What am I in for if I get some Guinea?

[Jody]

My wife really wants some Guinea Fowl.. maybe 5 or 6.. Sorry, but I think they look like evil clown faced birds and think they're scary looking.. BUT, she said yes when I wanted chickens, then a dog, then goats, then ducks and so, she wants the Guinea.

I told her that if we get some, that it will be HER responsibility to clean coop, feed, etc, but before we commit to buy any, I need to address some concerns.

Will Guinea Fowl attack or harm chickens or ducks?
Can Guinea Fowl occupy the same outdoor space with chickens and ducks?
Where's a good online source to research health issues, diseases, etc for Guinea Fowl.. Are there anything these birds carry that is bad for my chickens and ducks?

Also, I read that Guinea wander around.. I have a little under 1 acre and I'm certain they'll wander onto neighbors property and I just can not afford to fence off the entire lot, so should I not get Guinea because they roam? I know all my neighbors... none of them care about my free range chickens if they visit them, but Guinea I hear are loud.. How loud though.. is it loud enough to be considered a nuisance? Are they loud all day and night other than when sleeping?

Also, about the roaming... do they come home like chickens do?

OH.. and what about our veggies and flowers.. will Guinea destroy vegetation?

 

[Nava]

Quote:
Well they are louder than roosters, and some people can't have roosters becouse they are loud.

mine were raised with my chicks so they don't harm them, I bought a grown pair of hens and they beat up all my roos, Also myne were raised here with the chicks and they go in their coop at night, and they do roam more than my chickens, they like to go just a little to far if you ask me.
I had a garden before the guineas but the chickens made sure that I would not want t o plant again

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Guineas are a bit touchy, I've considered rehoming mine a few times. I really like mine and find them endearing and hilarious, but they can be kind of a pain in the butt! They're very, very loud (definitely loud enough to be considered a nuisance), and sometimes coexist peacefully with my other species and sometimes don't. My three guineas are happy with all of the chickens/ducks/etc that they know, but if I try to introduce a new bird they'll bully it relentlessly unless I cage it inside the coop for a long time so they can get used to it (and even then...). I've lost one duckling and one hen to the guinea bullying, sadly.

They are very cool birds and interesting to keep, but if you're going to keep them cooped with chickens/ducks/etc be very, very careful. Also, beware if you have close neighbors that they may not like you if you get guineas.

I like mine enough that I keep them around despite the issues I've had with them, but if I had a choice to get them again I probably would steer clear this time.

I think the ideal situation for guineas is if you have a lot of property and can allow them to just roam around, and if you keep the chickens cooped so they're separate from the guineas so there aren't any severe bullying problems with new birds. I hope someday I'll have enough property to be able to keep a free-ranging guinea flock, but in the meantime I'm just keeping my three and not getting any more.

 

[redhen]

I'd never have Guineas... Waaaay too noisy...
Just wait till you hear them...

They usually have no personality..they are very fearful of humans..
The only good thing about guineas is bug control.... but i'm not even sure they are THAT great at it.... not worth it too me.
They can also be agressive sometimes....

 

[sodbuster]

To me personally guineas are very loud, very ugly, and very obnoxious. But saying that I do love the ones
that we have. Our guineas free range with our chickens with not a lot of problems. Our male guinea did
attack a few of our young chicks last week but that was a first. They usuall follow us around the yard
just like the chickens do but they will range a great deal further from the house than
the chickens do.
They are great for eating outdoor pest and we have seen a considerable decline in the number of
ticks that we have here.
We like them enough that we just hatched out 60 more. We will sell a good many of those but the
rest will be allowed to free range.
I don't know if I would have them turned loose on 1 acre myself because of neighbors. And I don't know how well they
would do being penned up. We have between 35 and 40 acres for all of our chickens and guineas
to free range on so for us it is really not too much of a problem.(Unless the going down
to my grannys and eating her birdfeed is a problem)

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Quote:
Sounds to me like you've got guineas in just the right situation! I wish I had so much acreage, I'd have a BUNCH of guineas if that was the case! They just can be difficult to keep when one doesn't have a lot of property. I have only one acre and I know mine would go over to the neighbors if I let them free range for more than a few hours. They already did once, and then started alarm-calling when they realized they didn't know where they were.

 

[robin416]

If our land wasn't fenced I probably wouldn't enjoy my guineas as much as I do. I rarely have to be concerned that they're some place they shouldn't be.

Eight Guineas are better than six, the larger the flock the more balanced the flock dynamic is. When I had just a few that's when I had more issues with them and my chickens. I turn my Guineas loose in my garden when the plants are large enough to not be trampled, they do a nice job helping with the bug population.

Since my Guineas spend so much time outside free ranging cleaning their coop happens less often than with the chickens. Their feed consumption is less than the chickens since they spend so much time outside collecting bugs and weed seeds.

And you've never experienced loud unless you were inside the Guinea's coop and had them alarm.

 

[MuranoFarms]

Quote:
Wow...ummmm NO! lol

My guineas are absolutely hilarious! They do some really funny stuff and have tons of personality! Just wait till you see them run backwards.

The only time mine really make noise is if they see a hawk or if something wanders into the yard that shouldn't be there. Then they send up "the alarm" which sends all the chickens scurrying for a place to hide and once saved my call duck from a hawk attack! (I heard them and came running out to see the hawk in the duck pen) They stand at my feet and eat, they run up to me and look up with their funny little clown faces as if to say "did you bring me treats???" lol They are not afraid of me, but they don't like to be pet. If you constantly try to catch them they will be fearful of you. If you just let them be, they will not be scared at all.

They are excellent at tick control, and pretty much spend their whole day just looking for bugs to eat. As the warm season goes on, they start to wander further from their coop....only because the have already ate all the bugs close by and need to look farther for them. They should not be aggressive if raised with your chickens. I suggest you get keets, not adults.

Good luck!

Edited to add: I do have 25 acres, so neighbors aren't a problem. They probably wander over about 5 acres a day.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

I would contact your neighbors and tell them what you have in mind. These birds will rid your property of ticks and some harmful insects.
My neighbors put out water and scratch for my Guineas. They love them in thier yard and they say they have a chuckle every time they come down.

Guineas are HILARIOUS. One acre is a bit small, but i would think a pair of Guineas would be O.K. for ya, but no more.

They can clean a acre of land in a month and then they will get bored. One or two will be just right to keep up with the insect population.

There are several ways to have Guineas come to roost where you want them. It takes a bit of patience and diligence.

If I did not have chickens, I would AT LEAST have a bunch of Guineas.

Guineas are resistant to most deseases of chickens, but by no means not susceptable.

When I call "chick chick chick" for the birds to come for a treat, the Guineas are the FIRST ones to show up.

Mine are freindly and unafraid of humans. This perhaps is a bad thing.

 

[racuda]

I have about 30 and I would get them all over again. I agree with MuranoFarms that 5 acres is a good estimate of how far Guineas may range. So how many of your neighbors will the Guineas be visiting? Will any of them be upset when the birds fly up on top of their cars, scratching the finish? Because they will.