Guinea Fowl

[artemis]

I asked for this overall topic, and will start up a guinea fowl thread here.  


I don't have any, but I am planning to add them in next year.  They are great Destroyers of Ticks, and sometimes you can even get their eggs (I've eaten them, they taste just like chicken eggs, but are typically smaller than the regular chicken egg).  


Up until a year ago, no ticks were ever seen in my higher elevation in western MA.  They're now here, and recently one man one town over was bit by a tick and is now in a hospital with some new disease, and he is not expected to ever leave serious medical care.  Or, go back to work.  Ever.  This scares me -- makes me (almost) wish I'd decided to move to the plastic, hot and sweaty environment of Florida that my closest relatives are moving to.  At least there I can see alligators coming!   


So, anyhow, I'm working on housing guineas, who will of necessity will have true free range during daylight hours.  Anyone here currently running guineas?  


I'll also post things as I learn them well enough to think I might have something to say... 

[maryellen]

My neighbor has them, they fly really well and she loses a bunch to cars and predators. They are beyond loud lol... but they alert to anything lol. Listen to youtube videos of them cackling.
Sometimes they will stay around and sometimes they wont

[chickenqueen]

I've had them in the past and hopefully again because the ticks are a big problem here now and your right,they are being infected with new and improved diseases.Eventually,they stopped going to the coop at night and roosted in the trees.They can fly well,like a wild bird and can/will fly off.You may have to clip wings.They are still wild,not having been domesticated like chickens or other fowl.When I had them I had no flea/tick/other insect problems.They did make a BIG difference and will let you know(and the rest of the neighborhood) if something unusual is around the yard.They are a nice addition to the flock,if you can get them to stay.Mine never integrated into the chicken flock despite being raised with chicks.Once matured and turned loose,they made their own little group.

[artemis]

Thanks. Hopefully they will want to stay... There's one person in town that I know of who has them, says they're dumb beyond belief, but she likes the tick relief. Her flock has stayed, but they do get eaten by predators.

[boskelli1571]

There are a couple of useful articles on guineas at www.thehappychickencoop.com Just type in guinea heas in the search box - might be helpful to you

[artemis]

Thanks! And I've found a man who sells keets (baby guineas) within an hour or two of here. I got his phone number and will try to set this up for next year. I don't think either the current chicken tractor or the coop is suitable housing for them, so I am working on that. My friend in Virginia -- in her case they roosted up in her trees at night and were reasonably safe. But she had a perimeter guarded by llamas, and a lot of property for running everything upon.

I never minded their noises when I went visiting. Maybe I'm weird, but I can sleep through, or with, roosters and guineas making noise. Not so much peacocks or dogs.