Guineas and snakes

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

I have seen ours chase them but never attack a snake. The noise they make does drive them off.

Steve

 

[txchickie]

Ours will scream and circle/surround a snake (and armadillos, as I found out yesterday

), but haven't killed one yet. They've pecked and harrassed, but that's it.

We have rattlesnakes GALORE around here, but the guineas do a good job of running them off or at least alerting us to them.

 

[stephen skinner]

Guinea fowl are a wondeful addition to your homestead if you don't mind the noise. They're death on ticks and any other insect they incounter. They are bullies in the barnyard and insist on eating first but they never seem to hurt any chickens and got along fine with my ducks and geese.mine ranged freely and were never caged. They roost high. Tree tops or the peak of barns and outbuildings. I had 12 that roamed my five acres and sometimes my neighbors yard. They never bothered my garden. As for snake killing? My near neighbor warned about rattle snakes and showed me a 5 gallon water j7g about 1/4 filled with rattles he had collected over several years. He never went out without his pistol loaded with bird shot and killed snakes every week in the warm months. We lived there for 5 years and never saw a snake on our property. I saw them in neighbors yards on either side and in the road that ran in front of our property so I know they were around. I never saw the guineas acctualy kill a snake but I watched them fine comb every square inch of the property. When we moved my neighbor asked to buy my guines. There worth a try and good addition.

 

[member 447614]

Ive seen Guinea fowl kill Rats, Garter, and Rat snakes, even Rattlesnakes, Copper heads, and Water Moccasins. And I've even just seen them encircle Rats, and snakes, and just harass them till they move off out of the chicken area. It really depends on the bird, and the age. Older Guinea fowl will kill, and young will harass.

 

[BoogieBug]

I have seen ours chase them but never attack a snake. The noise they make does drive them off.
Steve

This is interesting. I wonder if that's why my guineas suddenly started squawking at dusk. They turned 11 weeks old on Monday, and yesterday evening, they started making a ruckus. When I go outside to check on them, they are not distressed... just standing there clucking up a storm! Maybe they're warding off a snake?!! Hmmmm...

 

[red horse ranch]

I think it depends on the guineas. I live in rattlesnake country too. When we first moved here we killed a lot of them around the house. Then I got guineas and never saw a snake for 5 years. After selling the older guineas we started seeing snakes again. The younger guineas we've had since then will just sound the alarm until we kill the snake. I have killed 2 rattlers recently including one in the chicken pen. Most of the birds were just watching it. But the guineas did raise a ruckus which caused me to look for a snake. So I wouldn't count on guineas solving all your snake problem. But they do seem to help.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Yep
Circle and discuss.