Should I get Guinea

[DellaNTuff]

I am very very interested in getting Guinea, I have read lots and I think I would love them but have a few questions.

I understand that are topnotch foragers and love bugs, do they truly make a difference in the bug and fly population? We have so many flys from the bedding packs and winter feed pens from the cattle. That is what originally spiked my interest ... Fly control.

Second. Are they truly smart and cleaver with safety and predators? I do not free range my chickens at this time, have a half section right at home they can go on but nope got go sit on the road :/ and go visit the dog pens and get themselves hurt :/ not a cleaver bunch of chickens I have at the moment lol. I don't think I would get them if they could not be out during the day, it seems they really like to forage and get out out, almost need to. Is that correct?

Also I have read they are very winter hardy. I would have a coop for them and also the one part of the barn is always open to get into. What would they need for heat? I live in central alberta canada. Winters can be pretty cold.

 

[R2elk]

I am very very interested in getting Guinea, I have read lots and I think I would love them but have a few questions.

I understand that are topnotch foragers and love bugs, do they truly make a difference in the bug and fly population? We have so many flys from the bedding packs and winter feed pens from the cattle. That is what originally spiked my interest ... Fly control.

Second. Are they truly smart and cleaver with safety and predators? I do not free range my chickens at this time, have a half section right at home they can go on but nope got go sit on the road :/ and go visit the dog pens and get themselves hurt :/ not a cleaver bunch of chickens I have at the moment lol. I don't think I would get them if they could not be out during the day, it seems they really like to forage and get out out, almost need to. Is that correct?

Also I have read they are very winter hardy. I would have a coop for them and also the one part of the barn is always open to get into. What would they need for heat? I live in central alberta canada. Winters can be pretty cold.

I have seen no evidence of the guineas reducing the fly population. Right now mine have been feasting on grasshoppers. They are reported to be really good at eating ticks but they can only find ticks where they roam. If they cannot range in a specific area they will not be able to control ticks in that area.

Guineas are a danger to themselves when it comes to predators. Roosting in trees at night causes losses to climbing predators and owls. They are ground nesters and like to have hidden nests which makes the hens extremely vulnerable to nighttime predators.

They will make so many false alarms that you will not have any idea when an alarm is real. Their value as a predator deterrent is only in large groups. That behavior also is how they can be easily picked off by predators.

Many posters complain about keeping their guineas off of the road. I do not have that problem with mine.

I do not provide heat in the Wyoming winters that can get down to -30°F every year. My guineas have done fine without heat. They must be provided with a water source that is not frozen.

Good luck.

 

[chickenMamee]

I am very very interested in getting Guinea, I have read lots and I think I would love them but have a few questions.

I understand that are topnotch foragers and love bugs, do they truly make a difference in the bug and fly population? We have so many flys from the bedding packs and winter feed pens from the cattle. That is what originally spiked my interest ... Fly control.

Second. Are they truly smart and cleaver with safety and predators? I do not free range my chickens at this time, have a half section right at home they can go on but nope got go sit on the road :/ and go visit the dog pens and get themselves hurt :/ not a cleaver bunch of chickens I have at the moment lol. I don't think I would get them if they could not be out during the day, it seems they really like to forage and get out out, almost need to. Is that correct?

Also I have read they are very winter hardy. I would have a coop for them and also the one part of the barn is always open to get into. What would they need for heat? I live in central alberta canada. Winters can be pretty cold.

I agree with the other person’s post. The Guineas holler when they see a hawk or an airplane. They also are curious so even though they sound out a danger warning, they still hang around therefore make easy pickings for predators. The only other thing I will add is if you have chickens, they will be bullied by the guineas. My large rooster occasionally gets enough of the intrusions and will tussle with a guinea.
Also, I haven’t noticed any bug declines around my place. They do free range
though.

 

[R2elk]

I agree with the other person’s post. The Guineas holler when they see a hawk or an airplane. They also are curious so even though they sound out a danger warning, they still hang around therefore make easy pickings for predators. The only other thing I will add is if you have chickens, they will be bullied by the guineas. My large rooster occasionally gets enough of the intrusions and will tussle with a guinea.
Also, I haven’t noticed any bug declines around my place. They do free range
though.

I do not raise my keets with chicks. This prevents them from becoming imprinted by chickens and they grow up knowing that there is a difference between them and chickens. I also house my guineas separately from my other poultry. I can free range the guineas and the rest of the poultry in the same area at the same time without any interaction between the guineas and the others. The guineas keep to themselves and the chickens keep to themselves.

 

[DellaNTuff]

Ok thanks for the info. Glad I asked sounds like I was quite misinformed!

 

[Beer can]

Guineas are awesome!! I loved mine when I had them, and loved all the noises they made, they are cool as crap. As far as how many ticks they may have ate I couldn't tell ya, never really paid much attention to what all they were eating.
But, the one's I didn't lose to predators played 'chicken' in the road... 100yrd driveway and hundreds of acres of fields and woods around us, and they for some reason liked getting hit in the road.
When I got them my brother said they would all get hit in the road, nah we're a long ways off. He said this cause a town over a farm had lots of them and we used to see them dead in the road all the time. So counting me I know two people that had this happen.

 

[DellaNTuff]

My house is quite close to a dead end road, so that for sure is a huge concern for me.

I will have to think hard over winter if I do want to get some or not. I think they just look and sound all kinds of awesome!

 

[50-45-1]

I have had guineas for years, and i love them. I dont always understand them and make no mistake,they are much different than chickens.
They are loud. I dont always know what they are alarmed about but, the chickens listen and go on alert and dive for cover avery time. Our dogs also go investigate when the guineas sound the alarm. This tells me the other critters have learned to depend on the guineas warning.
I have had good and bad expierence with guineas as mothers. If i find the nest i take the eggs and put them under a broody chicken or in my incubator.
I notice a reduction of ticks when i have guineas.
They can be rough on chickens, but i notice more individuals being so not as a whole.
Here in michigN i have had a few fly up 40 feet in a tree limb in winter and refuse to come down and have frozen to death.
My favorite story about my guineas. ONe summer a hen guinea showed up in the yard with about 16 keets. The entire flock of guineas became serigate parents. They were ultra on edge and surounded her day and night. I had to cut them a wide birth as they did not let anyone to close to their new family. One day there was a huge comotion on the one side of the house in a stand of blue spruce. I looked out the window and there was a mangey coyote 6 feet from the group. His ears were laid back somewhat as the NOISE hurt his ears. He would advance then back up as they would move with him back and forth. I could not believe it! I think the coyote was confused as these creatures did not behave like other prey. Anyway, his hesitation gave me time to go grab the gun,and get a good shot.
Another time i observed a guinea meet a hawk in mid air as it was swooping in low.
They are amazing creatures.
Make sure your neighbors will not object to the noise.

 

[memphis]

Hope your noticing a reoccurring theme here...noise....

 

[DellaNTuff]

Hope your noticing a reoccurring theme here...noise....

Yes I did know they would be noise!!! Hopefully enough to drowned out my children lol joking ..... Sort of