Turkey, Geese, Guinea as guardian animal?

[PhantomSlayer]

I'm one of those weirdos who's gotten a mixed flock of chickens and guinea fowl to work, but it definitely requires a bigger and more complicated set-up than most backyard chicken keepers are willing to do. I've got a permanent flock of about 3 dozen birds and they sleep between two coops with fully enclosed connected run, and free-range on about 5 acres of fenced in land with varying terrain.

In my experience, guineas are extremely effective at keeping airborne predators away, but they're not going to be effective against ground predators: I lost two guineas when a tree took down about 10' of fence and the coyotes grabbed them (my only predator losses to date). They avoided getting eaten by the bobcat that came last spring, but failed to protect the chickens (although one time they chased the 'cat back to the fence-line after it grabbed a hen).

At night they're going to be just as helpless as any other poultry. If you can't or won't coop-train them and you have owls nearby your guinea flock will get decimated after sunset.

How do you stand the guineas constant noise? I've seem many youtube farmers with them and i think everyone around us would be driven nuts by them lol.

 

[R2elk]

How do you stand the guineas constant noise? I've seem many youtube farmers with them and i think everyone around us would be driven nuts by them lol.

My guineas were relatively quiet when it wasn't breeding season. Guineas almost never shut up but most of the time it's a low melodic sound that is pleasant to listen to. Everyone has different tolerances for different sounds.

I wouldn't do well surrounded by constant traffic and the accompanying sounds. Can't stand constant blaring music either.

I am fine with the sounds of nature which includes domestic fowl.

 

[PhantomSlayer]

My guineas were relatively quiet when it wasn't breeding season. Guineas almost never shut up but most of the time it's a low melodic sound that is pleasant to listen to. Everyone has different tolerances for different sounds.

I wouldn't do well surrounded by constant traffic and the accompanying sounds. Can't stand constant blaring music either.

I am fine with the sounds of nature which includes domestic fowl.

Make sense. Noisy birds aren't my thing then lol. Most days I prefer music constant or tv sounds. My sister in law had a rooster who would grow all throughout the day and early morning. That annoyed me lol Our rooster thankfully doesn't do it that often

 

[nao57]

I would never willingly deprive a flock creature of its own kind. How incredibly thoughtless and cruel.

No, you don't understand. Avian brains if you put them with a different kind they think that other kind is their species. They adapt this way and adopt them. Its not cruel. And you have to keep them away from their own kind or its just that simple; they won't guard that flock. Instead they'll go off with their own kind. That's just how it works. Its not about cruel but it won't work if you 2 or more of them in there. People will say they've tried it and that was how it worked.

Sorry. :O I hope I haven't offended you friend.

 

[R2elk]

No, you don't understand. Avian brains if you put them with a different kind they think that other kind is their species. They adapt this way and adopt them. Its not cruel. And you have to keep them away from their own kind or its just that simple; they won't guard that flock. Instead they'll go off with their own kind. That's just how it works. Its not about cruel but it won't work if you 2 or more of them in there. People will say they've tried it and that was how it worked.

Sorry. :O I hope I haven't offended you friend.

That's your opinion. I personally do think it is cruel.

 

[Certified Chicken Lover]

I have friends who use geese to help protect their flock, but their advice is to get one female per flock and raise it when it is still a gosling with your chicks. If you get more then one goose they will bond with each other and not the chicks therefore they won’t protect them. I haven’t owned geese before though so I’m no expert but I’m considering one this year

 

[R2elk]

I have friends who use geese to help protect their flock, but their advice is to get one female per flock and raise it when it is still a gosling with your chicks. If you get more then one goose they will bond with each other and not the chicks therefore they won’t protect them. I haven’t owned geese before though so I’m no expert but I’m considering one this year

Read this before you do that to a goose. The reason they tell you to get a hen is because they know a male will end up killing the chickens when breeding season rolls around. The hens have strong breeding urges too.

Reasons Why You Shouldn't Keep Just One Goose

 

[PhantomSlayer]

I have friends who use geese to help protect their flock, but their advice is to get one female per flock and raise it when it is still a gosling with your chicks. If you get more then one goose they will bond with each other and not the chicks therefore they won’t protect them. I haven’t owned geese before though so I’m no expert but I’m considering one this year

Not to sure about the bonding of them with chickens. Our geese pair, up until breeding season follow the chickens whenever they were allowed to free range. Havnt let them out in a while because of very cold weather and then had to leave home for a week. I'll find out soon if breeding season changed that now that I'm home. I don't believe in getting only one bird from a type. Most bird species needs a companion or they lifespan is shorter than average. Even with the so called bonding of a different species of bird I would never do that to a bird species.

 

[SamLockwood]

How do you stand the guineas constant noise? I've seem many youtube farmers with them and i think everyone around us would be driven nuts by them lol.

Going into my second year with them, I don't find them THAT noisy overall. When they get about 3 months old they start freaking out about everything, and it takes them a couple months to figure out what's really a threat and what isn't.

The only time they're consistently noisy is late winter / early spring when they get ready to pair off. This is also if you keep them with chickens they'll drive them crazy. The males start charging at literally everything and the females loudly make their two-tone "guh-wahk" calls constantly.

The rest of the year they're pretty quiet. Guineas never really shut up, but most of the time it's a series of quiet hoots, chirps, and clicks. They only get really noisy when they go into "red alert" mode. I live on 16 acres and I'm not near any busy roads, so when they do sound off it's usually something real, even if they're only harrassing deer or chasing the wild turkeys away.

 

[PhantomSlayer]

Going into my second year with them, I don't find them THAT noisy overall. When they get about 3 months old they start freaking out about everything, and it takes them a couple months to figure out what's really a threat and what isn't.

The only time they're consistently noisy is late winter / early spring when they get ready to pair off. This is also if you keep them with chickens they'll drive them crazy. The males start charging at literally everything and the females loudly make their two-tone "guh-wahk" calls constantly.

The rest of the year they're pretty quiet. Guineas never really shut up, but most of the time it's a series of quiet hoots, chirps, and clicks. They only get really noisy when they go into "red alert" mode. I live on 16 acres and I'm not near any busy roads, so when they do sound off it's usually something real, even if they're only harrassing deer or chasing the wild turkeys away.

Are they good deer deterrents? Lol we have both deer and turkeys here. Deer are daily but we see turkeys sometimes as well. There was a wild tom that had a severely swollen leg that would hang around for days a few years ago lol Unfortunately deer just favor our garden XD