Guineas in the vegetable garden?

[GuineaFowling]

My guineas are the only poultry I have that are allowed in the veggie garden. They don't damage anything. I grow cilantro, tomato, squash, bitter melon, spinach, peppers, cucumbers, aubergine (egg plant), and various melons. Sometimes My guineas will spend the whole day in the cilantro and come out smelling lovely. They don't touch the other plants aside from cherry tomatoes and smaller roma tomato's. The larger ones are untouched. Of course I only allow them in after the plants have matured or they will damage the younger plants. I grow organic so I rely on the guineas to remove pests and it works. If they are in the garden they don't fly and hardly make a sound.

 

[jenandkids]

My guineas are eating my entire garden - I am so disappointed because I love my garden but they really are keeping the tick population under control. They started by eating bugs, but have moved on to whole melons, zuchini and tomatoes. I am trying to determine if we fence the garden, if it will keep them out or I just have to get rid of them. Help anyone? I don't want to spend hundreds on a fence and they just fly over.
Thanks!

 

[R2elk]

My guineas are eating my entire garden - I am so disappointed because I love my garden but they really are keeping the tick population under control. They started by eating bugs, but have moved on to whole melons, zucchini and tomatoes. I am trying to determine if we fence the garden, if it will keep them out or I just have to get rid of them. Help anyone? I don't want to spend hundreds on a fence and they just fly over.
Thanks!

Depending on the size of the garden will determine if the guineas will still fly in. My garden is approximately 75' x 75' fenced. The fence is approximately 8' high and was put in to keep the deer out. Because of the location of the garden I do have the rare guinea and turkey that flies in to get to the chicken/turkey pen. The only one that does any damage is a wild turkey hen that for reasons unknown to me will just clip off the top of the onions or even go so far as to pull the green onions. Fortunately she hatched her clutch and moved on for this year.

If you want guineas to be able to be in the garden you must never feed them any of the goodies that come from the garden. If they don't develop a taste for what is growing in your garden they will leave it alone. In my experience, guineas are slow to try new foods unless the food is moving.

Good luck.

 

[Chrisnotdebourg]

Guineas are a variable species. I got mine (10 keets) for bug control. The are 3 months old and when allowed outside the coop they demolish comfrey plants (which i need for other purposes). Plus they are mad birds - spooked by anything including the guy who feed them since day-old. All in all they aren't that magic bullet for bug control with minimum collateral damage, they are advwrtised for. Mine don't even eat volorado beetle or beetle that play dead when touched.

 

[Sydney65]

Agreed. Mine don't want anything to do with produce, even if I offer it to them. They go through my garden and the field rows picking off bugs but not produce. The one thing they will do if given a chance is dust bath in the garden, and that can uproot young plants. My garden is a series of 4x4 boxes.I have weed barrier down-where that is, they have no interest. But where there is none, they have a good old time rolling around. They uprooted some strawberry plants before I netted them. Another perennial "box" is chives that grow in clumps that I haven't netted. They get in there and do their thing, but stay between the clumps. I have to add soil now and then, but they don't damage the chives at all and smell like they're ready for the oven.
Not sure if it's reality or wife's tale,but supposedly onions and garlic are deterrents for some creatures. I do have onions scattered throughout the garden,and never had much of a critter problem. It makes me wonder if their actions are a defense mechanism from predators. But I've not read anything supporting it.

 

[frogleggs]

Funny posts!!! They are an odd bird, but guite entertaining. Used to have them, looking forward to getting them for my new homestead, expecially for bugs, thats all, Im not going to ask them to do anything else.

 

[frogleggs]

Im wondering if any different breeds differ, like being kinder to the garden then others. I mainly want to keep ticks off my property. If anyone can comment of what kind they have and what they like or dont like, that might help determine what kind I might get

 

[R2elk]

Im wondering if any different breeds differ, like being kinder to the garden then others. I mainly want to keep ticks off my property. If anyone can comment of what kind they have and what they like or dont like, that might help determine what kind I might get

If you want guineas to leave your garden plants alone, don't give them any treats from the garden.

