With all the different bird species out there, you may be surprised to know that most people have not eaten eggs from more than two bird species.
Everyone has become so used to eating chicken eggs and duck eggs that they don’t even consider the possibility of other types of eggs.
But the poultry world is a big one, and when people talk of poultry, they do not always remember guineas or their eggs.
Can You Eat Guinea Fowl Eggs? Yes, you can eat guinea fowl eggs.
Although guineas are not commercially raised for their eggs, the eggs are edible, and you can use them like chicken eggs. Guineas do not lay as often or as many eggs as chickens.
Their eggs are also smaller, with 2 guinea eggs equaling one large chicken egg.
If you would love to try out guinea fowl eggs, the rest of this article gives an insight into what you should expect.
Also, if you would like to keep guinea fowl for eggs, we discuss some things you should know.
Table of Contents
Can You Eat Guinea Fowl Eggs?
As we already mentioned, you can eat Guinea fowl eggs.
Like other poultry eggs such as quail, chickens, and ducks, guinea fowl eggs are safe to eat.
Guinea fowl eggs look different from other poultry eggs in size and color but taste almost the same.
Guinea fowl eggs have a light brown color covered with tiny speckles. The shells of these eggs are more rigid than those of a chicken egg. So, they require a bit of effort when cracking.
The yolk to white ratio of a guinea fowl is different, with the eggs having more yolk than white.
You can prepare guinea fowl eggs almost the same way you would prepare a duck or chicken egg. However, if you want to replace duck or chicken eggs with guinea fowl eggs while baking, you should adjust your measurements.
Remember we mentioned guinea eggs are smaller than chicken eggs? Well, this means you will use more units of guinea fowl eggs in place of duck or chicken eggs.
Guinea fowl eggs are healthy and contain various nutrients. Guinea eggs contain zinc, iron, sodium, magnesium, copper, calcium, and potassium.
Apart from the mineral content of guinea eggs, they also contain significant amounts of protein.
On average, one guinea fowl egg contains about 10-14% protein or higher. A study that compared several poultry eggs with guinea eggs has suggests guinea eggs have the highest protein content.
Guinea fowl eggs also contain fat, especially their yolk. The fat content of the egg yolk is usually between 32 and 33%.
The study cited earlier also suggests guinea fowl eggs contain more fat than other poultry eggs. The fat in guinea fowl eggs has a significant amount of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Guinea fowl eggs are also an ideal source of dietary cholesterol. Like other poultry eggs, guinea fowl eggs have a rich vitamin B profile.
They contain pyridoxine (B6), folate, pantothenate (B5), vitamin B1, Vitamin B3, and vitamin B2. Guinea eggs also provide choline, an essential nutrient similar to B-vitamins.
Guinea fowl eggs also contain some vitamin A. The vitamin A levels in guinea fowl eggs are usually higher when they are allowed to forage for food.
What Does a Guinea Fowl Egg Taste Like?
Guinea fowl eggs have a similar taste to chicken eggs. Guinea fowl eggs are creamy, rich and they taste great.
The yolk of a guinea fowl egg has a richer texture and flavor, although it may not rival the intense taste of a duck egg.
The difference in the taste of a guinea fowl egg compared to other poultry eggs lies in the hen’s diet.
A better diet comes with a combination of free foraging and quality commercial feed. If these two conditions are available, guinea hens will produce better-tasting eggs.
When Do Guinea Fowls Lay Eggs?
Guineas are seasonal egg layers. Guinea hens are typically more productive in the first 3 years of their life than when they get older.
During this period, a guinea hen will lay an egg a day when the laying season begins. But as the guinea hen gets older, the egg-laying rate will fall. You can read more about Guinea Fowl laying eggs here.
Guinea hens usually begin egg production when they are 5-8 months old. Basically, a guinea fowl will get under way with egg-laying when they are mature enough.
The frequency of their egg-laying depends on their location and the time of year.
Guinea hens begin to lay eggs from spring when the temperature rises and daylight hours increase until summer or fall.
The period of their egg-laying falls between April and October. They typically stop laying eggs when daylight becomes shorter. Guinea hens do not usually lay eggs during the winter.
Guinea fowls do not bother too much about where they will lay their eggs.
Once guinea hens find an appropriate spot, they will make their nests and begin laying eggs. The nest of a guinea hen can sometimes be hard to find.
This elusiveness is beneficial as it keeps the eggs away from predators.
During the day, when guinea hens lay their eggs, the male bird will stand guard, keeping an eye out for any predators.
Sometimes, guinea hens will become communal layers. In such situations, the hens come together and lay all their eggs in a single nest.
How Many Eggs Do Guinea Fowls Lay?
When the laying season of a guinea hen begins, you can get up to 1 egg per day. Guineas typically lay 6 to 7 eggs per week.
Although guinea hens have a similar egg-laying rate per week with chickens and ducks, their egg-laying average for the year is relatively low.
This low production may be due to the fact that guinea hens are seasonal layers.
The total number of eggs laid each year by a guinea hen can total around 90-130 eggs, which brings the average number of eggs laid each year to about 100 eggs.
But aside from this, guinea hens tend to lay their eggs in clusters.
Guinea hens can lay around 30 eggs and go for a break. They will repeat this same process 3 or more times for the rest of the laying season. In a year, guinea hens can lay 4 batches of around 30 eggs.
Conclusion
Guinea fowl eggs are edible and taste similar to chicken eggs.
Their eggs may be smaller when compared to chicken or duck eggs, but they are more nutritious and creamier.
Guinea fowls are seasonal layers which means they lay eggs for a short period.
Understandably, when compared to chickens or ducks, they are not as productive.