Guinea basics, please :)

[annabananaandfamily]

The ticks and bugs on our propperty this season is already out of control this year, and it is only just begining! I have a small (and ever expanding, isnt that always the way?) flock of chickens, but they just cant keep up with the bugs. I was thinking that I might add 2-3 guineas to our flock and hope that they will free range a bit further and better. Will they avoid the road and the driveway? We have 8 acres that is almost all wooded, will they go into the woods? I would really prefer that they go into the trees and the woods and get the bugs versus hangout in our little yard. HOw do they handle cold winters? We are in New England, so we get cold and snow. Anything you think I should know that i missed would be helpful too!

Thanks!

 

[KrisH]

Read everything Peepsca writes and you will soon be an expert.

you will pobably want at least 6+ guineas to be effective. ours stuck to the open areas until they were almost a year old, and have now begun spending a lot of time in the woods.

RobertH

 

[Trefoil]

1. They won't avoid the road or the driveway.
2. Even as adults they need to be protected in a secure coop/run at night
3. Mine go into the woods freely
4. Coop them as far from the road as possible and be prepared to try to keep them herded away from the road.
5. If you teach them to come to the coop when called, you life will be much easier
6. If you have neighbors, now is the time to talk to them, explain about guineas & ticks, ect. They are noisy and they like to visit the neighbors, You life will be easier if the neighbors like guineas to start with so do your prep work.
7/ Guineas fly over the fence really well, but are unable to fly over the fence to get home.
8. Guineas are frequently silly and a lot of fun. Good luck and enjoy

 

[PeepsCA]

LOL RobertH, I am far from being an expert but Thanks

 

[annabananaandfamily]

Thank you all for the info! Since we live on a busy road, I think guineas are out of the question for us. I would hate to lose one to being hit by a car. Who knows, someday maybe we will have a place off the beaten path and the guineas can roam, eating bugs and calling their silly calls.

 

[daylily]

Hi Annabanana,

Before you finally decide not to get them please note that I am in New England also, New Hampshire's lakes Region. They winter well in a coop. On the coldest nights we have a heat ed heater for their water not to freeze and a light bulb , which helps a lot. We do place plexiglass over the windows to help hold the temps steady. Also by feeding them alfalfa with their grain twice a day in winter (due to lack of outside food source). They can come out on clear cold days but hate the snow to walk in. It is so funny to watch them slide on the ice!!!!!

There is no guarantee that they will not cross the road but will probably stay close to your chickens. I have scared mine when they have gotten on the road with two large sticks chasing them to the back of the property. Only had to do it twice and so far they haven't gotten near the road since. They are definitely worth the effort as we are so overrun with ticks also. and my three do as good a job as they can. They are so full they don't eat their grain but a little in the mornings before I let them out.

Are you thinking of grown guineas or keeps? If grown ones please keep them in the coop for 6 full weeks before letting them out so they will know where home is.

Other than that hope you join us in the guinea fun and sometimes irritating habits! But those are few.

Ps Contacting neighbors is a good idea. Mine love them!

 

[perchie.girl]

Thank you all for the info! Since we live on a busy road, I think guineas are out of the question for us. I would hate to lose one to being hit by a car. Who knows, someday maybe we will have a place off the beaten path and the guineas can roam, eating bugs and calling their silly calls.

OMG.... I love your user ID......

Sorry OT.... I get distracted so easily.... hey maybe thats why I like guineas soo much....

 

[mkcolls]

We live on a sometimes busy state route, with a large auto parts plant, and school down the road. Also we have more than double summer traffic due to the lake area nearby. We got guineas last year to help with the high number of insects we deal with every year. We brooded chicks, keets and poults in our garage, just 200ft from the road. The guinea keets were kept there for 6 weeks.

All our fowl were then moved to our barn, 300ft from the road. The guineas were kept enclosed in the barn for 2 weeks to help them recognize home. After that they were let out through a pop door to an enclosed run. Of course being guineas in no time they were flying over the fence, and as said above, are still unable to figure how to reverse the process. We were diligent to herd them to the back yard each time they came to the front of the house. Now they may walk through the front, but only to get from one side of the house to the other. So far our guineas stay on our property. They do not go near or to the road.

We have 5 pearl guineas who move over our 2+ acres several times a day. We are surrounded by fields that are planted each year by the owner - no residence in sight.

All our fowl were allowed out during the winter, except for ice and high winds. Our guineas are the first out and the last in nearly every day. Yes, they love wooded areas, both trees and ground. They do have predators that can take them if they do not have access to a coop for night when they are most vulnerable. They share an unheated barn with the chickens and turkeys. (water was heated to keep from freezing.)

Our turkeys have escaped to visit workers at the plant several times and we have to watch them much closer than the guineas. The turkeys seek humans, the guineas just yell at them and run them off.

If you have the time to train them and get them used to their surroundings it is possible, even close to the road. I recommend day old keets, not grown birds, as they imprint on their first surroundings. Adult guineas must be penned up for at least 6 weeks to keep them from trying to find their previous home.

 

[annabananaandfamily]

The more I read about them, the more I want them!! We have a particularly troublesome neighbor right now who lives over the garage and I can just see her head exploding if we added guineas right now. In a couple of years though, when we have own the house, I think it will be perfect time to add guineas!