There are 5 main types of guinea fowl. Breeders also bred more than 20 domestic breeds of these birds. Each breed has its own advantages and disadvantages. Our review of "feathered" will help you choose the best breed of guinea fowl for breeding at home.
9 main breeds of guinea fowl
Most guinea fowls are bred for meat at home, in many breeds the weight and overall size are left from wild guinea fowls, but broiler birds are superior in weight to wild ancestors.
Domestic guinea fowl breeds are as follows:
- Volzhskaya.
- French broiler or gray-speckled.
- White Siberian.
- Blue
- Yellow.
- Cream (Suede).
- Blue lilac.
- White.
- White-breasted Zagorsk.
Volga white
White Volga guinea fowl belongs to the egg direction, which is capable of producing more than 100 eggs per year. The carcass has a white color, which creates an attractive and salable appearance.
According to these criteria, you can distinguish a white Volga bird:
- legs are short;
- body shape "compact";
- the head is small;
- the beak is pink;
- earrings also have a pink color;
- feathers are white or cream with white dots.
This species of birds is unpretentious to the living conditions and perfectly tolerates temperature changes. They feel better in cold climates, so it is advisable to keep them in the North, but not in hot countries. The main diet should be bird food in an amount of 100 g per head. Food should be varied, namely corn, grain mix, animal feed, fresh herbs.
This bird does not have very many eggs, and it is also difficult to determine the sex of the chick. Therefore, it is recommended that novice poultry farmers first acquire several guinea fowls, after they learn about them, and then buy families. It is also better to buy chickens rather than adults, the difference in price is not big, but the kids will have time to get used to a new place, nutrition and care.
Volga guinea fowl have strong immunity, therefore they rarely get sick, than, for example, chickens or ducks. Their eggs are small, but they can be stored for a long time, because the shell is thick and dark.
French broiler (or gray-speckled)
The broiler breed of guinea fowl was bred due to the genetic selection of one of the companies in France. Their body is large, the weight of the male can reach 3 kg of live weight.
Appearance:
- elongated torso;
- plumage is almost absent on the head;
- the beak has a pink color;
- scarlet earrings;
- there is a blue growth on the head;
- wings are round, which have a good wingspan;
- small tail looking down;
- on the neck plumage has a gray-blue color;
- paws are gray;
- white blotches on the body.
This breed of guinea fowl has 3 names: silver-gray, broiler and, accordingly, gray-speckled guinea fowl. With this species, the breeding of meat birds at home began. But after some time, many other more productive individuals were bred and gray-speckled faded into the background.
When the guinea fowl walks, it holds the torso upright. The skin is so thin that the dark muscles are visible. The wings are well developed, muscular, so they fly well and overcome various barriers. Often the hosts cut the wings of the birds, so as not to lose the livestock.
French individuals are able to produce a large amount of dietary and tasty meat. The weight of the female reaches 1.6 kg, and the male - 1.8 kg. There are practically no differences between the sexes, but if you look closely, the males have a bit more head and earrings. The birds are also flying well, for 12 months they can take 145 eggs weighing 55 grams. The meat resembles the taste of game, which contains a lot of hemoglobin.
French guinea fowl need to be fed in the same way as chickens: cereals, animal feed, bone and fish meal, peas and yeast. Thanks to trace elements and vitamins, they quickly gain weight. For 1 kg of poultry, more than 3 kg of feed is needed. Productive qualities are manifested when puberty sets in, and this happens at 8.5 months. On the eggs, speckled gray guinea fowl sit without much hunting and only after they turn 2 years old. But if there was a desire to plant eggs, then they take great care of them, warm, feed and protect them from misfortunes.
White Siberian
This breed is the most hardy in terms of maintenance, also the bird is not fastidious in feeding and gives a lot of eggs a year.
Appearance of a white Siberian bird:
- the beak has a gray color;
- metatarsus pale pink;
- matte plumage;
- medium-sized head;
- large earrings;
- there are no feathers on the neck.
Guinea fowl tolerate changes in weather conditions, easily tolerate frosts. The individuals are friendly, have a calm disposition. The main advantage of the breed is the light color of the carcass, because it improves the presentation in comparison with other breeds that have a bluish tint.
The male in adulthood reaches 1.9 kg, and the female - 1.8 kg of live weight. The weight of one egg is 48 grams, in 12 months it is possible to get 95 eggs. The nature of the bird is calm and friendly, these guinea fowls can be kept with other animals: chickens, geese, turkeys, etc.
