How many Guinea?

[NWHeather]

When I started looking into breeds to get, I considered getting a Guinea or two to help with ticks and fleas (I have a marmot colony on my property that I am working on evicting).

I decided not to get any when I got my chicks, because I didn't want to annoy my neighbor. Most of the lots out here are 5 acre sized, but mine and my closest neighbor are 2.5 (formerly a 5 acre lot split in half).
Well a few days ago, when talking to that neighbor about the chickens, and he told me I should get Guinea hens because they're excellent for predator alerting, and it will help cut down on loss due to predators.

So now I am preparing to get Guinea, but I don't know if I should get just one or two.

I have mostly chickens, and 5 ducks (any drakes will be rehomed).
I won't be able to get any Guinea babies for at least a month. They will start off in a brooder in my spare room. When/ how do I introduce them to my flock?

 

[hysop]

Guineas are a flock bird. They stick together and move as a unit unlike chickens that just run wherever. Guineas will stick together all day and night. It’s best to keep guineas away from other birds. So house them separately.

If you can I would get at least 6. Any less and they’ll mess with your chickens and other birds.

 

[NWHeather]

Guineas are a flock bird. They stick together and move as a unit unlike chickens that just run wherever. Guineas will stick together all day and night. It’s best to keep guineas away from other birds. So house them separately.

If you can I would get at least 6. Any less and they’ll mess with your chickens and other birds.

Really? I've heard they can be kept with chickens, if raised with them, and the chickens follow them when they run into the coop to get away from predators.

 

[hysop]

Really? I've heard they can be kept with chickens, if raised with them, and the chickens follow them when they run into the coop to get away from predators.

They can free range together and get along yes. But in the long run if they are kept in the same coop and run the guineas will begin picking on the chickens. Usually around mating season and then most of the time once the guineas start being mean to the chickens it won’t stop.

So you can keep em together at the beginning if it will be easier, but as they get older when you see them picking on your chickens, make plans to make them their own coop.

 

[R2elk]

When I started looking into breeds to get, I considered getting a Guinea or two to help with ticks and fleas (I have a marmot colony on my property that I am working on evicting).

I decided not to get any when I got my chicks, because I didn't want to annoy my neighbor. Most of the lots out here are 5 acre sized, but mine and my closest neighbor are 2.5 (formerly a 5 acre lot split in half).
Well a few days ago, when talking to that neighbor about the chickens, and he told me I should get Guinea hens because they're excellent for predator alerting, and it will help cut down on loss due to predators.

So now I am preparing to get Guinea, but I don't know if I should get just one or two.

I have mostly chickens, and 5 ducks (any drakes will be rehomed).
I won't be able to get any Guinea babies for at least a month. They will start off in a brooder in my spare room. When/ how do I introduce them to my flock?

Read Raising Guinea Fowl 101 and pay particular attention to posts made by @PeepsCA .

Brooding and raising keets with chicks removes the guinea's ability to understand that chickens are not guineas. When breeding season starts, the guineas will revert to their natural instincts. The chickens do not and cannot understand the chases and attacks from behind. They can get extremely stressed out from these behaviors that they do not understand.

I never recommend having fewer than 10 guineas. They do best in large groups.

Getting just a couple of guineas will not solve your tick problem.

 

[NWHeather]

Read Raising Guinea Fowl 101 and pay particular attention to posts made by @PeepsCA .

Brooding and raising keets with chicks removes the guinea's ability to understand that chickens are not guineas. When breeding season starts, the guineas will revert to their natural instincts. The chickens do not and cannot understand the chases and attacks from behind. They can get extremely stressed out from these behaviors that they do not understand.

I never recommend having fewer than 10 guineas. They do best in large groups.

Getting just a couple of guineas will not solve your tick problem.

Thank you for the reply!
Now I'm second guessing if I should get any Guineas.
I do not want that many.
I was basing my decision to get them on my neighbors comment about them being good for the chickens with predator alerting. The bug/tick eating is an added bonus and why I initially considered them.

 

[R2elk]

Thank you for the reply!
Now I'm second guessing if I should get any Guineas.
I do not want that many.
I was basing my decision to get them on my neighbors comment about them being good for the chickens with predator alerting. The bug/tick eating is an added bonus and why I initially considered them.

You will probably not be able to contain guineas on 2.5 acres. I have seen claims that game hens are just as good at eating ticks as guineas are. You just don't want to get any game roosters.

 

[mkeawsh]

Really? I've heard they can be kept with chickens, if raised with them, and the chickens follow them when they run into the coop to get away from predators.

If you raise them with the chickens, they will think the chickens are guineas and guineas are lot rougher on a chicken than they can handle - feather pulling and stress on the chicken. Mine were raised separate and they could see chickens while they were being raised but that was it. Now that they are free-ranging, they don't even notice the chickens even when they are grazing close to them.

 

[mkeawsh]

Thank you for the reply!
Now I'm second guessing if I should get any Guineas.
I do not want that many.
I was basing my decision to get them on my neighbors comment about them being good for the chickens with predator alerting. The bug/tick eating is an added bonus and why I initially considered them.

They are good watch dogs.