What's the least amount of guinea fowl I can have?

[chippysmom327]

I've heard that the rule of thumb is 10, but there's NO WAY I can have that many. Can I have 3? We have a MAJOR tick problem in Pa, amd our dog was just diagnosed with Lyme's Disease. We want some guineas to kind of "patrol the area" for ticks. We don't really want anymore than 3 truthfully.

I'm hatching chicks in Spring. Can I hatch them with the chicks and just have them grow up thinking they're chickens?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

i have done all those things and the only thing i see is if you incubate them guineas take longer to hatch. i had one male and two hens. they stayed with bantams for a long time and were content but i wanted more so i moved them. a lot of my ticks were gone. they do it well

 

[chippysmom327]

Thanks! So I guess it can work?

 

[Granny Hatchet]

it worked for me. i honestly think you could keep just one if it was raised up with the other baby chicks. i kept one of my babies in with the chicks in the brooder it was fine. i actually had a hard time introducing it to its own kind

 

[chippysmom327]

Great! I'm glad! I was afraid I'd need 10 and wouldn't be able to get any!

 

[tomingreeneco]

If you do not have at least 10 they will eventually fight with the chickens. This can get pretty mean with them and it is not pretty. May not happen the first year, but it will happen. Guineas are not chickens!

 

[chippysmom327]

We won't want them for more than a year or two really. Eat them maybe if they get nasty.

 

[Hotcookie]

If you do not have at least 10 they will eventually fight with the chickens. This can get pretty mean with them and it is not pretty. May not happen the first year, but it will happen. Guineas are not chickens!

I agree with tomingreenco.......guineas need other guineas - not chickens. They will eventually try to mate with the chickens, and the offspring that sometimes occur aren't strong and don't live long. I also live in PA and know the problems with ticks.....that was the original reason I wanted guineas, too. Unfortunately, my dog managed to get soooo many ticks on her - even though she never ran around the property....only short walks with me to the mailbox and back. If you have any amount of property, I doubt whether that few amount of guineas will have much impact on controlling ticks. Then again, just a few ticks eliminated are better than none. But you were right when you stated the rule of thumb is a minimum of 10 guineas. Trust me - they'll be a lot happier with birds like them, rather than chickens. And happy birds are hungry birds - they'll get rid of those nasty ticks for you in no time!

 

[Granny Hatchet]

maybe guineas have different personalities, mine still live with chickens including a rooster and male guinea together and for the past 3 yrs i have never seen them fight or try to cross breed as they each have their own mates. never a ruffled feather and they hang out together when free ranging. not all the time but part of the day.

 

[chippysmom327]

Thanks for all the input everyone!