Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
rest until he has found all possible colors. He is currently looking for red and black —
if they exist — and any other colors. The Winters' website (
www.guineafarm.com
)
contains photos of these wonderful creatures. They also have a colorful poster that
shows many of the rare and unusual colors.
Constantly trying to improve on methods of raising guineas, Ralph has experi-
mented with housing and lighting to get guineas to lay earlier in the year than they
normally would here in Iowa. He has used a variety of different housing styles from
conventional structures, with outside runways, to a large greenhouse that kept the
guineas at about 20 degrees above outside temperature. This worked fairly well for
early-season production. Ralph recently built a larger enclosed structure to contain
the eight most popular breeds in separate pens; with controlled lighting he can alter
the season a bit, resulting in some earlier than normal hatches.
This operation is constantly challenging the status quo, seeking to improve the
variety and availability of the product, and experimenting with the most effective
methods to house their fowl.
New-Home Training
Start training young guineas to roost inside their building at night right away. If you're
not consistent, you'll lose the battle. At three to four weeks of age, guineas discover
the thrill of flying up to a roost so this is the time to have a roost ready for them. The
longer you take and the more moving they must undergo, the more difficulties you will
face. Your goal should be to get them to their final home by three to four weeks; con-
fine them there for several weeks while they become accustomed to it. Once they learn
where home is, it's okay to let them out to forage some.
Color Varieties
I was first drawn to guineas because of their delicate, beautiful color pattern; they look
outstanding running around the barnyard always looking clean and fresh and ready to
go. The only color variety I saw as a child was the common Pearl, so I was fascinated
when I first discovered the color varieties: Royal Purple, Lavender, Buff Dundotte, Cor-
al Blue, and White.
Today you can find a whole range of additional colors, such as Buff, Chocolate,
Bronze, Pewter, Sky Blue, Brown, and Violet, among others constantly being developed.
Controversy exists as to the integrity of the breeding of these color varieties. However,
if you're not a purist, a group of mixed color varieties can be a spectacular farmyard
sight.
