So Far, I Hate Them!

[Narragansett]

Have you ever owned Guineas? Read my post, s-l-o-w-l-y this time for the answer to that question.

Guineas eradicated my tick problem on 10+ acres within a couple years, ranging every square inch of it. Granted, it's not the wilds of Africa, but it was brushy and tick ridden when I bought the place. Tick free now, so am I, and so are all my horses, dogs and cats. Your opinion of Guineas being tick predators being "propaganda" is just that, an opinion. But its fact/reality to many. Well, also your opinion.

Their uses are somewhat limited? LOL! Seriously? Free range eggs (for years longer than a typical chicken will productively lay), Sure, and almost every day, almost all year long, like most good layers? And there is a market to sell those eggs to those who will eat them? Guineas eggs do not have a distinct flavor that is detectable in foods that are cooked with them?LEAN meat, Sure, how long does it take to get to market size, how much meat? Chickens are not much better at this? keets, Chickens don't produce chicks? pest and weed control, Chickens don't do this too? alarm system? Sure, if you like an alarm system that goes off when the mailman comes, your children's friends come over, the dog goes out, the dog comes in, a leaf falls, or just for no reason at all. I beg to differ. I'm beginning to wonder if you've ever kept Guineas.

And don't most chickens just stick around close to the coop and wait for... oh, what's that junk they eat? Oh yah, scratch. Have ya seen the price of corn lately? You don't feed your Guineas any supplemental feed whatsoever?

Those of us that actually own and raise Guineas know the facts about their benefits

And btw, my Guineas definitely got the memo, (all of the memos actually). They more than earn their keep on my land.

Your loyalty to them is admirable. As I wrote, I do admire Guineas too. I just think that I'm more realistic about what they are, and what they are not.

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote:
Loyalty is an understatement, I love and appreciate the breed and do what I can to help others do the same. Guineas are a breed all of their own, and it takes a certain breed of people to appreciate them... obviously not everyone does. As I said above, to each their own tho.
And Thanks for the chuckle about wondering if I've ever owned Guineas

 

[perchie.girl]

I let my 7 Guineas free range for the first time three days ago. All they do is make a ton of noise, destroy my plants, and poop on the driveway (and today my deck)! I got them to eat the ticks on my property. They haven't left the yard close to my house and won't venture out into the wooded area at all.

I'm really not enjoying them. Will they eventually chill out and start roaming more?

Yep they chill but it takes a while. You are putting them back in the coop at night right? When they first go out they are pretty stupid about stuff. Not that they are extremely bright in the first place they have their own guinea logic but it doesn't include going back in the gate they got out of.

I wouldnt completely free range them all the time let them out a couple hours a day then get them to go back in the coop where the surroundings are familiar. As they get used to a routine then you can free Range them during the day. Always make them come in at night though or you will loose them one by one.

By bringing them back in the coop they will quiet down some and be less "destructive" Also put some shiny objects out in the yard so they can admire thier refelction away from the sliding glass doors on the house. Or the car. Also bringing them back in before hubby gets home might be helpful too. This is till they mature.

Once my Guineas got past their Spring time Mating rituals they quieted down about fifty percent. And after the hens started laying eggs they quieted down even more. Now Mine only alarm when they see something that is upsetting like a hawk or Ravin flying overhead. And Yep it was a year.

Oh and I have had guinea eggs they are wonderful. For a smaller egg than a chicken egg they have the same sized yolk. Very creamy, cooked over medium. My chicken eggs are for sale the guinea eggs are not.... LOL They are mine.... hee hee.

My motivations for havning guineas are first and foremost to offer up the same first alert that Geese do. I live by the border to Mexico and from time to time people cross through my property either Border patrol or others. My guineas let me know what I cant see. And I have personally seen them escort a coyote off the property charging at him and threatening to peck him. This helps defend my chicken flock.

deb

 

[muddychicken2]

