guineas as snake protection?

[kgdubois]

I have heard from a few people that guineas make excellent snake protection/deterrant/killers and am wondering if any of you have experience with this? I live on a big ranch in West Texas, prime rattlesnake country. I have a one-year-old son and am very nervous about him being out & about on the ranch because of the snakes. In the past few years we've lost many cats, several dogs and my mother literally had a rattlesnake fall ON HER HEAD as she walked in our kitchen door (it had somehow slithered up the doorframe & was sitting on the top of the screen door :-O ahhhhh).

I have 24 chickens, and have plenty of room for the guineas to free-range to their little hearts' content, but would love some information on their snake-killing capabilities. Also, I've heard that guineas are very noisy, is this true?

Thank you in advance!

 

[zazouse]

Never seen mine kill a snalke but they sure will let ya know when ones around but then they will sound the alarm if i cut a tree down just cause it's different looking now.

My cats on the other hand want to play with them,

This snake is always on our steps and it makes my hubby dance when he goes outside and almost steps on him, i laugh so hard cause this snakes got hubby trained to go around, he pops his head up and holds his ground cause he knows that my hubby will go around.

 

[zazouse]

PS.

 

[ColbyNTX]

we use to have copper heads everywhere untill we got guineas and turkeys. My wife would just about grab them when he pulled weeds from the folwer bed. They would curl up in the pine bark mulch and be hard to see. Haven't seen one in the yard for years. Yes, guineas are noisy but some get use to it and my wife doesn't mind since there are no snakes. If you get guineas and they are too noisy then get peacocks!

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote:
LOL, yer a dirty bird Colby!

 

[kgdubois]

thanks y'all! i really appreciate the info

i'm really getting into the guineas -- they are so cute!

 

[ColbyNTX]

Don't know if you have an incubator or a broody chicken but I will sell you some of my lavender guinea eggs for a dollar each if you want some. The shipping would be about $14.50 and I am in East Texas so they should ship well. I was going to put them on auction later this week because I am leaving the country and will not set any eggs the next 3 weeks. Send me a PM if interested.