Guineas - Fact or Fiction?

[Gabby]

Didn't someone post something about guineas? I've heard they can sort of "free range" all year long, even up north. In the Southern Appalachian Mountains I've seen 'em around the side of the roads in good size little flocks. I know some folks keep 'em like chickens, but I've heard you can sort of let 'em go a bit wild and that they'll stay in the general area ------ good for hunting? Don't know if it's true, though. If they could fend for themselves most of the time, except for the occasional handout to keep 'em around, seems like that would be ideal for you folks that have to fly or boat your feed in. Actually, sounds nice for anybody I'm on a budget, so that might be worth a try. What do you think?

FACT OR FICTION

Gabby

[smwon]

Here is a link you may find interesting.

www.guineafowl.com/fritsfarm/guineas/

[Freeholdfarm]

If you want them to stay around, you need to keep them cooped until they are about full-grown. We tried to raise some once, and let them out of the pen at the same time as the chickens, when they were about eight weeks old. They promptly took off to the woods across the road from our house, and we never saw any of them again. I haven't tried to raise them since then, but would if I ever lived where ticks were a real problem.

Kathleen

[Jenny]

Now that we're back on the homestead, we're planning to get guineas. That was an interesting site. Around here, the bugs are just horrible in the summer. "They" said this was the worst bug season on record. I didn't know there were such records, but I can't remember them ever being so bad. We have these monstrous looking black bugs that have long antenae. They crawl and fly, and they're HUGE ! ! ! ! ! We've been told that when they bite, they sort of take a chunk out and draw blood. When we first moved here years ago, we only saw a few. A year or so later, we got chicken. They loved those big things and we rarely saw any. Now there are thousands all over the place. They mostly hang out on logs Chuck hauls in for firewood, milling or for our new house. Now he's hauling in lots for firewood, and stacking them near our current house, but will soon start hauling in the rest of the house logs. OH MY GOODNESS! I don't even want to imagine all those huge bugs while we're working on the house. They never seem to bother Chuck or the boys, but they must think I look like a log. They constantly attack me. Our 3 year old son thought it was a blast to follow me around the yard with a big stick. I'd point out another bug, then WHACK! ! ! He'd smack it for me. (not the ones that landed on me, of course )

Anyway, I've taken a rabbit trail, or guinea trail, as the case may be. We've been thinking (well, mostly me's been thinking) that guineas may think they're in heaven around our place this summer. But we don't have time or the money to fly out lots of fencing to keep them out of the vegetable garden. That's why we're thinking guineas rather than chickens for now. Do you think we could get keets in April, keep them confined for about 2 months, then let them free range and have them stay in the yard (around the log piles, preferably)?

Our garden this year will mostly be kale, colards, turnips, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and a few other herbs and whatever else we have room for. Would the guineas eat the tiny plants, or just pluck off the bugs, ultimately helping our veggies get off to a better start? ;D

Last question for now: Do you think it would be better to buy them from a local feed store, or order them from one of the hatcheries, or does it matter?

Thanks,

Jenny

[Freeholdfarm]

I don't think that it really matters where you get your keets, but you'll need to keep them cooped up for at least three months. That was the mistake we made, letting them out too soon. Also, someone told me to let only one out at a time. After a few days, let one more out, then later one more, until finally they are all out. That way they learn to stay around. They are famous for taking off and disappearing, like ours did, if you aren't really careful -- not something you want to have happen, when you've paid for the keets and then paid for their food for several months!

Kathleen

[anza]

jenny said:

Now that we're back on the homestead, we're planning to get guineas. That was an interesting site. Around here, the bugs are just horrible in the summer. "They" said this was the worst bug season on record. I didn't know there were such records, but I can't remember them ever being so bad. We have these monstrous looking black bugs that have long antenae. They crawl and fly, and they're HUGE ! ! ! ! ! We've been told that when they bite, they sort of take a chunk out and draw blood. When we first moved here years ago, we only saw a few. A year or so later, we got chicken. They loved those big things and we rarely saw any. Now there are thousands all over the place. They mostly hang out on logs Chuck hauls in for firewood, milling or for our new house. Now he's hauling in lots for firewood, and stacking them near our current house, but will soon start hauling in the rest of the house logs. OH MY GOODNESS! I don't even want to imagine all those huge bugs while we're working on the house. They never seem to bother Chuck or the boys, but they must think I look like a log. They constantly attack me. Our 3 year old son thought it was a blast to follow me around the yard with a big stick. I'd point out another bug, then WHACK! ! ! He'd smack it for me. (not the ones that landed on me, of course )

Anyway, I've taken a rabbit trail, or guinea trail, as the case may be. We've been thinking (well, mostly me's been thinking) that guineas may think they're in heaven around our place this summer. But we don't have time or the money to fly out lots of fencing to keep them out of the vegetable garden. That's why we're thinking guineas rather than chickens for now. Do you think we could get keets in April, keep them confined for about 2 months, then let them free range and have them stay in the yard (around the log piles, preferably)?

Our garden this year will mostly be kale, colards, turnips, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and a few other herbs and whatever else we have room for. Would the guineas eat the tiny plants, or just pluck off the bugs, ultimately helping our veggies get off to a better start? ;D

Last question for now: Do you think it would be better to buy them from a local feed store, or order them from one of the hatcheries, or does it matter?

Thanks,

Jenny

[anza]

Guineas. Will sound an alarm at any forign invasion human or animal. Are said to be noisy. Prefer insects to any other food, loves ticks. When releasing for the first, let out only one for a few days then more. They will not leave the others. Prefer man elevated home to roost. The internet has, like any subject more than you will ever need to know.

[anza]

Muscovy ducks are reported to love flies, insects and to incubate eggs of any kind and raise the young as their own. Timing is important in mixed batches, not all eggs incubate in the same time frame. Egg shaped substitutes may be used to be replaced by the eggs to be incubated. Do the substuting at night for best acceptance of the replacements

[Jenny]

Thanks for the great info! We decided not to get guineas this year. This spring it was looking good for lot of bug-eatin' birds like Robbins. Also, Chuck built lots of Swallow houses. We only had a few take up residence with us, but that was enough to keep the bug populations WAY down. This was the first year ever that we didn't have to wear head nets outside or have bug nets over our bed. I'd still like to get guineas sometime, but I'm fine with the wild birds for now.

Jenny

[smwon]

I had guineas one year... swore I'd never have them again! They are the noisiest birds you can imagine... however they are wonderful 'watchdogs' and I probably would in reality have them again. You can clip their wings like you do chickens to keep them from flying away... I had mine in a huge fenced area. But if I were to do it again I would want them free range and so I don't think I would want to clip their wings. They would have to be able to fly away from danger.

[smwon]

Jenny... those black bugs sounds nasty! ICK! I am looking forward to having birds to keep the bug population down.