The White Siberian Guinea Fowl is one of the best breeds for a novice farmer, as they are not fastidious in content, practically omnivorous and have good productivity. Read about how to properly maintain guinea fowl, regardless of breed.
Blue
This species is rare, so it is almost impossible to see them in private farms. But if, nevertheless, it was decided to purchase precisely blue guinea fowls, then their beauty will decorate any yard.
Description of Blue Guinea Fowl:
- plumage is gray, there is a blue tint;
- chest with a lilac neck;
- there are white spots on the tail.
This breed tolerates even the most severe frosts, so they can be bred in the North and South. Birds are unpretentious in nutrition and resistant to disease. The male sex of the bird reaches 2.6 kg, and the female is slightly less - 2 kg. An egg weighs 47 grams, and 140 eggs can be harvested in one year.
In an artificial nest, guinea fowl do not carry eggs. They make nests themselves in the grass, as well as under the bushes. They can be kept from another living creature, because the birds are not pugnacious, but rather can pacify the brawlers. Guinea fowl should be fed with mixers, both dry and wet. Learn more about the standards for feeding guinea fowls here.
Yellow
The color of the bird is light yellow, but there is no pearl coating, which is typical for guinea fowl. The chest with the neck is red-yellow. Productive qualities and livestock sizes are the same as for white guinea fowl. The yellow individuals have a peaceful and calm character, they live freely with other species of birds. It is recommended to share with turkeys and chickens, because they often hatched cesarean eggs.
The taste of meat in domestic animals is similar to game. The size of one guinea fowl egg is slightly smaller than that of chickens, and the taste is simply excellent. They are allowed to be stored in the refrigerator for six months.
Cream (suede)
The appearance of the bird is similar to the white Siberian one, the difference is only in the mass and color of the body. Suede guinea fowl have a meat direction, so they are called broiler. The breed was obtained by chance due to a speckled-gray bird mutation.
Appearance:
- the overall dimensions of a guinea fowl are small;
- small head;
- white plumage with the presence of age spots.
The female reaches 1.7 kg of live weight, and the male - 1.6. In one year, the bird can produce about 80 eggs, whose weight is 43 grams. The shell can be either white or red. As for egg production, they are inferior to the white guinea fowl.
Cream birds have an amazing ability to quickly adapt to a new place of residence and to changing weather conditions. They are resistant to almost all diseases, both infectious and inflammatory.
Blue lilac
If we talk about the productivity of the bird, then the blue lilac is almost no different from the blue breed. The difference is only in the external color. The feathers are indigo with the presence of white dots, which also seems to be with a blue guinea fowl. On the chest and neck there is a large plumage.
Female in adulthood can weigh 2.4 kg, and male - 2.1 kg of live weight. In one year, about 140 eggs can be obtained from a bird, but maybe more, it all depends on care and feeding. The eggshell is hard, weighing 43 grams.
This type of guinea fowl does not require special attention, they can be safely kept with other species of poultry. As for the chicks, they need to pay special attention, more than ducklings or hens.
The negative point is that they, for some reason, can abruptly halt the hatching of eggs, so it is advisable to place the eggs in the incubator and take care of them there. If you keep the birds in their cages, then they cannot look for food for themselves while walking, so in this case you need to take care yourself.
Guinea fowl are mobile, so they can not be constrained, the cells must be spacious, installed in a warm room. Drafts are not allowed. The immunity of these birds is strong, their diseases are bypassed. If, nevertheless, the bird is sick, then treatment must be taken seriously. To begin with, the sick individual is separated from the healthy ones, then they are treated, but if there is no improvement, then it is killed.
Guinea fowl love to graze, which saves on feed. In addition to this process, they need to add feed and grain to the diet, this is important in order for it to quickly gain weight. They also, like chickens, love crushed shell, chalk and sand from the river. On the walk, they like to seek out worms, ticks, slugs and Colorado beetles for themselves.
White
What is the difference between this breed of guinea fowl - it is a pure white color without any inclusions. Earrings with a beak have an ombre color - bright pink on top, and white closer to the bottom. At the tip of the head, the color changes to gray. The male can grow up to 2 kg, and the female about 1.4 kg. From one individual in 12 months you can get about 100 eggs, whose weight is 43 grams. The shell, like many breeds, is a solid light brown color with small inclusions.
Zagorsk white-breasted
Recently, a new breed of guinea fowl called Zagorsk white-breasted has appeared. This breed is a descendant of gray-speckled rock. Their breasts are flat and at the same time high, with the female being fleshy, and the male one pointed. The beak is powerful, curved down. The skin can be either dark blue or gray, it all depends on the color of the skin. The wings are large long and the tail is short. The birds' breasts are white, which is why it got its name.
