Security Guard Guinea Question

[Cagematmidnight]

I have had good luck with mine alerting me to bob cats and coyotes.
They also use to go off when my neighbor would come close to our fence line at night. After walking out with a flash light and gun in tow he stopped lingering around, and always proclaimed to hating them.

I've never had a mink/weasel problem (knock on wood) so don't know if they would alert to one.

 

[Nwygle93]

In my experience, if there are Guineas close by, in ear range, the smaller flock will join the larger flock and they are gone! Here there is a large wild flock, and thats where our Guineas went.
Before they left, I did see them attack a horse that was to close to their nest. Run off predators, no not at all!

HOLY MOLEY!! They are awfully brave to attack a horse. Of course they wouldn't have the guts to attack a small 5 pound critter...instead go after a 1,000+ pound animal

 

[R2elk]

HOLY MOLEY!! They are awfully brave to attack a horse. Of course they wouldn't have the guts to attack a small 5 pound critter...instead go after a 1,000+ pound animal

Guineas defending a nest are very likely to attack anything from a person to a predator. Unfortunately the attacks against predators don't last very long and the guineas quickly become dinner.

 

[Nwygle93]

Yea that is understandable. I suppose I was just mainly curious if the people claiming they were guard dogs meant they possessed "bite" vs "bark". Thanks to this thread, it seems they mean they are more, "bark"
I appreciate all the feedback! I'm still learning!

Guineas defending a nest are very likely to attack anything from a person to a predator. Unfortunately the attacks against predators don't last very long and the guineas quickly become dinner.

 

[MargaretAnneHK]

Curious but could the "mink" instead have been "fishers" as she said they were big?

 

[drumstick diva]

I've also read that guineas will shun a coop or such and roost/sleep high up in trees.
I would expect predators just wait there for them. With heads as tiny as they have, you really can't expect much of a brain inside.

 

[R2elk]

I've also read that guineas will shun a coop or such and roost/sleep high up in trees.
I would expect predators just wait there for them. With heads as tiny as they have, you really can't expect much of a brain inside.

It is all a matter of training. I do not allow my guineas to roost in trees and make sure they are all in their secure coop for the night.

Some people use treats to train guineas while I just use a long stick to herd them into the coop. Those that try to roost in the trees quickly get discouraged because I have a 20' long pole that I use to encourage them to leave the trees. It can seem like a circus at first but repetition brings the desired results. Now all I have to do is to tap the long stick on the ground to get them scurrying for the coop.

I do this because I did not force the guineas into the coop at night with my first flock and I lost the entire flock to Great Horned Owls. They would pick off one or two guineas every night until they got all of them. Of course the first one may have been due to lucky circumstances on the owl's part but once they found out what easy pickings and how delicious the guineas are they were not going to just forget about them. Owls simply land on the branch a guinea is roosting on and gently sidle over next to the guinea and then reach over and clip their heads off. They can the grab the dying guinea and dine at their leisure.

 

[Nwygle93]

Curious but could the "mink" instead have been "fishers" as she said they were big?

Somebody in another thread suggested that. I had to look up the range of Fishers, because I hadn't even thought of them. But it turns out their "natural" range is nowhere near Ohio. But, that doesn't mean somebody didn't have some as a pet and let them loose. You just never know with people anymore.

 

[Nwygle93]

It is all a matter of training. I do not allow my guineas to roost in trees and make sure they all in their secure coop for the night.

Some people use treats to train guineas while I just use a long stick to herd them into the coop. Those that try to roost in the trees quickly get discouraged because I have a 20' long pole that I use to encourage them to leave the trees. It can seem like a circus at first but repetition brings the desired results. Now all I have to do is to tap the long stick on the ground to get them scurrying for the coop.

I do this because I did not force the guineas into the coop at night with my first flock and I lost the entire flock to Great Horned Owls. They would pick off one or two guineas every night until they got all of them. Of course the first one may have been due to lucky circumstances on the owl's part but once they found out what easy pickings and how delicious the guineas are they were not going to just forget about them. Owls simply land on the branch a guinea is roosting on and gently sidle over next to the guinea and then reach over and clip their heads off. They can the grab the dying guinea and dine at their leisure.

I bet that is pretty entertaining to watch lol. As for the owls tho...wow...what a sad way to go. I know it's just nature, but I swear I just loathe predators

 

[Chickassan]

We've got fishers in South Carolina, don't know how we got them but we do. We also have tons of rabbits that the fishers love to eat. They are viscous predators, I've got a skull around here somewhere teeth nearly as impressive as a bobcat.

Somebody in another thread suggested that. I had to look up the range of Fishers, because I hadn't even thought of them. But it turns out their "natural" range is nowhere near Ohio. But, that doesn't mean somebody didn't have some as a pet and let them loose. You just never know with people anymore.