Would Guineas protect chickens

[Stormy]

If I bought a couple of Guineas, (as babies), would they protect the chickens? If I am going to free-range during the daytime.....Would the Guineas sound the alarm if preditors came upon them?

 

[dixieschicks]

hi stormy, i am also in illinois and just got two pair of guineas (i really dont know what sex they are yet!) that were born on May 6

they are in there own run about 50 yards away from the chickens. they do sound the alarm when something is in the yard. (havent figured out those strange sounds yet lol)
(scared me to death the other nite, they were carrying on something awful and thru the open windows it sounded like a million locusts)

my problem is, i havent let them free range yet! they are kinda wild. my daughter went to fill their water the other day and one flew in her face and got out. it sat on the cage all nite and cried, and the 3 others cried in return.

in the am, i got smart and open the door to the cage, put up another door to form a triange and put a "perch stick" in the opening. it jumped down from the top of the cage onto the stick and joined its mates.

so, if anyone answers this post, (i have the gardening with guineas book) but mine never got too "tame". any thoughts? thanks

 

[houndit]

I am glad I found your post. Guineas are the number one alarm there is. They can not actually fight the predators, but they sound an alarm it is almost impossible to miss. You have to teach them to go in the hen house and live with the hens. To my knowledge since we got our guineas we have not lost any chickens to predators. They can not do as much at night but they wll raise a rucous during the day. They are excellent fliers. They can easily soar to great heights. They can take off going straight up like a helicopter, making them almost impossible to catch for you and predators. I once was gathering the eggs in our portable hen house . that was down by the woods. We have about 40 acres 10 of which are woods. Suddenly I heard the guineas start up way out in the woods somewhere. Usually the chickens do not pay any attention because the guineas are always making noise. This time how ever all 250 plus birds came running out of the woods and pasture to the hen house. The guineas also flew out of the woods. When they quit screeching the other birds settled down. Your birds need to have a safe place to get to when the guineas sound the alarm. Do not run out there every time you hear them, because they are loud all the time. I one time read an article on the internet and this person said that their guineas would actually suround a fox when it came to there yard and stand there screaming at it. They said the fox would just stand there dumb founded until their dog or the people came to get him. They had a lot more guineas than we do. We only had 6. They are definitley excellent protection. They will hatch out extra guineas for you to sell or keep. Every farm needs at least a few guineas.

 

[Bi0sC0mp]

yes they would help alot

 

[houndit]

They are extremely hard to tame. That is why you have to teach them to go back in at night. It is best to confine them for a while and then let out one at a time. If it comes back at night which it usually will, let 2 out the next day and so on until they all free range. Ocasionaly they run away and do not go in their pen but usually will come back the next night.

 

[Stormy]

OH wow, that is good to know....thanks for the information...Looks like come Spring (0r sooner if I can find a couple) I'll be getting some guineas!

 

[speckledhen]

Just be warned they can also attack the chickens. It's why I had to rehome my four guineas, sad as it made me. Alot has to do with numbers, i.e., chickens vs guineas, and mine were with the chickens from 4 weeks old till the war began when the guineas were about 4 months old. I had four guineas and ten chickens, then I added a rooster, and that didn't help; it just gave my alpha male someone else to beat up on.

I had VERY tame guineas.

 

[houndit]

I forgot to mention that. I only ever had them atack my one rooster.. They never bothered my hens. I agree it would help to make sure there is lots more chickens than guineas.

 

[dixieschicks]

so what is your secret to taming them? lol

i read that gardening with guineas book and reared them from a day old!

tried to hold them every day, feed them treats (they love white millet) and spend time with them.

they climb the walls like spiderman if i open the cage door to quick!

hurry! send me some tips

 

[speckledhen]

LOTS of time spent with them, is all I can say. Here are my Fearsome Foursome: