Texas

[MandyJ]

Hi guys!

I used to be a little more activeon this site back when I lived in Maine with my own chickens... but I've lived here in Texas (Midland) for nearly a year and a half. We're finally buying our own house on nearly three acres, and I'm totally going to have chickens again.

I'm thinking, however, of starting with guineas. We have a ton of ticks on the property and I won't be building a proper chicken coop for another few months. Anyone here have guinea experience? And anyone know where to get them?

The problem we had with our guineas was that they roamed all over the neighborhood. They refused to stay at home, so....we raised them for bug control and they controlled bugs for everyone BUT us! Ours were free ranging, that was part of the problem I'm sure.
Good luck!
M

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

so, Carla, should I not expect to get good laying quality chicks from them? Your comment about pet quality kind of concerned me??
bob

They are feed store quality whose goal in life is to produce eggs and not really represent the ideal representation of the breed. Quantity over quality is what was meant. If you just want a set of egg laying hens and don't care what they turn out looking like is the point. For instance you want a PBR hen that lays just eggs or buff orpingtons that is the place to go. I trained my kids on four Ideal hens, two PBR's and two buffs. One of the buffs turned out to be blind n one eye. These are for out eating egg coop. So, if they were a bit off bubble for the breed standard it wasn't a big deal.

 

[bnjrob]

Hi guys!

I used to be a little more activeon this site back when I lived in Maine with my own chickens... but I've lived here in Texas (Midland) for nearly a year and a half. We're finally buying our own house on nearly three acres, and I'm totally going to have chickens again.

I'm thinking, however, of starting with guineas. We have a ton of ticks on the property and I won't be building a proper chicken coop for another few months. Anyone here have guinea experience? And anyone know where to get them?

All the guineas in the entire world share one brain cell. I honestly don't know how they survive in the wilds of Africa because they are dumber than dirt. They're kinda like chickens would be like if chickens took amphetamines. They have the attention span of gnats.

Guineas go where they want to go, which is often down the road. Mine have been found, in trouble, 1/2 mile down a busy FM road from our house despite having 30 acres to roam on between our place and our neighbor's. Guineas can figure out how to get inside an enclosed area yet get stuck because they are too stupid to go out the way they got in. They will run along a fence line for hours because they are too stupid to realize that they can just fly over the fence. They have a herd mentality and when they get distracted or frightened, which is often, the whole group just starts running willy nilly, not paying attention to where they are going or where they are at. This is how they can get so far away from home before they realize it. The roof of a two story house is not too high for guineas to figure out how to get up there and perch.

As our guineas got older, they did decrease how often and how far they roamed. I'm not sure if this was because they finally figured out where food, water, and safety was at, or if they just suddenly did not feel the need to roam quite so far. I decided to try to train them some and at dusk I started calling them and throwing out dried mealworms. Now they are waiting for me at sunset to come throw them mealworms, so this has helped get them to stay close to the house in the evening. Our guineas have a coop that they go into for the night. Most of the time they go in voluntarily without us trying to chase them inside, but it has to be quite dark before all of them are inside, so these days we can't shut the door on their coop until about 9:30 - 10 pm because there is usually at least one, if not three stragglers, that are still running around outside or perched on the coop roof as long as it is still light enough to see without a flashlight.

We tried to use our regular chicken nipple waterers with the guineas - didn't work. They would forget how to use the nipples and would go thirsty with 5 gallons of water hanging over their heads - with water even dripping from the nipples. So we had to go with open bowls and open trough waterers for them.

I hate guineas while they are young and in the brooder. They are like roaches, scurrying around in a constant panic. Very annoying. And when they are small, it is very difficult to catch them to be able to move them or to get them out so you can clean in the brooder. Once they are old enough to go to the pasture, I don't mind them and enjoy them, even though are burnt out light bulbs in the brain department. Our guineas get along with chickens, turkeys, donkeys, and cats.

Guineas are bug eating fools, more so than any of our chickens.

