Guineas in the vegetable garden?

[TurkeyMountainChickens]

So, I've read Gardening with Guineas - but how do guineas do in the vegetable garden? Do they eat any vegetables, or will they really just eat the bugs?

Also, my garden has a six foot deer fence, which also keeps out the free ranging chickens. Can guineas be trained to fly in and debug the place?

Thanks!

 

[PaMiniFarmer]

I'm looking in to getting guineas and was wondering the same thing.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

Well thats what attracted my husband to the idea. He read it too as well as a lot of other things. We have a vegetable garden, not a pretty flower garden. There are a lot of members that have testified to the claims in that book on this section, but you would have to search way back. I forgot the name of the topic.

 

[Struttn1]

If you free range your guineas prepare for them to not only to be in your garden but also on top of your house and in the middle of the road in front of your house. They never shutup. Even at night.

 

[Akane]

Mine are absolutely silent at night unless you get near them. It depends on how much light pollution you have around you. If it doesn't get completely dark birds don't completely go to bed.

I'm betting on guineas still eating vegetables. Maybe you could get away with tougher veggies but I can't see them avoiding the typical tomatos. Mine demolished grape vines pretty well last year and helped the chickens dig through the compost for any damaged veggies.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Quote:
Me, too. I was wondering if I could just clip their wings, would that stop them from flying over the fence in the garden?

 

[TurkeyMountainChickens]

I'd been envisioning bug patrol for my veggies - last year the squash bugs and Mexican been beetles did in quite a few of my plants. And I don't even know WHAT it was that ate my broccoli. I'd love for bug picking birds to control the pests!

But, my husband does grow heirloom tomatoes in the same plot. Do you think they'd really eat the tomatoes? What else might they go for?

 

[stu3796]

Mine like pumpkins... A LOT! Never had a problem with them eating tomatoes. In fact last year one made a nest in my tomato row right underneath a great big tomato plant, hatched out 9 keets, and never touched a tomato. But I have heard of others having trouble with them getting into tomatoes.

 

[jeanker]

I cooped my guinea keets in the garden for 7 weeks so they would not wander too far. They are 2 1/2 mos old now and are loose in the garden. They seem to love eating kale but they're leaving all my other plants alone. For anyone who has considered guineas for the garden, don't release them until your plants are mature. They do eat bugs but they are rough on the leaves and have broken a few branches off tomato plants. They are not eating the tomatoes or the tomato plants, however. All in all, I don't regret having them in there. A little damage is worth the bug eating. Btw, they think I'm their mother

 

[mooneeks77]

I think my guineas are broken!!! They are pretty quiet! We live out in the country and our house is on a road that is not traveled except by the people that live on it and our hosue is a ways back from the road., so we don't hear too much traffic. They do not make any noise when we come up the driveway, or when we leave. They don't make any noises at the dogs or cats. Pretty much the only time they make noise is in the morning when we first let them out for the day. They run down the ramp squacking and then come back in, and they also squack when going inside for the night. They seem to follow us around also... they do super cute stuff but they sure are getting ugly!!!! Everyone keeps saying that they are so noisy but we just haven't had that experience, maybe I should be thankful huh? LOL