Guineas and Dogs

Josiekat

In the Brooder
6 Years
Jun 18, 2013
22
1
22
Western Oregon
So I'm looking into getting guineas next spring (or as soon as they are available), but I have a weimaraner pointing dog. They have been bred for hundreds of years to hunt upland game birds. He's not a trained hunting dog, but the instinct is all there. I read somewhere else that guineas can escape (or occasionally attack) dogs, but is it a risk not worth taking? Will the guineas usually make it away alive, or not?
 
I have a 5-year old chocolate lab, and I raised my new keets last summer around him where he could see them grow up, hoping he would consider them part of his pack. He never warmed up to them really, and he would chase them occasionally when they made sudden movements but never attacked them. That was last year.

This spring he caught and killed two guineas. We have figured out that if he is outside when we let them out in the mornings, when the birds are excited to be out and run around like crazy people, then he is more likely to chase them. If they stay relatively calm and just walk around, he can resist the urge. If they are running or flying, he loses control and just HAS to chase them.

The birds have never tried to attack him. They have always been afraid of him. Hope this helps!
 
Totally depends upon the dog. We have a Black Russian Terrier, which is a guard dog, but very very mellow and intelligent. She ignores the guineas because ( i think) she realizes they are brainless. She guards the chickens and even the chicks. We have a resident wild pheasant right now and the pheasant igmores our Bess too.
 
So I'm looking into getting guineas next spring (or as soon as they are available), but I have a weimaraner pointing dog. They have been bred for hundreds of years to hunt upland game birds. He's not a trained hunting dog, but the instinct is all there. I read somewhere else that guineas can escape (or occasionally attack) dogs, but is it a risk not worth taking? Will the guineas usually make it away alive, or not?
Guineas typically panic/go brainless and forget they have wings rather than fly to safety when a dog (or any predator) is after them. They are strong flyers and have great ability to get away, they don't always use it tho.

And I agree with they'reHISchickens, it does depend on the individual dog.... and their training and obedience level. How does your dog behave around your chickens? Does it ignore them, is it totally focused on them and anxious when it's around the coop/pen? Has it killed any? If the dog has, or is ever overly anxious around your other birds... chances are that it's going to want to get the Guineas too. They are noisier, flightier and have a higher energy about them than most other poultry breeds... all of which makes them very tempting to any dog with a high prey drive/instinct to chase.

I doubt the Guineas will attack your dog, unless it's a cranky Hen protecting her nest of eggs or a clutch of keets, or maybe a cocky male being possessive of his Hen. All my birds steer clear of my dogs. I have seen a couple of my broody Guinea Hens attack my goats tho when they were sitting on a pile of eggs and the goats got too close/too nosey (they decided to make a nest and lay in the goat's shed, dumb birds lol).
 
Thanks for the input everyone! I guess I'll just have to separate the dog and the guineas 'cause he's quite prey driven has killed one chicken.
 

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