Considering Guineas

[Aunt Angus]

Howdy!

We have a lot of ticks on our property, esp in the goat pasture because we use our goats as brushers to keep the woods around our house from getting too overgrown.

Bern thinking about getting a few guineas. I've read folks keep them with their goats, too, so I'm thinking that might work out ok. Thoughts?

However, we have serious predators. The goat pasture is surrounded by electric netting that we move around. The netting is purportedly able to deter most 4-legged predators (except mountain lions, of course). But a fence is only good if it can contain them, and I know they can fly. We ask have Cooper's hawks, too.

Not looking to feed guineas to the local wildlife. Is there any way to keep them safe?

 

[southwind00]

Howdy!

We have a lot of ticks on our property, esp in the goat pasture because we use our goats as brushers to keep the woods around our house from getting too overgrown.

Bern thinking about getting a few guineas. I've read folks keep them with their goats, too, so I'm thinking that might work out ok. Thoughts?

However, we have serious predators. The goat pasture is surrounded by electric netting that we move around. The netting is purportedly able to deter most 4-legged predators (except mountain lions, of course). But a fence is only good if it can contain them, and I know they can fly. We ask have Cooper's hawks, too.

Not looking to feed guineas to the local wildlife. Is there any way to keep them safe?

they will fly to different neighbors areas

Guineas spend 96% or more of their daylight time on the ground. They walk everywhere and only fly to get away from each other or predators. Young,adolescent guineas wil fly to test their wings and hang in trees some but the food is on the ground and thats where adult guineas are. If you get guineas, you'll want at least 8 -10 because they are flock birds and do best with their own kind. Guineas return to their coop every night if they are trained well and are very fun to watch. Their main down side is their constant chatter. Good luck

 

[Tre3hugger]

One other quick question. How much of a threat is a Cooper's hawk, d'you think? We have a couple who nest here in the spring.

I have lost guineas to hawks 2/3 their size. They just eat em right there where they catch em.

I do think guineas would be a good addition for your situation though. When I moved onto my property it was tick heaven. I am taling like, 10+ ticks on the dogs every time they went outside, and plenty on us. After 2 years with guineas the tick problem is NON EXISTENT. I am currently down to 1 guinea, as they free range here with a coop for night and slowly they do get eaten. But I just ordered 13 more because they really do the job. It is worth it for me to order them every couple years and not have any ticks. I ordered them late in the season so I can keep them in their coop all winter. This will (hopefully) home them to the coop, so when I let them out in the spring, they will return to the coop at night.

Guineas are a real adventure, and quite loud, but also extremely entertaining and extremely proficient at their exterminator job. Another bonus is they (mostly) leave green plants alone. Sometimes they will pick the bugs right off my garden plants and just move on. A wonderful addition to the garden.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Guineas spend 96% or more of their daylight time on the ground. They walk everywhere and only fly to get away from each other or predators. Young,adolescent guineas wil fly to test their wings and hang in trees some but the food is on the ground and thats where adult guineas are. If you get guineas, you'll want at least 8 -10 because they are flock birds and do best with their own kind. Guineas return to their coop every night if they are trained well and are very fun to watch. Their main down side is their constant chatter. Good luck

Thank you!

Honestly, they sound like a good fit. They have a bunch of different color guineas at tsc. I'll think about it, but it sounds promising.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I think Guineas would be worth a try in your situation. I second that noise is a real issue for some people, though it doesn’t bother me personally. As for Coopers - I have lost guineas to Coopers. I’ve also lost them to red tails, bobcats, and a loose dog. More have been lost to unknown predators. For most predators, I lock the guineas into their coop and run for two weeks and the predators mostly move on. Also, my guineas seem to learn from their predators and will counter their moves. For example, when the Cooper’s hawk was preying on the flock, the guineas started staying tighter together and spending most of their time close to bushes and underbrush where they could take cover. When the bobcat was recently picking the guineas off, guineas started flushing very easily, and I saw them evade the bobcat once that way (that’s when I realized I had a bobcat issue again and locked the guineas in while taking steps to deter the bobcat). I do get very attached to my birds but have gotten better about calmly dealing with their inevitable losses from free ranging. I remind myself that guienas prefer to free range, that they have a good life, and that they survive where chickens can’t.

 

[Sydney65]

They love ticks. There will be losses. You do your best and then do better, make sure their coop is secure & they're in it before dark,every night. There will still be losses,but not as many.
My coops are in the backyard, not far from the house. When they're in the coop, they're not loud. During the day & particularly during mating season, they can be. It doesn't bother us. They are enjoyable and I often sneak off to sit w/them.

