Do Guineas eat mice and gophers? Fact or fiction.

[CDennis]

I have two guineas, I heard they will eat mice and gophers but I am not sure if this is just rumor of fact. Anyone had an experience w/ a guinea eating either? I know my chickens will play keep away with gopher heads after the cat eats the rest. But its hard for me to imagine the guinea actually catching and killing a mouse/gopher. If so, that's great and I will be keeping all my soon to hatch guineas because we have quite the gopher and mouse problem around our farm.

 

[txchickie]

I am going to say no.........but ours attack armadillos and snakes

Our chickens are good mousers, but I've never seen the guineas show interest in mice.

 

[artsyrobin]

i have seen ours catch mice, and the race is on- i suspect if it moves they will try....

 

[shelleyd2008]

Mine tried to catch a big squirrel that was trying to bury his walnut in the backyard today, so I'd say they'll at least try it!

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Gophers? Gophers are pretty big. Do you mean something else?

 

[allanimals21]

Mine LOVE mice. Although it can be a lil bit brutal. One day one of my hens had one by the tail and was slamming it into the wall. But anyways if they see it they are on it. As far as the gophers one of my two years ago had a gopher. It was running through the yard with it in its mouth like it was the best thing ever. lol

 

[BellLisamo]

i was wondering the same. however, my ducks eat mice!

 

[Guinea Goonie]

I have seen the chicken hens eat small mice, but the Guineas usually go for the snakes.

I have NEVER seen either go after a Gopher though.

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
I`d have to say an guinea would meet it`s match with a squirrel. I sure hope mine are death on mice, though. I live in the woods and mice are always getting in the house, no matter what we do........Pop

 

[LuvMyFowls]

FACT: One of my 3 year old guinea hens just ate 4 thumb size baby gophers. My son found a newly made nest of gophers this afternoon in the back of the barn in a corner. This gopher must have gathered feathers from all of our fowl pens because her nest was as big as a basketball made up of nothing but all types of fowl feathers. Well he gathered the baby gophers up and they were all squeaking loudly. As soon as she heard the squeaking noise, she came running right up nearly on top of his shoes wanting them. He pitched one to the middle of her pen and the race was on for her to snatch it an sling it and then she proceeded to swallow it once she had pulverized it several more times. Not one second later was she already back at his feet waiting and begging for another. I stopped him from giving her any more after the 4th one. It is brutal watching her with it prior to swallowing. She has always been my most petted guinea hen, but I saw a different side of her today with that baby squeaking gopher. My son said it's all about the level you are at in the food chain.

Now our young chicken hens and roosters would just stare of the little squeakers, but my older buy wiser chickens, of which are petted, two hens; road island & silver laced wyndotte with a proud beautiful Easter Egger Rooster snatched them as fast as they hit the pen floor. They would run around carrying them and then start shaking them brutally. It got a little messy with the chickens, but they did eat them completely up and want more as well.

Our Peafowl; peacocks, would not do anything with them at all. Just glanced down at them a couple of times and then went on back to doing their own business. Maybe they think they are too proper for baby gophers.

I have never seen any of my fowl looking for mice or gophers. Hope this helps. Still love my fowls!