how many guineas make a happy flock?

[lhowland]

I had to buy 6 guineas per state law here in NY, I then got 6 chicks a few weeks later, then 4 more chicks a few days after that. I never had a problem until I figured out that one guinea was a male along with a female guinea kept attacking the hens. He has since been rehomed along with the aggressive female. I now have 3 guinea hens with 10 chickens, they all get along. There is an occassional squabble but I think that is just the pecking order thing going on. They all roost together and basically hang together or in groups of 3-4, intermingling all the time.

How I taught my guineas to stay near home, I tied a string loosely around her leg and let her out of the coop for 5-6 days, since they like to stick together, she walked around the coop, not wanting to go too far, then after those 6 days, I tied a string around another and got that one acclimated. After that I took the plunge and let them all out together, I never had a problem getting them to come to the coop at night or them straying out of the yard. Good luck!!

 

[naturespace]

Quote:
Interesting. What is the law? If you have x acres you must have Guineas to eat ticks?

Thanks for the advice.

 

[lhowland]

Quote:
Interesting. What is the law? If you have x acres you must have Guineas to eat ticks?

Thanks for the advice.

I don't know the exact law but the farm store wouldn't sell me less than 6 guineas or chickens. I HAD to buy 6, some silly NYS law, I suppose. I have 10 acres but only 2-3 are cleared. I had a terribel japanese beetle problem 2 years ago, slugs and just your normal bugs. This year I noticed, which is the first year I had chickens and guineas, NO bugs. I never saw a japanese beetle, ants, slugs or anything creepy crawlie! I did buy the guineas specifically to eat the ticks. I had a dog that got Lymes disease and almost died.

 

[StevenW.]

Pretty birds and nice pen!

I think the guineas are rubbin off on me.. I'm ordering 25 Naked Neck (Turken) chicks from Nava on here. I think they look fine with their Naked Neck..

Their kinda like the Guinea of the chicken world!

(Except they are a TON quieter!

)

 

[PeepsCA]

LMAO.... I thought you were cutting back on birds!!!!!

 

[secuono]

I had 5 Guineas living with my chickens. They never bother them. Males are stupid loud and annoying, I sold the 3 males.
Now there are only the two hens, they are still civil and friendly.

Just saying, in my case, no evil birds, not to other birds or anything. They also do just fine the two of them.

 

[5littlehens]

Including the chickens I would say about 6 to 10. When they breed and such and die then it'll even out.

 

[Wnunezcruz]

I would say you would need at least 3 females and 1 male guinea. My guineas are penned up, but i let them out in the summer sometimes. Mine like to fly to the woods sometimes but always come back. I had them in the same pen and coop as my chickens before but they would fly over the pen during the day and would have trouble getting back in at night. so i seperated them.

 

[GuineaLady93]

My friend had one male guinea with her chickens and he was just fine. Its really however many YOU want. If you just want 1 or 2...fine. If you want more, even better! (if you ask me

)

 

[StevenW.]

Quote:
Yeah... about that.

Surely Peeps you can understand..

But the thing is though... I'm going to have an extra coop once I find out who the females are and keep a male, they'll be put in a movable tractor.
After thinking about it.. I'm gonna have another half part of a coop and pen because my call ducks are going to be paired up for spring this year in their new breeding pens.
So, Ahem. I will have extra pens/coops.

And plus with my luck almost 3/4 of them will be males!!