 

[ChicKat]

What an amusing picture of Guineas.....

One day I heard an awful racket in the woods -- very loud, very distinctive and -- lo and behold a gagle of Guineas were walking up the road, looking like aliens (maybe they Were aliens in disguise) -- I have no idea where they belonged.... I chased them back up the road that they were walking down -- and they didn't appreciate my interrupting their fun.

Besides being noisy -- I have heard something to the effect that they are fine if hatched by you -- but otherwise will always keep looking to get back to the spot they hatched.

ETA the bug control properties would be priceless.

 

[StelleKitten]

I had to bury my 16 year old baby girl today.....my 3 pound apple head chihuahua.
We buried her under a tree close to the chicken coop.....Since we are going to be sitting outside watching our chickens soon, so she could be close.

I'm so sorry for your loss. We have a chihuahua who we think is on his way out. I'll miss him a lot even though he still is the out escapingist dog I have ever had. Bad hips, nearly blind, and three teeth, yet he gets out of a yard that my 1 year old puppy cannot.

Sitting out on the porch listening to the thunder. Miss the chickens, but I don't think I should get more just now. Too hot and we are putting our house on the market.Hard to do, but it is too much for us to maintain and still have energy for the grandkids. Two babies due in Aug.

Congrats on the more babies! And downsizing will be awesome for you guys, smaller area to heat and cool, easier maintenance, and maybe even with some new amenities. I really hope the transition goes smoothly for you.

Here you go ...Girls,

For broth: Select a rooster that crows too loud and bother the entire neighborhood. Slow boiling for 1 hr.
For noodle: Go to China town, ask for Vietnamese noodle called Pho. To support Buy America Act, choose the brand that say "Made in China ... town". Wash in hot water to rinse any "contamination" dirt

Turn on your AC, turn on your TV to Wimbledon. Prepare a few bowls
Get online, call Lisa, Hensfortherapy over.

And they live happily ever after

PS: Roll down your window curtain to enjoy the fireworks

I've had some roosters that need to be pho....

I have over an acre and a little over 1840 square feet. You can do a lot in a lot less space than you think. Micro farming isn't just a pipe dream. I would love more property. However I get to live in the county and have no HOA for my little slice. Besides the sad reality that with my early and very brutal onset of muscular dystrophy I have more than I can handle by myself. It is emasculating compared to what I used to be able to do and could do where my little slice was easy to build on and maintain. I could have handled 20 acres happily but that is unrealistic since this has become just as hard. However living in city suburbia would feel like I had made a velvet coffin too. I guess it is all a matter of perspective and it is all relative. For my part I am feeling rather caponed lately.

Please don't let it bother you. Focus on what you can do vs. what you can't. I went from being a mensa member, to being happy to remember that I bought the icecream that's in the freezer. For example, instead of listing everything I can't do anymore (which is a rather long list and a lot of it could make me some very nice money), I'm happy I get a box of hamburger helper to turn out right. (I usually miscount the cups of water either too much of worried I forgot a cup I already added, I'll short it a cup of water). Acknowledge the bad parts, they are real, they make it harder. That means the accomplishments that you ARE able to do, are that much more important. I really hope you understand this as I tried for a while to get this to come out right.

Ugh. This has been a horrible few months with the hens. First those dogs came in and wiped out a third of my flock. Got some chicks and the bleeping rats got through the wire and killed 12 of my 20 chicks. Moved the survivors back into the hourse. Today, the replacements I got from the hatchery came it and due to a miscommunication between me and my dad, he didn't shut the puppy away from them and when he went out check on them, he found the puppy IN the brooder and 4 chicks dead and 3 on the verge. He didn't tell me because he felt sick about it, just put the three iffy ones in the packing box, which he placed in the brooder. I get home really late and find one chick gone and the other two freezing cold and barely moving. I quickly put them in another box with a heating pad to get their temperature up and just now (2 hours later), they were perkier. Even opening their eyes some. I gave them a little sugar water. We'll see how they fare in the morning, but I'm hoping they make it.