This breed has bright spots on the skin, but they are almost invisible. Beak is yellow, legs have the same shade. In young animals at the age of 70 days, the weight is 1 kg. In one season, a guinea fowl is able to bring from 115 to 120 pear-shaped eggs. The maturity of birds occurs at 7.5-8 months. The meat has an attractive presentation, it is also tender and juicy.
Video review of this breed of guinea fowl see below:
Types of Guinea Fowl
In total, 5 species of guinea fowl, from which the above breeds are produced, were officially recognized in Russia:
- Common.
- Chubataya.
- Vulture.
- Dark-bellied White.
- Black is dark.
Common
The guinea fowl got its name thanks to the word royal bird. She first lived in the royal court for beauty 2,000 years ago. Ordinary guinea fowl live in dense undersized forests or in forests where dense undergrowths with open glades. The length of the body itself is 56 cm, and the weight of an adult reaches 1.5 kg.
An ordinary guinea fowl is able to run fast, flies with frequent swings, but gets tired and falls pretty quickly. The wings of individuals are short. Birds breed in the fall; the nest makes its own in pits under bushes or in bushes growing high.
The female lays about 8 eggs at a time in yellow-white color. Chicks hatch 25 days after laying the eggs. Initially, the chicks with mom and dad do not fly far, but soon they leave their parents. The most important food is insects, also berries, leaves, sprouts and grains. For 12 months, the bird is able to bring 140 delicious eggs.
Chubata
A bird of this species has a forelock, thanks to which it got its name. This crest consists of swirling black feathers, which can be seen even from afar, so it’s a sin not to recognize among many many guinea fowl.
Appearance of birds:
- the length of the grown guinea fowl is 50 cm;
- head of blue color without feathers;
- adult body weight reaches one and a half kilograms;
- the body is dark with white spots;
- life expectancy of a bird is 10 years;
- females are larger than males.
The bird is omnivorous, so it is not difficult to make a diet, but still there are some preferences: dandelion, clover, lettuce, snails, worms, beetles, seeds and various berries.
Vulture
The bird has insane beauty, the plumage is bright. Vultures of vulture birds:
- Kenya;
- Ethiopia;
- Somalia.
Guinea fowl do not eat and drink much, because of the harsh living conditions, they are hardy in any weather, able to endure both harsh winters and extreme heat. The height of the vulture individual reaches 45 cm, while the plumage is pale blue, there are stripes of white color. Feathers lilac with shine.
The bird got its name due to the fact that the head of the neck is the same in shape as that of this guinea fowl. There are no feathers on the head, only a small down collar can be seen not on the neck. At the beak, the upper part is longer than the lower, and more elongated.
Reproduction occurs naturally, at one time it can bring about 10 eggs, from which the chicks begin to hatch after 24 days. One at a time, vulture birds do not move, but go in packs in search of water. Shy birds, but do not conflict with other species of birds.
Vulture guinea fowl know how to fly well, up to 480 meters. They feed themselves nuts, as well as plants, but often they search for food in their thickets. In addition, birds use snails and various insects.
Dark-bellied Dark
This species has an interesting and unusual feather color: small dots on the back and wings. The sternum, neck and abdomen are solid in color. The white-breasted bird has fluffy feathers, so the plumage seems magnificent.
The meat tastes the same as chicken. The carcass is small, an adult female weighs 2 kg, and a male 1.7 kg.
Black dark
There is very little information about the black dark guinea fowl, because it is not as popular in breeding as other breeds. They live in the jungle of Africa. The lifestyle has not been properly studied, as far as home breeding guinea fowl is concerned, this information was not mentioned anywhere.
All types of guinea fowl have a meat-and-egg direction, their color is also dark with white spots. In appearance, the birds are similar to a turkey, but in reduced sizes. Wild guinea fowl could not be domesticated and they lack productive qualities, the taste of meat is the same as that of game. They live only in large packs, namely 25-30 individuals. The lifestyle of all species is almost the same.
Guinea fowl is a bird that loves only warmth and dampness, therefore they cannot be kept in a cold climate. It is also important to know that they are shy, so you need to keep them away from noise. Birds fly well, but still prefer quiet walking. Guinea fowl in size are exactly the same as domestic hens, but the constitution is different. They begin to lay eggs from 8 months, but not year-round, and they rush for six months, and the remaining six months do not.
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