New to Guineas

[srosales1996]

I just put an order in for 6 French Guineas at my local feed store. I've never had Guineas but I have chickens and ducks. We have had a really bad tick problem and I've read Guineas help control them naturally. We also have lots of snake issues. Just out of curiosity how big of an issue are hawks to an adult guinea?

 

[Firekin1]

Congrats on getting Guineas!! They're excellent bug hunters. The ants and ticks surrounding my property have pretty much disappeared thanks to my guineas. I have mine roam free, we have a red tail hawk and a snow owl that have made a home in our trees and neither have ever bothered with the guineas, BUT larger species of hawks, eagles and owls can kill your guineas, especially if they have no place to take cover. If you let them free range all the time, expect to possibly lose one here and there. Only way to protect them 100% of the time is to fence them in top to bottom.

 

[red horse ranch]

I just put an order in for 6 French Guineas at my local feed store. I've never had Guineas but I have chickens and ducks. We have had a really bad tick problem and I've read Guineas help control them naturally. We also have lots of snake issues. Just out of curiosity how big of an issue are hawks to an adult guinea?

I've had guineas over 3 years now and they free range, covering 25 to 30 acres every day. We have all kinds of hawks and eagles but have never lost a guinea. I've seen mine get in a tight group and honk VERY loudly and it seems to scare away the predator birds. And they've done it with dogs too. The most important thing is having them trained to sleep in a coop at night and shut the doors. If they roost in trees they are very vulnerable to owls and other predators.
On another note, We used to kill rattlesnakes on our property every year. Our neighbors still do. But since getting guineas I've not seen a snake around here. Or mice for that matter. The grasshopper plague in our pasture has disappeared too.

 

[srosales1996]

I've had guineas over 3 years now and they free range, covering 25 to 30 acres every day. We have all kinds of hawks and eagles but have never lost a guinea. I've seen mine get in a tight group and honk VERY loudly and it seems to scare away the predator birds. And they've done it with dogs too. The most important thing is having them trained to sleep in a coop at night and shut the doors. If they roost in trees they are very vulnerable to owls and other predators.
On another note, We used to kill rattlesnakes on our property every year. Our neighbors still do. But since getting guineas I've not seen a snake around here. Or mice for that matter. The grasshopper plague in our pasture has disappeared too.

That is about how much land we have as well with what we are on and we are also attached to my parents. They are fine with them ranging their properity also. How many do you have for 30 acers? Will 6 be enough?

 

[red horse ranch]

I only had 8 the first few years. I have 14 now because I hatch and sell keets. Most people will start out with 6 to 10 guineas.
(I say 'start out' because chicken math works with guineas too!)

 

[srosales1996]

I only had 8 the first few years. I have 14 now because I hatch and sell keets. Most people will start out with 6 to 10 guineas.
(I say 'start out' because chicken math works with guineas too!)

Awesome. Just out of curiosity where are you from?

 

[red horse ranch]

Awesome. Just out of curiosity where are you from?

Beautiful Buffalo Wyoming!

 

[srosales1996]

Beautiful Buffalo Wyoming!

Jealous!

 

[red horse ranch]

Jealous!

You wouldn't be jealous today. 39 degrees, snow, rain, snow again, 40 mph wind.
But the grass is green and the mountains are white! Love it!

 

[srosales1996]

You wouldn't be jealous today. 39 degrees, snow, rain, snow again, 40 mph wind.
But the grass is green and the mountains are white!  Love it!

I would enjoy that.