potential guinea keeper

[bagendhens]

i never thought about keeping guinea, because some i worked with at the zoo put me off...
but over time ive realized it was simply a lack of knoweledge on my part...
see id never been around guiea before and then they told me there 'just like chickens" and they are realy not.

now i have a better understanding of them in thinking they might be a good addition to my homestead...when i get it...

the house im looking at is 2 1/2 acres with an ant problem (looks to be sugar ants rather then fire, but im nto 100% certain as i didnt get close enough to realy check lol) and im told guinea love ants

theres a shelter on the back of the garage that i was thinking if i could partition it off a little (the entire shelter back there is about 8 x 30, so i was thinking of giving them 8 x 10) as a "coop" and eventually letting them free range (obvioulsy not untill there used to "home")

do you think 6 keets would be enough to rid the ants and control the other bugs on 2 1/2 acres or should i get more? ill also be raising some chickens in tractors so dont want to overwhelm the property, i want ant decimation and general bug control rather than total isnect decimation lol.

i was also wondering if anyone had any luck "training" thier keets, im not sure if id feel ok with leaving them loose overnight so was wondering if they can be conditioned to come to a bell or similar, i was thining of ringing a little bell every time i give food, in hopes the adults will know bell means treats and i can put those treats in the guinea coop each evening then lock them in for bed...

id love one day in the far distant future to also add a pair of peafowl, would they be able to live with the guinea assuming enough room?!

 

[damselfish]

Our guineas free range over more than 3 acres out of our 40 plus a cornfield across the dirt road, so I doubt you'd get them to stay on your property.

If you raise and train them so that they know where home is and they trust you, they will (barring accidents and occasional guinea-ness) come home at night to the coop. A fence will not keep them on your property. So that leaves your neighbors playing host to your guineas for part of the day. Even for a tolerant neighbor, that can get old very fast due to the noise.

We love our guineas and they play a huge role here in eating bugs and warning off predators. It sounds like your particular situation might not suit them if the neighbors are too close.

If you decide to do it, remember that if you start with six keets, you will not end with six guineas. Young guineas get themselves killed and since they are a very flock-reliant bird, being left with just one or two is a "wrong" state of affairs in their mind and they will not be as happy or as safe as they are when there are several.

Good luck with your decision, I don't mean to sound negative but just want to warn you about how they are. As you say, definitely not just like chickens.