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Guinea Fowl ..... wild in UK?


Dekers
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Ok, I'm the first to admit that I know very little about Guinea Fowl, but I am convinced I saw a group of around 8 wondering around yesterday.

 

I know they are farmed in the UK, and I have the likes of Ostrich, Llama, Alpaca etc farms in my areas, so it would not surprise me if there was a Guinea Fowl farm as well, but these were out and about. Would they wonder then go home?

 

It also goes through my mind that if they are here, then surely some must have got into the wild. Do any of you know of "wild" populations around the UK, or indeed have any of you seen the odd Guinea Fowl wondering around, or even shot one?

Edited by Dekers
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We bought a pair last year;they live in our pen and come and go at will.

Just up the road an old boy has them free-roaming around his house and all the locals know to slow down when passing his house as they will possibly be on the road.I used to buy their eggs off him,until some 'farmers market' wifey type offered to buy all eggs they produced at an inflated rate.Nice eggs and good eating.

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I don't know if "domestically kept" ones that have escaped will breed but if they do then there might well be some "wild" ones around the Killin/Loch Tay Area of Perthshire.

I used to keep a dozen or so up there back in the late 70s when I was living on and working a croft in the area - They do make excellent eating - if you can catch them! Mine were kept as "free range birds" and loved to roost in the fir trees that surrounded our garden but eventually decided to "wander"! They would often turn up when I was feeding the chickens, goats and other small livestock I kept but eventually they seemed to completely disappear. This could well have been due to predation (I didn't shoot at the time) but I would like to think/hope that there were a few that survived and went on to breed!

When you keep them as "pets" they certainly let you know if there is anyone about - Noisy little devils!

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Just like Peafowl, many are sold by breeders to those who fancy keeping a few and some keepers release a few with their poults as their call warns of predators.

They do not breed successfully when free roaming so numbers tend not to be sustainable. Most people who keep them tend to let them roam free and they are happy to wander round the neighborhood roosting in favored trees at night.

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I have about 30 wandering around they are great guards and they make a hell of a noise in the trees at night i have given loads away to the local shoots and a few lads on here to teach the pheasants to go into the trees to roost they wont breed in the wild because when the first egg hatches the mother guinea fowl gets off the nest and leaves the rest we rear them in incubators or on broodys

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Not sure about their breeding prowess but i know of a chap got into trouble with the police last year for 'mistakenly' shooting two as they passed his hide. Apparently the owner of the birds reported him to the police. I believe no action was taken after he compensated the owners.

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No, so you can`t shoot them...

 

The only description I have seen of them is Game. (largely on Menus, so hardly a definitive answer).

What are they if not, because they are not indigenous as far as I'm aware (or are they?) so, what about the Wildlife and Countryside Act? indeed, if they are not indigenous why aren't people locked up for letting them roam around free? :hmm: :hmm: . Like I said I know very little about them or the rules surrounding them, what have I missed, why can't you shoot them. Not after a scrap, just information, educate me on this one please!

 

Cheers

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there's a pheasant shoot about 20 miles from me who have a facebook page advertising their shoot and they'd pictures of guinea fowl hangin up in their game rack durin the days shoot, they also recorded them as birds shot, I've never seen them fly so I can't say if they'd make a good sportin shot or not .

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