Why do people raise guineas?

[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.

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

I didnt see the need for everyone to know my guineas will let you know when your wearing a different jacket/ new hat/ carrying in groceries etc... I guess they alert to anything up to and including a mild shifting of the winds.

 

[shelleyd2008]

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

Yeah, Igot mine on a weekday when my son was in school. That weekend when he was outside playing on his swingset, they all went screaming after him. I told him he must have been doing something wrong, cause the guineas were telling on him! They did not know what to think of that 'small person' being out there!

 

[kinnip]

I've never heard such racket as when mine spotted one of my cats on top of my truck. It's like those lame stories you used to hear about Native Americans thinking that men on horses were really some new and terrible beast.

 

[ricklo]

Why do people raise guineas?

Because they are FUNNY and LOUD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[nightshade]

they eat lots of ticks
They come in gray, pearl, lavender and pied that I know
they sleep in trees I can't seem to get them to stay in a coop even in winter

 

[seedcorn]

They HATE snow. When I had them, they would fly out of the chicken house, then they would see the snow and fly right back in. It was hilarious.

 

[kinnip]

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I'm impressed. I didn't think they were capable of rational thought at all. You must have genius guineas. Mine would've flown onto multiple roofs only to find more snow, and eventually settle down on the deck with its melty, slush, damp snowishness. Smart guineas.

 

[seedcorn]

Quote:
I'm impressed. I didn't think they were capable of rational thought at all. You must have genius guineas. Mine would've flown onto multiple roofs only to find more snow, and eventually settle down on the deck with its melty, slush, damp snowishness. Smart guineas.

No, mine were stupid as they didn't stay off of the sun porch. So wife gave me an ultimatum. they go or she went. Cheaper to get rid of them.

 

[Wildsky]

 

[Kev]

Was asking myself "why" today.. have a pair. For whatever reason, the male had a vendetta against turkeys today. He would run up to a tom and bite his butt(serious!) and the tom turkey would be be real surprised and start running only to have the guinea chasing and trying to bite their neck/faces(??) and if the turkey wasn't moving around fast enough, it was back to butt biting.. This bird actually went under and reached up and latched onto their butts. Why? As far as I could tell, the turkeys didn't do anything to set it off.

It is strange to see big full grown toms be very afraid of something much smaller than them..

Both the male and female do like to harass the chickens, particularly at feeding time.. especially the male- he goes after roosters pretty regularly but both seem to 'harass' barred chickens more than the rest. Does anybody else see this sort of pattern- targeting a particular color? I wonder if the barred birds reminded them of other guineas or ??