Can you keep Guinea fowl as pets?

A flock of Guineas eating in a garden

In a word, No.

Guinea fowl as a rule do not make good pets. Guinea keets do not imprint or fixate on the hen when they hatch like chicks or ducklings would.

Guineas are very instinctive and this drives their behaviour all their lives. They are wild and not easily tamed and trained. It can be done but only to a certain extent.

They do like being around people, especially if you have their favourite foods. They are very inquisitive and will investigate anything new but they will never be tame like chickens become with time.

Below: Guinea are not pet material although some can be tamed.

Guinea fowl are relatively easy to keep but are independent birds that prefer to forage. 

Do Guineas make good pets?

Over time they will learn to recognise your face and not be scared of you unless you make sudden movements or appear abruptly, then you are likely to cause a ruckus.

Mine run or fly up to me when ever I come to see them but they were raised by chickens and the mother hen did this and they have learned that I have food and treats with me.

Guinea fowl, however, will not like to be petted like a dog or even held. They really hate being touched. It's just their nature. But they will easily get very close to you and feed from you hand.

I always raise our Guinea keets by a mother hen, they were very tame at the time when they were still keets, especially holding treats. As they mature they started to free range further from us but do feed at close distance.

the only time our Guinea hens tame, not males, is during broodiness and parenting. because the hens seems to like food a lot, if you're slow. they might kick the dish out of your hand.

Never try to hold or grab a Guinea fowl, the males in particular are very strong and loud and you will end up with a handful of feathers.

They talk and squawk and screech and frickety-frack and whistle and honk just all the time. They wake up early and stay up late, and they are making noise almost the entire time.

Guinea Fowl love the other Guinea sounds on YouTube.

Record it on your phone and play it to them  and they come running back.

The Guinea fowl is colourful and entertaining, worthy of keeping for their own sake.