, to have equal numbers of females and males to obtain fertile eggs.

“For most flocks, one male is usually kept for every four to five females. When guineas are kept in close confinement, one male may be mated with six to eight females.

“Guineas usually start laying in March or April and may continue to lay until October. A hen from a carefully managed flock may lay 100 or more eggs a year. Breeders generally produce well for two or three years. They can be kept for four to five years in small farm flocks. In such flocks, hens usually lay about 30 eggs and then go broody.

“The incubation period for guinea eggs is 26 to 28 days, similar to the incubation period for turkeys. If available, broody chickens can be used to hatch guinea eggs.

“Typical bantam chicken hens can sit on 12 to 15 guinea eggs, while a large chicken hen can sit on 20 to 28 guinea eggs. Guinea hens do not always make good mothers. Chicken hens tend to be much better mothers, and a large chicken can brood up to 25 guinea keets.”

Guineafowls are kept for their very delicious eggs and their meat is said to be more nutritious and delicious than chicken. Guineafowls are very noisy birds and if you live in the city, they are better kept in a space away from the neighbourhood, they don’t require a very big space.

You can either do it small scale or commercially. If you want to do them commercially, they are economical, they are in demand, easy to manage and less vulnerable to diseases. Guineafowls can also be kept to scare away predators; they can feed on small predators like insects and ticks, and they can also fight against snakes or mice and also rats.

Some of the benefits of guinea fowl include its adaptability to diverse climatic conditions and suitability for back-yard rearing. It consumes various non-conventional feedstuffs and is tolerant to most poultry diseases. It yields high protein and low fat carcass unlike the chicken.

Guineas generally much prefer to roam freely, although they can be kept confined. The more space you have to allow your birds to roam, the happier they will be.

In most cases, the guineas are not as tame as the chickens and they are hard to catch if you let them roam.

The guineas are excellent flyers, and they are able to fly at a very early age. They are able to fly up to 400-500 feet at a time.

After setting the house or shelter, consider purchasing high quality birds from local breeders, online sellers or feed stores.

You can either buy adult or keets. But it will be much easier to tame the birds if you can raise them from keets.

Purchasing healthy and high quality keets is the key to success in guinea fowl farming business.

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The guineas are available in a variety of ‘pure-bred’ colors. But many of the birds are cross-bred, resulting in multicolored feathers.

Feather color of these birds is the only difference between the different varieties. The guineas are monogamous creatures, purchasing them in pairs is best.

Identifying male and and female birds is very difficult, but not impossible. You can identify male and female if you look for these things.

They can also be raised for both meat and egg production. Their eggs can be eaten just like chicken eggs. Meat of the young birds is tender and tastes like that of wild game birds.

After setting the house or shelter, consider purchasing high quality birds from local breeders, online sellers or feed stores. You can either buy adult or keets. But it will be much easier to tame the birds if you can raise them from keets. Purchasing healthy and high quality keets is the key to success in guinea fowl farming business. The guineas are available in a variety of ‘pure-bred’ colors. But many of the birds are cross-bred, resulting in multicolored feathers.

Feather color of these birds is the only difference between the different varieties. The guineas are monogamous creatures, purchasing them in pairs is best. Identifying male and and female birds is very difficult, but not impossible. You can identify male and female if you look for these things.

The males generally have larger wattles than the females.

The females generally make a two-syllable sound, while the males make a single-syllable sound.

The males have a narrower opening between their pelvic bones than the females.

If you hold the guinea under one arm and use your free hand to feel the bones, you should notice a distance of about two fingers on males and three fingers on females.

After purchasing the birds, it is best to keep them confined for a week or two to let them become accustomed to their new home. They could run away, if you let them out right away. It is good to confine them in a pen where they can see the area where they will be living. Let one bird out after the initial couple of weeks.

As the guineas hate to be alone, so the single bird will not go far and will learn it’s way around the area. Let a second guinea out after a few days to round with the first. It is generally safe to let the rest out, if they stay near the pen.

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