Have Chickens, but still want Guinea

[PeepsCA]

10 Guineas is a decent number to start with...12-18 would be where I'd start tho if your neighbors are ok with them ranging all over (10 make just as much noise as 18, lol). It's always a good idea to start with twice as many as you would like roaming your property because predators, traffic and other causes always take their share of the flock... and then with Hens going off to brood eggs in secretive places never returning that takes out a few each season too. But when you said "a few" I picture 3, lol. I liked having 24-28 free ranging full time originally when I first got serious about waging my war against ticks and snakes, but due to the extra heavy predator load in my area I'd have to add more each season. Since my property is fully fenced now I haven't integrated any more in with them in quite a while, but predators and my own dogs (if the birds fly over the fence into the dog's 1 1/2 acre yard when I am not around) have still reduced my free range flock down to 9 over the past 3-4 yrs. I plan on integrating a dozen or so more in later this season... if the Guinea Gansters are receptive to it (they are not nice to newbies, lol).

50 Guineas running amuck around the neighborhood would be nuts, lol... I have 90+, but they don't all free range 24/7, and when they are free ranging they have their own separate pastures (and they stay home, lol).

 

[Kilsharion]

10 Guineas is a decent number to start with...12-18 would be where I'd start tho if your neighbors are ok with them ranging all over (10 make just as much noise as 18, lol). It's always a good idea to start with twice as many as you would like roaming your property because predators, traffic and other causes always take their share of the flock... and then with Hens going off to brood eggs in secretive places never returning that takes out a few each season too. But when you said "a few" I picture 3, lol. I liked having 24-28 free ranging full time originally when I first got serious about waging my war against ticks and snakes, but due to the extra heavy predator load in my area I'd have to add more each season. Since my property is fully fenced now I haven't integrated any more in with them in quite a while, but predators and my own dogs (if the birds fly over the fence into the dog's 1 1/2 acre yard when I am not around) have still reduced my free range flock down to 9 over the past 3-4 yrs. I plan on integrating a dozen or so more in later this season... if the Guinea Gansters are receptive to it (they are not nice to newbies, lol).

50 Guineas running amuck around the neighborhood would be nuts, lol... I have 90+, but they don't all free range 24/7, and when they are free ranging they have their own separate pastures (and they stay home, lol).

Well, I am picking up chicks, today and running all over on Saturday. There are a few people between here and there (the places I'll be) that have some keets hatching out. I may see if I can up the number to 14-16, since they are in the brooder, right now, it shouldn't be too difficult to integrate new stock, just yet - I wouldn't think.

We actually live at the very end of a rather long road that has exactly two other properties on it. One side of the road is one neighbour, the other side of the road is the other neighbour....the dead end of the road turns into our driveway, so we don't have much traffic at all to speak of. The only ones coming down the road live here or are delivery folk. Sometimes we have company out this way; but, we always warn them to not drive down the road faster than 20mph or they are likely to hit something....my road is called "Fawn Glen" for a reason.

So, traffic isn't a problem. And, the folks around here trap/kill the foxes and coyotes PDQ, so they are pretty much a non-issue. All of our dogs are more likely to go check out what the Guineas have found than mess with the Guineas. Our neighbour's dogs are huge to tiny...the big ones, though, are livestock (poultry and goat and sheep) trained. We've (currently) not had a problem with them bothering the birds when they are let out to roam around. Generally, though, the dogs are penned up during the day and let out at night - which is about the opposite of what I'd be doing with the Guineas....though, if the Guineas decided to get into the kennel....well, that's on them

 

[JLeigh]

kilsharion, it sounds to me like you have it all worked out well, especially keeping the guineas penned at night. That helps cut down on predator loss a lot. I wish my neighbors were okay with guineas on their property, but (sigh) I'm not lucky that way. They're pretty obnoxious about it

, and they have more property than we do. Grrrrr. I hope they spend an hour getting ticks out of their hair when they go out to do yardwork. LOL.

I take my guineas out "for a walk" around my property when the weather is good enough for me to get my lazy self out there to do it. I hate cold. Warmer weather will help. I'm hoping to get mine to a point where they can go out for a couple of hours each day just to eat weeds and grass everyday. I use a second person and we herd them in a circle with herding sticks. It's pretty funny to watch, but it works.

Good luck with your flock!

 

[Kilsharion]

. I use a second person and we herd them in a circle with herding sticks. It's pretty funny to watch, but it works.

Good luck with your flock!

That sounds fun to watch. Guinea herding!

Thanks for the well wishes. Learning a lot reading through the Guinea posts

 

[Jennsbirds]

10 Guineas is a decent number to start with...12-18 would be where I'd start tho if your neighbors are ok with them ranging all over (10 make just as much noise as 18, lol). It's always a good idea to start with twice as many as you would like roaming your property because predators, traffic and other causes always take their share of the flock... and then with Hens going off to brood eggs in secretive places never returning that takes out a few each season too. But when you said "a few" I picture 3, lol. I liked having 24-28 free ranging full time originally when I first got serious about waging my war against ticks and snakes, but due to the extra heavy predator load in my area I'd have to add more each season. Since my property is fully fenced now I haven't integrated any more in with them in quite a while, but predators and my own dogs (if the birds fly over the fence into the dog's 1 1/2 acre yard when I am not around) have still reduced my free range flock down to 9 over the past 3-4 yrs. I plan on integrating a dozen or so more in later this season... if the Guinea Gansters are receptive to it (they are not nice to newbies, lol).

50 Guineas running amuck around the neighborhood would be nuts, lol... I have 90+, but they don't all free range 24/7, and when they are free ranging they have their own separate pastures (and they stay home, lol).

Would 2-3 guineas be too much or too little for an average back yard? I don't know how to estimate guineas

 

[Mehjr10]

You should be ok, but i l like even numbers so the guinea math would have to kick in and i would go for four

 

[JLeigh]

I'd start with no fewer than six if I had your setup. Ten is just fine, and like Peeps said, 10 don't make any more noise than six, so I'd go with 10. I hate to say this, but you'll probably lose a few to predators. Go for 10. JMHO

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote: Guineas are not your average back yard birds... they need room to free range and wander, or they get stupid and aggressive towards your chickens... or they wander off and you will never see them again. Plus they are LOUD.

It is possible to manage a flock of Guineas on a small piece of land, but IMO you'll have to be VERY diligent with babysitting them to keep them home, and also do extra monitoring for aggression issues going on in the coop/pen.

Guineas do not typically do well in small numbers, especially when housed with chickens.

 

[Jennsbirds]

[COLOR=4B0082]Guineas are not your average back yard birds... they need room to free range and wander, or they get stupid and aggressive towards your chickens... or they wander off and you will never see them again. Plus they are LOUD.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=4B0082]It is possible to manage a flock of Guineas on a small piece of land, but IMO you'll have to be VERY diligent with babysitting them to keep them home, and also do extra monitoring for aggression issues going on in the coop/pen.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=4B0082]Guineas do not typically do well in small numbers, especially when housed with chickens.[/COLOR]

Thanks for the advice. I love in very urban area and don't intend to move to a rural one. While we don't have problems with ticks, we do have black widows. A guinea looks best, but I want to give all my birds comfort hey deserve and don't want to adopt birds I can't take care of properly

 

[Tikkijane]

Thanks for the advice. I love in very urban area and don't intend to move to a rural one. While we don't have problems with ticks, we do have black widows. A guinea looks best, but I want to give all my birds comfort hey deserve and don't want to adopt birds I can't take care of properly

Chickens will take care of black widows with no problem. Fwiw.