Zoo database

Helmeted guineafowl

Numida meleagris

Natural diet Helmeted guineafowl

Grain / seeds
Grasses
Insects

Helmeted guineafowl are omnivorous birds that spend most of their time searching for food. They mainly consume seeds, grasses, insects and small vertebrates.

Feeding advice Helmeted guineafowl

Feed quantity per day

6-9% of body weight

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 1.2 kg and eats 7% of its body weight, it will get

1.2 x 0.07 = 0.084 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

15% Insects and other invertebrates
60% Concentrates
15% Leafy and cabbage vegetables
10% Other

Proportions (fresh product)

0.15 x 0.084 kg = 12.6 g insects and other invertebrates
0.6 x 0.084 kg = 50.4 g concentrates
0.15 x 0.084 kg = 12.6 g leafy and cabbage vegetables
0.1 x 0.084 kg = 8.4 g other

Diet suggestions

Not recommended

Bread

Additional advice

Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least two feeding moments per day.
Supplement the diet with around 10% grain mixture.
Supplement the diet with ad libitum soluble grit as a source of calcium.
Insoluble grit is not required if they go outside, as they will ingest small stones (read more about grit).
Avoid feeding bread as the high starch content may cause gastro-intestinal disturbances.
Stimulate foraging behaviour by using feeding puzzles and scatter feeding (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

Pododermatitis/Bumble Foot
Obesity
Hemosiderosis
Metabolic bone disease
Atherosclerosis
Rickets syndrome
Perosis
Gout

Feed quantity per day

Sample percentage calculation

Feed composition

Proportions (fresh product)

Fancy poultry pride (partridges, quails, pheasants)

Mealworms

Crickets

Stomach gravel (for Poultry)

Shell grit (3)

Denise Flemming

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