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Message |
    
Jan Snodgrass (Goodpony)
| | Posted on Saturday, Aug 31, 2002 - 7:50 pm: |   |
Does anyone out there have any experience with Guinea fowl? I have heard that they eat ticks and we have such a huge problem in No. Virginia with Lyme disease I thought I might look into getting some. I also have heard they are good for an alarm system because they make noise when someone approaches. I have been to two places over the years that have them but I didn't hear them make much noise. I have no experience with chickens or anything so If anyone knows anything about these birds, please pass it along! Thanks! |
Elizabeth Donahue (Paul303)
| | Posted on Monday, Sep 2, 2002 - 11:06 pm: | |
I've heard the same, myself. Right now, the chickens seem to help around our barn, but I intend to add some Guinea hens in the future. They say that guineas can tend to roam quite a bit, so it's wise to get chicks and raise them. I'm not going to get them for ticks though, I want some because they're the most geeky nerdy birds I've ever seen.
This is one of the worst seasons I've seen for ticks and chiggers here in New Jersey also. My family got vaccinated for Lyme as soon as the vaccine came out.....now I hear that the vaccine is not available anymore. Does anyone know why?
Nevertheless, I still place my trust in Cutters, Deep Woods Off, and Flysect 7. |
Jordana Meisner (Presario)
| | Posted on Tuesday, Sep 3, 2002 - 3:46 pm: | |
Ok, so do tell - where does one go about getting Guinea Hens?  |
ANN COLLIER (Dres)
| | Posted on Tuesday, Sep 3, 2002 - 4:55 pm: | |
they have some really pretty ones in africa.. or at the foul store...
sorry i could not resist...
Ann... |
Fiona Farrell (Lala)
| | Posted on Wednesday, Sep 4, 2002 - 7:57 am: | |
Try www.mcmurraryhatchery.com. They have eleven kinds of guinea fowl.
RE noise, you can ask which kind are noisiest.
When I was in college had a summer job training and showing two Morgan yearlings and clearing brush on an island farm that had Guinea hens. The Guinea hens were the bane of my existence - ugly and loud loud loud. Elizabeth if you are after geeky nerdy you are on the right track. But to be really thorough you should go to a large fair with a poultry barn, at the NY State Fair I have seen poultry that made my skin crawl from looking at the flesh on their heads, necks and legs. And I'm not an "oooooohh gross me out" type of person. Sadly for info purposes that was a few years ago and didn't make notes on types.
The guinea hens from my college days were large and black with the white spots. On the other hand I have a friend who currently has them, they are smaller and grey instead of black and some that are almost white and they are not obnoxiously noisy when I go over there but then I tend not to be there sweating and swearing for the long periods of time I did during my job.
The ones I know currently nest in the tree next to the house. I'll ask about survival rate (they have lots of coyotes nearby), roaming, noise and tick eating and report back.
Fiona |
Elizabeth Donahue (Paul303)
| | Posted on Wednesday, Sep 4, 2002 - 3:56 pm: | |
We go to a livestock auction for our foul..er...fowl. After bringing them home, they are quarantined for a period. I must add that a guinea hen became a "must have" after I stopped at a farm to inquire about buying hay. When I got out of my van, a guinea broke away from a flock of about 5, and came running for me. The farmer told me not to worry, the bird wouldn't bother me ( it never occurred to me that it would, I was too busy trying to avoid the 3 huge Labs that were determined to love me to death). The farmer strode ahead of me with my husband, as I struggled along valiantly in the midst of the 3 ecstatic Labs. Suddenly I noticed that the guinea was traipsing along between the men, his absurd little dorky head looking up and nodding back and forth as they conversed. The bird took the whole tour with us. When we left, I heard the farmer yelling,"Get back here, Gabriel!" I stuck my head out the window and saw "Gabriel", running like crazy alongside the van and pecking at the back tire. |
Sandra Ross
Member
Username: Sross
Post Number: 34
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Monday, Sep 9, 2002 - 12:34 pm: | |
I just checked with my mother who has guineas.
She says that they make for fabulous watchbirds, very noisy, and easily startled. I don't know about the tick eating, though. |
Shelley Wiley
Member
Username: Swiley
Post Number: 83
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Monday, Sep 9, 2002 - 12:43 pm: | |
Let me tell you about guinea hens!!!
