Guineas as guards

[twocrazygirls]

I read all the time about guineas chasing off a fox and killing a mink. Will they really do that? Would they deter a raccoon or just become raccoon food? I'm looking for something to help me protect my geese or at least alert me so I can go shoot the coon.

 

[sourland]

Guinea fowl will provide a vocal announcement as to the presence of a predator, but most predators will readily kill guinea fowl.

 

[Sfraker]

I have lost two guinea fowl to dogs. However, I have witnessed my remainingg two guinea fowl chasing my neighbors german shepherd mix off my property, attacking and chasing off a hawk that landed to try to get a mouse and attacking and killing small snakes. They are not to be messed with. Luckily they like me and follow me around hoping for hand outs.

 

[twocrazygirls]

Awesome- I have 15 coming

 

[kaitbray]

I have two guinneas. About 11 weeks old . Almost lost all there fuzz on their heads. When can I trust them to free range? They live in a coop and run with chickens but they are getting so large and I'm sure "cooped up" (*chicken pun ). I know they would rather roost in trees and I have plenty . Just don't want to let them out to early, I would be more than happy to coop them up every night if they decide to return but I'm sure am not going to be running around my land trying to herd them.

 

[twocrazygirls]

I'm new to guineas too so can't offer much info on when to let them free. I plan on just letting mine free roost too so hopefully someone will answer.

 

[red horse ranch]

Guineas should always be trained to go back to the coop at night. Otherwise they are just owl and predator food!

I usually let mine out to free range at 3 to 4 months old. They don't usually go very far the first year.

 

[SueT]

We had 6 guineas for many years and let them free range 24/7 as they were our tick patrol. They roosted in trees, which, in retrospect should have been prevented early on. They could not protect themselves against nighttime predators, which is when we'd occasionally

lose one. After a few years they all were gone. I don't know if they would be any use against daytime predators, but our donkeys were. I have seen our 2 standard donkeys chase dogs away. But donkeys cannot go past a fence, and they did not protect the guineas at night, even tho the trees the guineas roosted in were in the donkey pasture, and the donkeys often slept underneath. The guineas ate flies and bugs that bothered the donkeys who would hold very still for this enjoyable activity.
Guineas can fly well and may be able escape an attack, but I just can't imagine them protecting anything. Their alarm call, which sounds like an alien attack siren , is definitely a heads up, and might help your other birds to get to safety. It would bring us out of the house in a hurry, but more often than not, there was nothing amiss. They are very noisy birds, make sure you have understanding neighbors, or, as in our case, no neighbors in hearing range.

 

[bbgranch]

I have seen my guineas chase off a fox, a raccoon and a coyote! That was during the day. It is quite funny to watch because the entire flock starts their alarm call and then runs at the offender with wings flapping. Any of those predators could easily kill the guinea, but I guess they are so freaked out when 25 flapping and squawking birds come at them, they just run. They also alarm on snakes. And they keep a good eye out for hawks and alarm on those as well. I think they help my chickens since I don't have an adult rooster yet. Never seen the guineas actually kill something larger than a grasshopper however. The chickens seem to be better killers, but that's just frogs, lizards and mice.

The guineas that don't come in to the coop at night do not fair well at my place. We have coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, owls, raccoons, ring tail cats any of which can get guineas even when they roost in the trees. So I try my best to get them all in before sundown.
I start letting mine out of the coop after 2 or three months.

 

[bbgranch]

this is a very funny picture!