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.
