Need advice on Guinea Fowl

[Nikasha]

Since this thread seems to be getting a fair amount of response from guinea owners... We are moving to our little 9 acre farm next month, but probably won't get fowl until next spring. I'm trying to figure out what I want, and what order to get them in. I saw one person above mention guinea killed on the road, I think. I'm trying to figure out if that might be a big factor on our new property.

Our house is toward the front of our property, which borders a somewhat busy 50mph road. Just behind the house, the property has a slope down ~20 ft and the current chicken house is at the bottom of the slope. More than half of our property is behind the chicken house, but I understand the guineas won't necessarily go where you think they should. I'm just wondering about the road we're on. I've read that guineas have little respect for roads and will hang out in the road. If I get guineas, should I expect guinea roadkill on the regular?

 

[Anabariful]

Since this thread seems to be getting a fair amount of response from guinea owners... We are moving to our little 9 acre farm next month, but probably won't get fowl until next spring. I'm trying to figure out what I want, and what order to get them in. I saw one person above mention guinea killed on the road, I think. I'm trying to figure out if that might be a big factor on our new property.

Our house is toward the front of our property, which borders a somewhat busy 50mph road. Just behind the house, the property has a slope down ~20 ft and the current chicken house is at the bottom of the slope. More than half of our property is behind the chicken house, but I understand the guineas won't necessarily go where you think they should. I'm just wondering about the road we're on. I've read that guineas have little respect for roads and will hang out in the road. If I get guineas, should I expect guinea roadkill on the regular?

This is a big point for me as well. Our house sits on a road that is 1 Road over from the main highway in our area so traffic is pretty heavy. It's mostly large vehicles such as utility vehicles and the speed limit is 50/55mph.. :/

 

[R2elk]

Since this thread seems to be getting a fair amount of response from guinea owners... We are moving to our little 9 acre farm next month, but probably won't get fowl until next spring. I'm trying to figure out what I want, and what order to get them in. I saw one person above mention guinea killed on the road, I think. I'm trying to figure out if that might be a big factor on our new property.

Our house is toward the front of our property, which borders a somewhat busy 50mph road. Just behind the house, the property has a slope down ~20 ft and the current chicken house is at the bottom of the slope. More than half of our property is behind the chicken house, but I understand the guineas won't necessarily go where you think they should. I'm just wondering about the road we're on. I've read that guineas have little respect for roads and will hang out in the road. If I get guineas, should I expect guinea roadkill on the regular?

Guineas can be trained to stay away from roads. My property is on a corner intersection with a road directly on my north and a highway on the east. I have never had my guineas get on either road. I have a fenced in area for them and they have learned to stay in except for breeding and laying season when some fights cause certain males to leave their confinement area to avoid continuous harassment.

The training method that works is to make it uncomfortable for them to be in areas other than where they are supposed to be. One woman would chase her guineas while flapping a towel and shouting at them. They quickly learned to stay away from her undesired areas and stay in her approved areas.

 

[Anabariful]

Guineas can be trained to stay away from roads. My property is on a corner intersection with a road directly on my north and a highway on the east. I have never had my guineas get on either road. I have a fenced in area for them and they have learned to stay in except for breeding and laying season when some fights cause certain males to leave their confinement area to avoid continuous harassment.

The training method that works is to make it uncomfortable for them to be in areas other than where they are supposed to be. One woman would chase her guineas while flapping a towel and shouting at them. They quickly learned to stay away from her undesired areas and stay in her approved areas.

That is brilliant! I wonder if this would keep my chickens out of my garden ahaha

 

[Clucksworth12]

I must say that guineas are not that big of a trouble. They stay around home and eat bugs and insects. They will NOT attack your chickens unless they are in a place too tight, like roosters. They will fight off any ore after and can be sorta tamed to know their master and owner. They eat chicken feed too. It's bets to have them free range. They do not leave home and don't get killed by predators alot due to their fighting nature. I have two and have had many more. Don't be scared if a female goes missing for a week or two. She will go off or into hiding to ensure the saftey of her babies. Your field would be the perfect habitat for them!

 

[Anabariful]

I must say that guineas are not that big of a trouble. They stay around home and eat bugs and insects. They will NOT attack your chickens unless they are in a place too tight, like roosters. They will fight off any ore after and can be sorta tamed to know their master and owner. They eat chicken feed too. It's bets to have them free range. They do not leave home and don't get killed by predators alot due to their fighting nature. I have two and have had many more. Don't be scared if a female goes missing for a week or two. She will go off or into hiding to ensure the saftey of her babies. Your field would be the perfect habitat for them!

Thank you! This gives me hope! I really do want some and seem to enjoy their quirks but I'm worried about cars and pestering my other poultry. :/

 

[R2elk]

That is brilliant! I wonder if this would keep my chickens out of my garden ahaha

Contrary to what many believe, I think guineas are much smarter than chickens. You can fence your chickens out of your garden but I don't believe that they can be trained to stay out of your garden.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

The chasing them out of the road thing might work if you are always home. There are 9 hours a day when my guineas are free ranging and I am not around so they are free to do what they want, whether they just want to hang out near the runs or go play in the street it up to them.

Having two guineas is a bit different then having a large flock. I would not say that the harassment towards the chickens or other fowl is motivated solely by space issues because they will do it on occasion even when everyone is free ranging and have access to our two acres plus all of the surrounding farm fields. 90% of the time they get along just fine with everyone, though (when free ranging).

If a female goes missing it will be longer than a week since it takes four weeks for the eggs to hatch. Mine have been pretty good about nesting relatively close to the house. This is the second year in a row that I've had one nest and go broody under the giant Hosta under our living room window, which I like because it is a safe area and I can hear if anything happens during the night. The other place they like is our burn pile when it is full of brush, which tends to irritate my husband because he suddenly feels an undying need to burn it and I tell him to wait until the hen is done brooding. The hen that nested there last year was killed by a fox about two weeks in, though, so it is close but not necessarily safe. Their "fighting nature" is often more bark than bite. They are good about evading predators by flying up in the trees, but I have also witnessed them walk cluelessly within 20 feet of a crouching fox. The majority of losses have been during the night when they were being jerks about roosting in the coop at night (like I said, I don't have that issue with this current bunch) but I did lose at least two during the middle of the day while they were laying. I lost one of my turkeys the same way. You can make "suggested" nesting areas, but if they are free ranging then it is really up to them as to where they decide to nest.

As far as training them to stay out of the garden/landscaping, I've never seen the need since they don't dig it up like the chickens do. They just walk through and grab some insects and a bit of vegetation here and there and then move on, while the chickens act like they are digging for gold and trying to rearrange the plants. :/

 

[chickfilletNOT]

I never leave my guineas penned up with the chickens. If I go out of town they have to sleep in the trees, that's just the way it is and I hate it when I lose one but I know I can't trust them to act decent towards the chickens. Every day I let the guineas out of the run first thing in the morning and then I close the run up and let the chickens out of their coops. When my husband gets home from work he lets the chickens out to free range. Sometimes I kick roosters out, too, .

If you go out of town, do you leave a feeder out for them? I will have to do the same thing this fall, leaving them in the trees (which is what they want anyway) but if I leave a feeder out for them, I will attract raccoons and possums I fear.