If you aren't picky on breed I have some chicks I'd sell you. I was going to keep them and grow them out but you've had some bad luck. I have some buff orpington, cornish game, olive egger, and some mystery birds. Oh! And some cochins!

Hello, new here to BYC and was told to come join the Texas group here

Welcome! The coop looks great!

HAPPY 4th of July weekend to all. Be safe and have fun!

Happy 4th to you too!

BTW, I love the multi quote thing! It helps me remember what I wanted to comment on!

 

[Lacy P]

All the guineas in the entire world share one brain cell.  I honestly don't know how they survive in the wilds of Africa because they are dumber than dirt.  They're kinda like chickens would be like if chickens took amphetamines.  They have the attention span of gnats.

Guineas go where they want to go, which is often down the road.  Mine have been found, in trouble, 1/2 mile down a busy FM road from our house despite having 30 acres to roam on between our place and our neighbor's.  Guineas can figure out how to get inside an enclosed area yet get stuck because they are too stupid to go out the way they got in.  They will run along a fence line for hours because they are too stupid to realize that they can just fly over the fence.  They have a herd mentality and when they get distracted or frightened, which is often, the whole group just starts running willy nilly, not paying attention to where they are going or where they are at.  This is how they can get so far away from home before they realize it.  The roof of a two story house is not too high for guineas to figure out how to get up there and perch.

As our guineas got older, they did decrease how often and how far they roamed.  I'm not sure if this was because they finally figured out where food, water, and safety was at, or if they just suddenly did not feel the need to roam quite so far.  I decided to try to train them some and at dusk I started calling them and throwing out dried mealworms.  Now they are waiting for me at sunset to come throw them mealworms, so this has helped get them to stay close to the house in the evening.  Our guineas have a coop that they go into for the night.  Most of the time they go in voluntarily without us trying to chase them inside, but it has to be quite dark before all of them are inside, so these days we can't shut the door on their coop until about 9:30 - 10 pm because there is usually at least one, if not three stragglers, that are still running around outside or perched on the coop roof as long as it is still light enough to see without a flashlight. 

We tried to use our regular chicken nipple waterers with the guineas - didn't work.  They would forget how to use the nipples and would go thirsty with 5 gallons of water hanging over their heads - with water even dripping from the nipples.  So we had to go with open bowls and open trough waterers for them.

I hate guineas while they are young and in the brooder.  They are like roaches, scurrying around in a constant panic.  Very annoying.  And when they are small, it is very difficult to catch them to be able to move them or to get them out so you can clean in the brooder.  Once they are old enough to go to the pasture, I don't mind them and enjoy them, even though are burnt out light bulbs in the brain department. Our guineas get along with chickens, turkeys, donkeys, and cats. 

Guineas are bug eating fools, more so than any of our chickens. 

This is like my life with mine. They will try to go through a one inch chicken wire hole because they can't figure out how to go through the gate the other fifty chickens went through. And if I get more I will buy them big. The meets were ridiculously crazy.


On another note. I finally built this nice big yard with pallet roosts and my chickens all want to roost on the freezer I store the feed in smh.

 

[Kiki]

HUNG......I made the Pho Ga!
IT was great!
I need to transfer the pics rom my phone to computer so i can upload them. I will do it sometime today.

 

[Ren2014]

x2

picture my friend DianaMallory sent me yesterday -- nice fireworks huh? The kind I like - no noise.

BEAUTIFUL! My kind also

I have yet another question for you guys. I noticed today that my girls' faces and combs have lost the rosy color they were developing. I keep fresh water accessible 24/7 due to the heat. Is this a sign of dehydration?

How old are they?

Quote: Me too! I would not do well with out it, lol

 

[needlessjunk]

Anyone else having a hard time with fleas this year?

 

[Kiki]

Anyone else having a hard time with fleas this year?

Knock on wood......No fleas here.
I treat my yard and my dogs with a pill that works very well. (nexguard)