Guineas in the Road

[co2002guardian]

Can anybody explain to me why my guineas like to play suicide on the gravel/paved road. I have over 20 acres for them to wander...and they do, but they love to play chicken on the road with cars.

 

[microchick]

I'd like to know that answer myself.

One of the Amish farms in our neighborhood has a large flock of Guineas. Several weeks ago, DH and I were traveling down the highway, crested a hill and suddenly I was yelling GUINEAS! The little idiots were casually strolling down the middle of our lane. The flock was big enough that it covered the entire lane. At least they were going the right direction but it was all we could do to keep from plowing into them.

Maybe that is where the term 'bird brain' came from.

 

[co2002guardian]

Yea, My neighbors laugh and seriously call them suicidal as they will leave the side of the road and cross right in front of a car!

 

[microchick]

I find it amazing that they have absolutely no sense of danger. This same flock has been seen casually ambling down the shoulder of the highway without a care in the world as traffic whizzes by them. They don't start, run or startle, they just keep waddling along their merry way single minded in their desire to reach their destination. Three or four Guineas doing this would be cute, but when it is 25 or 30 birds you almost wonder if there isn't some sort of telepathy going on between them and they are out looking for the mother ship so they can go back to their home planet...where ever that is.

My husband is always asking me if we are going to add Guineas to our flock and I just remind him about the little air heads waddling down the highway with a death wish.

 

[persimmonhill]

We have lost multiple guineas as roadkill. We have 40 beautiful acres of fields and they still think the grass is greener on the other side. I have to say, since their numbers have decreased they are less bold. And many sites claim they can be trained if you constantly chase them away but who has time to guard the road all day? Little bird brains is right.