 

[Sydney65]

The breed is most commonly helmeted guinea fowl. The different colors are just different colors,like our hair.
What they like or don't like is most often what they've experienced while young. A lot of ppl feed theirs watermelon, mine won't touch it. But they love celery & herbs.
Like everything, ppl have diff experiences. My coop and run are adjacent to my garden, I want them there, bc I don't like chemicals on my food but used to come in constantly carrying ticks.
I plant things for us, for them, and for all of us. Many herbs are very good for them, and they always come out of the run and go straight to their herb area (theirs bc I companion plant herbs with my veggies, but have one area that's just theirs.)
I've never had a problem with tomatoes or most other vegs, and I say this with confidence based on the fact that they aren't loose unless I'm w/them.
Hence when my neighbor claimed that my guineas dug up her perennials, I told her she'd better check her rabbit herd living under her deck, bc 1) I'm w/them 2.) I have tons of perennials, and they've never dug them up. 3. She has so many wild rabbits over there she could fully cast Watership Down.
Numi used to go over there- the only one. But she's broody right now and only comes out to eat drink and relieve herself before racing back in. And I'm out there.
r2elk told me onions are bad for them, and I've since read that. Mama used to pull them out. I thought she was eating them, but then realized she wasn't.
The rest don't mess with ONIONS. They love chives, so I make sure they have plenty growing. They don't mess with the ONIONS, but Kept pulling out and eating my young leek sprouts early on. so those are blocked off from them. They don't eat the green beans, which are supposed to be poisonous ti them, but will nibble on the leaves. The only plant they have disturbed was freshly planted strawberries that did not have established root system. Even then, it was just a matter of repositioning. They have their own pea and spinach patches growing. Mostly they want the bugs- grubs,worms,tics, whatever those hard crusty brown bugs are (some kind if beetle), japanese beetles, moths, bees if they get a chance. Not a complete list, just some of what I've witnessed.
I think it comes down to being able to share your space. You wear garden shoes that don't go inside bc you know you're bound to step in droppings. You don't yell or scare them, you just redirect if they go in an area you don't want them in. Don't start them off with treats from the garden you don't want them to eat those things.
If you have rows, they'll dust bathe in the rows. Mine are raised boxes, so I just make sure some of the boxes have space for that. Their peas are with the black berries this year, so there's plenty of space on the ground. Numi tends to dustbathe in the elephant ear pot (she's kinda "special") and she manages to do it without damaging the plants.

 

[frogleggs]

The breed is most commonly helmeted guinea fowl. The different colors are just different colors,like our hair.
What they like or don't like is most often what they've experienced while young. A lot of ppl feed theirs watermelon, mine won't touch it. But they love celery & herbs.
Like everything, ppl have diff experiences. My coop and run are adjacent to my garden, I want them there, bc I don't like chemicals on my food but used to come in constantly carrying ticks.
I plant things for us, for them, and for all of us. Many herbs are very good for them, and they always come out of the run and go straight to their herb area (theirs bc I companion plant herbs with my veggies, but have one area that's just theirs.)
I've never had a problem with tomatoes or most other vegs, and I say this with confidence based on the fact that they aren't loose unless I'm w/them.
Hence when my neighbor claimed that my guineas dug up her perennials, I told her she'd better check her rabbit herd living under her deck, bc 1) I'm w/them 2.) I have tons of perennials, and they've never dug them up. 3. She has so many wild rabbits over there she could fully cast Watership Down.
Numi used to go over there- the only one. But she's broody right now and only comes out to eat drink and relieve herself before racing back in. And I'm out there.
r2elk told me onions are bad for them, and I've since read that. Mama used to pull them out. I thought she was eating them, but then realized she wasn't.
The rest don't mess with ONIONS. They love chives, so I make sure they have plenty growing. They don't mess with the ONIONS, but Kept pulling out and eating my young leek sprouts early on. so those are blocked off from them. They don't eat the green beans, which are supposed to be poisonous ti them, but will nibble on the leaves. The only plant they have disturbed was freshly planted strawberries that did not have established root system. Even then, it was just a matter of repositioning. They have their own pea and spinach patches growing. Mostly they want the bugs- grubs,worms,tics, whatever those hard crusty brown bugs are (some kind if beetle), japanese beetles, moths, bees if they get a chance. Not a complete list, just some of what I've witnessed.
I think it comes down to being able to share your space. You wear garden shoes that don't go inside bc you know you're bound to step in droppings. You don't yell or scare them, you just redirect if they go in an area you don't want them in. Don't start them off with treats from the garden you don't want them to eat those things.
If you have rows, they'll dust bathe in the rows. Mine are raised boxes, so I just make sure some of the boxes have space for that. Their peas are with the black berries this year, so there's plenty of space on the ground. Numi tends to dustbathe in the elephant ear pot (she's kinda "special") and she manages to do it without damaging the plants.

Thanks for the time you spent telling me your exp.!!!