Preditors?

[Annastin]

So does anybody know what the best arial protection animal is? Now I know that some people use geese or a rooster I have a flock of silkie hens who free range my garden but they can get in a secure coop if needed. Any segetions on which one if either?

 

[50-45-1]

alot will depend on your particular set up and space you have avaliable.
What works for me is my flock of guineas. you wont find many critters that will spot a hawk faster and sound the alarm louder than a guinea.
I have lots of acreage, multiple outbuildings, no close neighbors, and i LOVE them and the racket they make does not bother me.
People either love them or hate them.,
I lik3 geese but mine fell victu,m to preditors.
I always have a rooster but he is as likely to be hawk dinner as the hens. More likely if he tries to protect them.
A rooster will also sound alarm, but if you have never had a rooster they come with possible problems like over breeding the hens, aggression to people, and noisy also.
Good luck!

 

[Annastin]

alot will depend on your particular set up and space you have avaliable.
What works for me is my flock of guineas. you wont find many critters that will spot a hawk faster and sound the alarm louder than a guinea.
I have lots of acreage, multiple outbuildings, no close neighbors, and i LOVE them and the racket they make does not bother me.
People either love them or hate them.,
I lik3 geese but mine fell victu,m to preditors.
I always have a rooster but he is as likely to be hawk dinner as the hens. More likely if he tries to protect them.
A rooster will also sound alarm, but if you have never had a rooster they come with possible problems like over breeding the hens, aggression to people, and noisy also.
Good luck!

Thank you so much

 

[cmgunn5]

We have guineas also, and OMG are they loud and YES, they sound an alarm for anything they see. This is our first flock of guineas and ours are DUMB as rocks. Are they ALL like that, I'm not sure, but ours are.

 

[Annastin]

We have guineas also, and OMG are they loud and YES, they sound an alarm for anything they see. This is our first flock of guineas and ours are DUMB as rocks. Are they ALL like that, I'm not sure, but ours are.

Haha thank you!

 

[50-45-1]

I'm not sure about dumb, I think is more 'different' or 'missunderstood'.
How these critters survive and thrive on the African tundra and plains tells me they are not dumb. I have seen a male guinea fly 8 feet in the air to attack a swooping hawk. Also a group of my guineas who were co-raising a clutch of keets, scretching an yelling at a coyote in our stand of blue spruce. And the coyote confused about what exactly they were. Stood long enough for my husband to get the rifle.
Like I said people love them or hate them.

 

[Folly's place]

Try to visit some first; guineas and peafowl are definitely for a select few! I could hear them from 1/2 mile away at the neighbor's, when they had them. LOUD!
Mary