I have a small flock of about 7, which is big enough.
Yes they are noisy, When they are young they holler at everything they percieve as dangerous(which means everything). When they are mature they usually only holler when they are separated from their mate( they mate for life and are very attached to one another).
They have done quite a number on my fly population and also those awful meat bees.
They are very funny to watch their antics. I have a cat who loves to ambush them, they in turn surround him and chase him off.
I have "trained" mine to go into thier hutch at night. This keeps them safe from the owls and raccoons that will get them in the trees. It also keeps them from waking me up in the morning.
I have lost several to hawks which are very numerous in my area, there must be a couple nests. The rest of the guineas seem to have gotten very wise to the hawks because I havent lost one in some time and I can see and hear them on a daily basis. here is a web site that will tell you everything you need to know about these birds.
http://www.guineafowl.com/mb/gfmb1.html |
S. T. Bruce
Member
Username: Kari
Post Number: 154
Registered: 3-2000
| | Posted on Monday, Sep 9, 2002 - 7:26 pm: | |
I don't know about the tick control but they are great watchdogs however in my area the coyotes and fox just love them. They are also very poor at crossing roads. |
ANN COLLIER
Member
Username: Dres
Post Number: 118
Registered: 10-2000
| | Posted on Monday, Sep 9, 2002 - 7:30 pm: | |
sorry again.. but why would the guinea want to cross the road..??
|
S. T. Bruce
Member
Username: Kari
Post Number: 155
Registered: 3-2000
| | Posted on Monday, Sep 9, 2002 - 10:24 pm: | |
I could be cute and say to get to the other side, however guineas tend to wander a bit in search of food and for some reason the only time they seem to cross is when a vehicle is coming and then they just take their time as it is a pedestrian crosswalk. In my hilly area where there are a lot of "cowboys" driving pickup trucks the fatality rate is quite frequent. I would suspect if you lived far enough from a well traveled road this might not post such a problem. I don't know if this is a fact or not but oldtimers here say the guinea start to lay its eggs when the oak tree leaves are the same size as the guinea's feet. |
Bonita
Member
Username: Bonita
Post Number: 375
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, Sep 10, 2002 - 10:05 am: | |
Do guineas "work" the manure piles as well, or are they strictly "bug patrollers"?
|
Jan Snodgrass
Member
Username: Goodpony
Post Number: 7
Registered: 11-2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, Sep 10, 2002 - 10:34 am: | |
Wow, thanks for all the good info. I have just purchased the farm and will look into the Guineas in the spring. I'll try to read up on them. We do have foxes, hawks, owls, raccoons etc., but no busy road nearby. I was told that they are a collective intelligence and the more you have the smarter they are but the fewer you have the dumber they are. Is that right? |
S. T. Bruce
Member
Username: Kari
Post Number: 157
Registered: 3-2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, Sep 10, 2002 - 7:10 pm: | |
That theory doesn't work for humans but maybe it does for Guineas. |
Elizabeth Donahue
Member
Username: Paul303
Post Number: 271
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, Sep 10, 2002 - 8:44 pm: | |
Ahhh, but you must never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. |
S. T. Bruce
Member
Username: Kari
Post Number: 158
Registered: 3-2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, Sep 10, 2002 - 10:06 pm: | |
That's exactly what concerns me. |
Suzanne Moore
Member
Username: Suzym
Post Number: 294
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Friday, Sep 20, 2002 - 10:30 pm: | |
At the stable where I boarded in Dallas, they had Guineas as "watch dogs" (watch birds?). Whatever - they did that job VERY well. But, they are extremely, how shall I put this? - intelligence challenged I don't recall that the Guineas got hit by cars much though. The Peacocks now - that was another matter. But, at least the Peacocks are purty 
Suzy |
Tonya Skinner
Member
Username: Mftgirl
Post Number: 12
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 5, 2004 - 9:08 pm: | |
I know I'm a little late on the discussion, but my grandpa has had guineas for years and his place was one of the only in the area that didn't have ticks in the yard. He swears by them. We had old fashioned bantam chickens for a while that ran loose (until they were all eventually eaten by an opossum). We had very few ticks that year on us or livestock. |
