Can Guinea Fowl Survive 100% on there own in Ohio?

[Newb]

I have never owned guinea fowl but read that gunieas love to eat ticks and insects. I have some land in SE Ohio which is a good 30min drive from my house and I was wondering if guinea could survive there without supervision. The majority is wooded but there are a couple acres of open grasses and a half acre pond. There are tons of insects especially ticks to eat from April-October but I don't know if they could find food or water in the winter. Turkey thrive on acorns throughout the winter but I do not know if guineas would do the same.

Let me know what you think. I'm pretty sure 99.9% of people are going to tell me it's impossible but I have no idea so I figured I'd ask. Thanks.

 

[racuda]

Are there coyotes, raccoons, dogs, bobcats, owls, or hawks there?

 

[cracking up]

How many guineas? How much protection and would you visit now and then to make sure they have food and water? Pretty sure you would lose some and some would wander off to better places. Some might stay.

 

[robin416]

You'll eventually lose them all. To predators in the warmer weather. To predators, the extreme cold and lack of food in the Winter. Guineas are not turkeys and do not eat acorns. I know, we keep the deer very happy around here with all the acorns on the ground, the guineas never touch them except to walk over.

 

[Newb]

There are definatly predators around, coons, coyotes and an occasional bobcat to name a few. I would not visit very often either. Maybe a couple times during deer season to hunt, I could drop off some seed then. The turkeys survive, I wonder if the guineas could get establised.

 

[zazouse]

It's not impossible,
they are true rangers, however if they wipe out the insects and are not getting fed by you , they may move to greener pasture.

My guineas range all over this 100 acres here, but they still come home to eat and roost.

I love guinea TV

 

[Newb]

Hmm, would they eat seed from the grasses or other food sources in the woods? Would building a couple boxes to place in trees help for protection against ground predators and maybe owls?

 

[zazouse]

Quote:
It does not snow here as a normal rule and mine forage in the winter as well.

Building boxes sounds like a good idea and well guines do what they want to when free ranged and how you will get them to use the boxes i don't know unless you raise them in them in them first.

My guineas are pretty savvy when it comes to predators so i have very few losses. and we have lots of wild critters on our land.

 

[Newb]

Sounds like the winter would be the show stopper. Anyone know of Guineas being able to survive an Ohio scale winter on thier own?

 

[EggHunter_66]

Quote:
It does not snow here as a normal rule and mine forage in the winter as well.

Building boxes sounds like a good idea and well guines do what they want to when free ranged and how you will get them to use the boxes i don't know unless you raise them in them in them first.

My guineas are pretty savvy when it comes to predators so i have very few losses. and we have lots of wild critters on our land.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e149/zazousemoon206/trail cam 2010/MDGC01012.jpg

WOW, I love that trail cam pic!