I just can't help but chuckle when I see people falling for this Guineas as tick predators propaganda. Sure, they do eat them, but so do chickens, ducks, turkeys and peafowl. Some time in the last 20 years some enterprising Guinea breeder hit on the idea of appealing to the gullible, spurned on by their heightened fears of things like Lyme disease, to promote this use as a way to sell more Guineas. They have their attraction, but let's face it, their uses are somewhat more limited than other poultry. The appearance and the noise don't help endear them to just the same type of people who are like to fall for a good story like this. Do Guineas range further away from their coop while foraging, covering more ground? Maybe, but a similar sized flock of chickens will do the job just as well. Add a few more if you need more coverage, and you'll get more use out of them than any sized flock of Guineas. Don't get me wrong, I do like and keep Guineas, but I also like to think for myself. Does anyone know where there is more tick borne illness than anywhere else in the world? Africa. Does anyone know where Guineas originated, are still found in the wild, and are still kept domestically as we do? Africa. Hm mm, maybe I'm going to promote chickens there as tick predators. I'll make a killing. Their Guineas obviously haven't gotten the memo about what their job is supposed to be.

They will actually look for ticks and chickens just eat what they find they do not look for certain things like guineas do guineas are much more help full and lay almost all their life.

 

[Narragansett]

Quote:
I can see that this is a very emotional issue for you. You're misinterpreting my realism as hate. Big difference, but drama does go hand in hand with the emotional component.
BTW, Guineas are a species all their own, not a breed. There are no breeds of Guineafowl, unless you make a distinction between the French Guinea and the traditional type, but as the French Guinea has never really been recognized and standardized anywhere, it's more correctly termed a strain. The many colors in which Guineas are found are correctly termed varieties. But with all of your Guinea experience, you knew all of that already, right? Referring to the species as a breed was simply a momentary lapse, I guess.

 

[PeepsCA]

There's no drama coming from this direction, I'm not the one hatin'

Nit-picking my choice of words, really??? LOL! Bored Narragansett?

 

[Fishbone]

Give them some time to get used to things.
I went to a breeder today, he had about 50 free ranging guineas and about 20 keets released a few days ago, and 20 more going to be released.

Around the yard there were two or three flocks, about 15 birds each, all were older, hardly a peep from them.
Just some kind of chirping, not noisy at all!

Even when I walked up to them, some sort of squawk from a few, and they moved away.

When I drove out the driveway I heard some noisy squawking as I drove by a few but nothing nerve rattling and they calmed down after I passed by!

With over a hundred birds I imagine in the evenings it would get very noisy, but give yours some time.

 

[mrbstephens]

Thanks everyone! They have already quieted down a bit like everyone said they would. The poop isn't getting concentrated to one area anymore either, because they are exploring a little more each day. Yesterday, they had actually wandered over to the neighbor's yard and I had to escort them back.

I do put them in a large wood house at night (used to be my daughter's playhouse).

My husband says he still hates them, but I think he'll get used to them more over time.

I never actually thought of the eggs. Do they need a nesting box???

 

[KrisH]

Thanks everyone! They have already quieted down a bit like everyone said they would. The poop isn't getting concentrated to one area anymore either, because they are exploring a little more each day. Yesterday, they had actually wandered over to the neighbor's yard and I had to escort them back.

I do put them in a large wood house at night (used to be my daughter's playhouse).

My husband says he still hates them, but I think he'll get used to them more over time.

I never actually thought of the eggs. Do they need a nesting box???

you can make them a nice nesting box if it makes you feel better, but don't let your feelings get hurt when they don't use it.

because they won't use it. you can try propping a pallet against a wall, they may use something like that. Our's REFUSE to accept any of our best efforts at making their lives easier. the best we have done is stop mowing a part of the field where we want them to nest, and it provides us with a nice walk in the field looking for eggs every few days. If you don't find the nest one will go broody and won't come home one day, which as we found out can be fatal for them.

RobertH

 

[terrilhb]

I so agree with Peeps.

What I would have done without her I don't know. They are so much fun and funny. Yes they can be frustrating to beginners but you eventually figure it out. My DH does not care for them. But he loves the eggs. I have had them sound the alarm and you know when they do. We had 2 dogs trying to climb our fence to get in with our pregnant goats and they screamed louder then I have ever heard. When I looked I saw the dogs. My 1 guinea literally flew over the fence screaming and charging at them. He is the only real smart one.

He will fly over the fence to get out and in. The others usually wait till I open the gate for them. Silly birds.