are guinea birds good to eat

In this article: Learn the answer to the questions Can you eat guinea fowl and can you eat guinea eggs?

Everyone is used to eating chicken and chickens eggs. We’ve even gotten somewhat used to eating duck and duck eggs (find out more about duck eggs!). But there is a big poultry world out there- and chickens aren’t the only bird around.

Today let’s talk about guinea fowl. A common question surrounding these birds is- Can you eat guinea fowl? and Can you eat guinea eggs?

2. Guineas Can Be Bullies

All birds have a pecking order. There will always be a period of adjustment when you have new additions while they figure out the new order. If you thought watching this process with chickens was difficult, you will be even more amazed with guineas—these guys are mean! The guinea fowl eventually figured out their own hierarchy, but if you also have other birds, be ready for a more protracted adjustment period.

Our guinea fowl were raised from keets with chicks. They were together from the beginning. The customary competition for top bird started as soon as we brought the juvenile guinea and chicken birds into our established flock. Six months later, the back feathers and tails of half of our hens were missing.

After the guineas were inside the coop at night, they were terrified to enter it. To give the chickens a break, we let the guineas roost in the trees about half the time. Which leads me into my next point….

3. Guineas Love to Roam

I recently wrote about my opinions on free-range chickens, but I suppose the main reason people buy guinea pigs is because of their propensity to eat ticks. In a covered run, they won’t consume many ticks, I’ll tell you that much now. They go above and beyond being free-range birds.

If you’ve read up on raising guinea fowl, you’ll know that you should either raise them in their new home or keep them locked inside for several weeks before letting them go outside so they can become accustomed to their new surroundings. I’m here to warn you that they might still have problems getting home at night even if you take that action.

Since guinea pigs can jump and fly fairly well, fencing won’t really have much of an impact. They will begin pushing the boundaries as soon as they feel at ease being outside. They will terrorize the horses down the street, cross roads, and cause trouble for your neighbors—all while squawking and yelling.

They might come home and night, they might not. They could fly and jump their way to the tiny top branches of the tallest tree they can find, or they could enter their coop.

Can You Eat Guinea Fowl? Yes!

Guinea fowl are totally edible, just like other poultry like chickens, ducks, and quail. And can be quite delicious!.

Before you begin consuming guinea pigs, let’s discuss some of their unique qualities that set them apart from chickens.

Guineas are a wild bird that we have domesticated- somewhat. However, because they remain largely wild, guinea pigs are regarded as game birds, which Their meat typically has a gamey flavor, akin to that of a pheasant or other wild game bird.

Guinea fowl meat is leaner and contains 50%-50% less fat than chicken meat, resulting in a 50/50 ratio of meat to bone.

The dark meat of guinea fowl is lean, so when cooking it, extra attention is needed to prevent it from drying out and becoming stringy.

The guinea meat can be cooked and prepared using moist cooking techniques, such as an Instant Pot, or by using a lot of fat and roasting it slowly.

FAQ

What do guinea birds taste like?

Are guinea birds edible?

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