Things you wish you knew starting out?

[AllenK RGV]

I highly recommend the guineas! They are awesome at alerting you to danger. I swear my guineas could sense predators before they were even near my property! Just one word of caution....they are loud, so if you have neighbors nearby, you may want to make sure they are ok with them. I know they are not for everyone, but I absolutely loved my guineas!

I do have neighbors closeish as we all have 1 acre or slightly less lots. However, they can complain all they like the County Sheriff won't mind at all even though Texas does have some nuisance ordinances that could be enforced. The people here aren't smart enough to read those laws to include law enforcement. As long as they quiet down after Sunset I'll be golden. My reading says they are chicken enough to be blind and want to roost at night.

 

[guineapeeps]

I do have neighbors closeish as we all have 1 acre or slightly less lots. However, they can complain all they like the County Sheriff won't mind at all even though Texas does have some nuisance ordinances that could be enforced. The people here aren't smart enough to read those laws to include law enforcement. As long as they quiet down after Sunset I'll be golden. My reading says they are chicken enough to be blind and want to roost at night.

You are right....their night vision is terrible so they are completely useless at night. Because of this, they are easy prey for predators, so I always kept mine inside a coop at night. When I first got my flock, I kept them confined inside the coop/run for about 4 weeks. After that, I let them free range every day And they never failed to return to the coop each night.
They are also wonderful for pest control....completely got rid of my tick problem and patrolled my garden, eating only bugs and never touching my plants.

 

[PNWskye]

Access to a Lab that test for Avian diseases by simply filling out a form and mailing it along with a SIMPLE sterile Q-tip swab, stool or blood sample in a ziplock bag. Including but not limited to Marek's disease coccidia and many many more serious illnesses that are flocks fall victim to. (Results the same day they receive the package) Cost $18 "priceless"
http://www.vetdna.com/

UPDATE: RAL (Ressarch Associates Laboratory) is quite responsive on Facebook, and they no longer accept the blood droplets on a paper in a ziplock bag mailed to them. You get blood test vials or swabs ordered/mailed to you first, and then, send in the test form that requests mareks be tested for $20.