What are guineas good for?

[HappyPlace]

I've read quite a bit about guineas as I have been considering getting them, so I know they are good for a great deal of things, actually.

What I'm really wondering is: if you have chickens and ducks (and don't ever plan on eating ANY kind of bird in your care), what are guineas good for then??

Does anyone that has chickens and guineas (and maybe ducks) have them both for a specific reason?

 

[MuranoFarms]

Guineas eat ticks and weed seeds. At least that's why I have them! lol

 

[zzGypsy]

ticks. not that my chickens and ducks don't eat lots of bugs, but I have an issue with ticks in particular. haven't seen any since I got the guineas either.
and eggs. because I eat lots and lots of eggs, and having a variety is interesting.
and because they're interesting to watch.

 

[livenwpeeps]

Tick control!! Alarm system!!! Entertainment!!

 

[kevinhannan]

Oooo!


I might get some guineas!

 

[livenwpeeps]

I sold a dozen keets to a guy earlier this year that has beagles for hunting dogs. He has a very nice set up with a line of kennels but he was fighting a war against ticks and someone told him to get him some guineas to help with the ticks. He stopped by the house yesterday evening to see if I had any more keets for sale because he had lost 3 to preditors and that they were the best for tick control!! It was cheaper for him to keep the guineas than use chemical tick control and the chemicals didn't do as good a job as the guineas.

 

[stoopid]

If you have neighbors close by, you may want to re-think that. They are very entertaining, but very noisy.

 

[Wifezilla]

My niece uses them for tick control. Without them it wouldnt be safe for her kids to play in the yard.

 

[kevinhannan]

Quote:
Thanks for the heads-up - I will deffo have to re-think that. (Sad now)

 

[kfacres]

Quote:
were the ticks going to pick the kid up and carry her away, like a colony of ants?