 

[Sydney65]

Larger than a Sharp-shinned Hawk and about crow-sized, but males can be much smaller.

crow-sized

Regional Differences​

Cooper’s Hawks from western North America are substantially smaller (weighing around one-fifth less) than birds in the East.

MEASUREMENTS​

• Male
  • Length: 14.6-15.3 in (37-39 cm)
  • Weight: 7.8-14.5 oz (220-410 g)
  • Wingspan: 24.4-35.4 in (62-90 cm)
• Female
  • Length: 16.5-17.7 in (42-45 cm)
  • Weight: 11.6-24.0 oz (330-680 g)
  • Wingspan: 29.5-35.4 in (75-90 cm)

Look for Cooper’s Hawks to fly with a flap-flap-glide pattern typical of accipiters. Even when crossing large open areas they rarely flap continuously. Another attack maneuver is to fly fast and low to the ground, then up and over an obstruction to surprise prey on the other side.
They will eat chickens and guinea, if they have the leisure to do so in place. But they're smaller than guinea,won't be flying off w/full grown one, & "leisurely" isn't a premium for these hawks, bc they're always watching out for attacks from bigger hawks. They have learned that humans conveniently put outfood for local birds so will be seen at feeders. As always, everything is a threat to young guinea.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Sounds like our situation after a warm rain. The ticks this year are MADDENING with this weird weather we've been having. Yuck! But I have a real problem with guilt when something happens to an animal I care for - lol. I'm a wuss when it comes to losses.

I totally understand your view. It doesn't make ya a wuss! I guess I handle it by reminding myself that I moved into a protected forest, that I knew was full of animals, and they have to eat too, blah blah blah. Hawks are my number 1 guinea predator, but 90% of losses happen in the winter, when the hawks are desperate. Just a bit more info! Good luck with the tick problem

 

[R2elk]

Ours free ranged but unfortunatley not far enough.
I have to be honest and state that they were a lot of trouble for not a lot of joy and the Goshawks seemed to like them.
A further problem was while it is true they foraged well they are direct competition for the same type of forage as the chickens. If you free range chickens this might be a consideration.
They got moved on and are on my never try that again list.

Guineas aren't for everyone. Sorry your experience with them was not satisfying.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Larger than a Sharp-shinned Hawk and about crow-sized, but males can be much smaller.

crow-sized

Regional Differences​

Cooper’s Hawks from western North America are substantially smaller (weighing around one-fifth less) than birds in the East.

MEASUREMENTS​

• Male
  • Length: 14.6-15.3 in (37-39 cm)
  • Weight: 7.8-14.5 oz (220-410 g)
  • Wingspan: 24.4-35.4 in (62-90 cm)
• Female
  • Length: 16.5-17.7 in (42-45 cm)
  • Weight: 11.6-24.0 oz (330-680 g)
  • Wingspan: 29.5-35.4 in (75-90 cm)

Look for Cooper’s Hawks to fly with a flap-flap-glide pattern typical of accipiters. Even when crossing large open areas they rarely flap continuously. Another attack maneuver is to fly fast and low to the ground, then up and over an obstruction to surprise prey on the other side.
They will eat chickens and guinea, if they have the leisure to do so in place. But they're smaller than guinea,won't be flying off w/full grown one, & "leisurely" isn't a premium for these hawks, bc they're always watching out for attacks from bigger hawks. They have learned that humans conveniently put outfood for local birds so will be seen at feeders. As always, everything is a threat to young guinea.

Our Coopers are so sneaky! I rarely see them yet when I do, they seem to appear from out of nowhere. Once it was when I let the chickens out to free range. I stayed out with them to “keep them safe”. One hen had ranged pretty far (100 ft?) from the coop and flock to a lawn area. As I gazed her way, I suddenly noticed a blur of motion near her, which abruptly pulled up and left almost too quickly for me to track. Neither she nor I reacted until the hawk had already called off its attack. I guess the hen looked bigger close up, or maybe that’s when the hawk noticed me standing nearby. Last year we had lost two Guinea hens before I realized we had a predator and not hens on a nest. We then proceeded to cut back lots of brush as I thought it was a bobcat (oops!). That’s when I realized that the very nervous guineas were hiding in the brush a lot. The
Guineas saw me outside and came out of the brush to be near me. That’s when a sudden streak of motion came out of nowhere to dive near my head. A Guinea cock near to me flushed in a panic and the hawk left as quickly as it had come. The only good thing to come out of that is the experience seemed to spook the hawk enough that it stopped preying on the guineas. Red tails are bad too, but nowhere near as sneaky as those Coopers.