Why do people raise guineas?

[speckledhen]

Why do people raise guineas

To keep away freeloading family members.



French Guineas many times have to be artificially inseminated. I called a hatchery once and was told they cant breed well naturally due to their size. They have a longer laying season than the regular guinea, I was also told.​

 

[kinnip]

Just needin' to brag. For three days straight, my guineas have actually ranged on the ground. There were a couple of short lived forays onto the deck or the roof, but most of the time was spent on actual earth. This is a first. It's been months since they were released to range and have managed to eradicate nothing. In fact, they've really just left deposits everywhere. Ooo, I forgot, they did kill the window screen and its evil rubber spline. Maybe they'll start earning their keep now. Even if they don't, I find them too amusing to dispose of.

 

[crazedguinea]

a few people question how i know what my guineas eat..."I am confused a bit here.. How do you know what they do and do not eat when they are working through the tall grass??"
.well mine are mainly in the coop because of foxes and hawks etc at this time(hope to get poultry net this spring) and them straying to the neighbors' properties. we hand pick the beetles off the vegetable plants and put them in a container with water so they don't fly off, then take them to the coop and feed the guineas the beetles. my husband has picked off ticks and offered them to the guineas, and all they do is look at them and walk away(we can see the ticks in the bowl we use)-so we take them and get rid of the ticks by burning them. we did not have a large tick problem surprisingly before we had guineas and we still do not, i'm all for them as tick control where it's needed, i'm just saying MINE do not eat ticks that i know of when offered them yet they will gobble down the beetles.

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:
Hmmmmmmmmmmm I can see how they would replace a wife.

Next time I go anywhere - I'll insist my hubby keep one in the house.

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
In my recent post I explained how I am not covered with ticks after mowing the lawn etc etc.. I do not think it is just coincidence that the ticks leave me (and the dogs) alone since I got guineas, is all.. and the reason your guineas do not eat the ticks could be that they are not hungry.
or they do not recognize them as food out of their envoirnment,? I do not know.. maybe they just never learned to eat insects of all kinds.. young birds do learn to eat from older birds by observation..

If you have enough ticks to find them and catch them, you have ticks aplenty..

 

[SewingDiva]

Quote:
Holy smokes! I see what you mean in terms of a noisy racket...they are quite the coffee clatch.

 

[dangerouschicken]

My guineas were so stupid they let themselves be picked off, one after another, by wild animals. Dumb!

 

[the1much]

Quote:
all birds do that

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
Do they have any type of hiding spots?? Mine are loud and obnoxious, but I have only lost one to preditors, and that was one that insisted on sleeping in the tree overnight. The rest of the time they are warning everyone else of danger in the area. Mind you that danger may be a plane or helicoptor, but sometimes its a hawk.

 

[the1much]

Quote:
Do they have any type of hiding spots?? Mine are loud and obnoxious, but I have only lost one to preditors, and that was one that insisted on sleeping in the tree overnight. The rest of the time they are warning everyone else of danger in the area. Mind you that danger may be a plane or helicoptor, but sometimes its a hawk.

hahaha,,, the "danger" could also be,, you moved something to a new spot,, they yell to let ya know their flying, commin in for a crash landing,,, or,, they REALLY scream when ya hide in the bush's,, and jump out screaming at them