Three Guineas Need New Home

[tinytownmom]

3 guinea hens need a new home. Hatched in October, these three beautiful creatures (1 lavender, 2 purple) will eat ticks and roam around like a feathery little herd of watchdogs. Free to a good home. PM me here on the BBS. Thanks.

[mork_huntman]

I was curious about guinea hens.  I live hear Perry Harrison, pretty thick woods all around.  I've seen foxes in my driveway, possum, rabbits, deer, snakes, etc.  Can guinea hens fend for themselves out in the wild of my backyard?  It'd be great to have some tick control back there...

[seavey]

I let mine fend for themselves and, so far, they have escaped the fox. 
http://chatham-county-nc.com/bulletinboard/index.php/topic,12215.0.html

Not so last year's batch which disappeared one by one. 

They are extremely stupid birds (love 'em, but really!) and stand in front of moving cars. 

They are also very loud.  3 wouldn't be so bad.  We have over a dozen and when they sound the alarm you can't hear yourself think. 

They also kill snakes. 

For more than you ever wanted to know about guinea fowl, check here:  http://www.guineafowl.com/fritsfarm/

[tinytownmom]

Someone PM'd me about taking the guineas. If they change their minds, I'll re-post or PM mork about taking them. We're going to miss them, but the neighbors won't.....

[bluetick67]

Guineas are amazing tick-slaying machines.  It's funny about the stupid rap; I agree, but I have also had, very thankfully, the good fortune of being able to use imprinting techniques with the 4-day old keets I purchased.  This was literally a lifesaver for several.  And, they're just simply hysterical to watch.

The link seavey posted is by far the best on the web imo.  Check out the predator section closely - birds such as Great Horned Owls are also a concern around here.

For those who are hesitant to allow free-ranging, chicken tractors also work great especially if one has a smaller yard/area.

[hulahoop]

can you explain what you mean by "imprinting techniques"?

[bluetick67]

Hi hulahoop - very scientific and thoroughly researched imprinting techniques  lol


I've been lucky to be working from home since I got them, so basically established a routine like one would with maybe any animal.  Along with that I have a silly specific whistle sound.  This was the routine until they were about 6 weeks old:

1.  Feed every day at/around 7 am.  Before coming into sight, speak to them and whistle.
2.  Every hour, visit for 5-10 mins., announcing approach with whistle.
3.  Feed every evening at/around 7 pm. Guess?  Speak and whistle.
4.  At 6 weeks they moved into their palace and pen to acclimate to the open outdoors.  At a.m. feeding time, I whistle before I reach the structure and they go nuts - the door to the pen is opened; at p.m. feeding, same; I whistle from inside the structure as well and they head in to eat and roost; pen door is closed.
5.  I always feed inside, never out.  Encourages the habit of returning to their safe place.

Pretty rigorous with the whistle.  We had a nasty predator incident that scattered all of them in different directions in the woods.  I was so relieved (and surprised!) when they actually recognized the sound and returned.  One in particular, 3 days later.

And yep, people probably think I'm crazy.  But so far it works for us.

[mamacash2]

Hi hulahoop - very scientific and thoroughly researched imprinting techniques  lol


I've been lucky to be working from home since I got them, so basically established a routine like one would with maybe any animal.  Along with that I have a silly specific whistle sound.  This was the routine until they were about 6 weeks old:

1.  Feed every day at/around 7 am.  Before coming into sight, speak to them and whistle.
2.  Every hour, visit for 5-10 mins., announcing approach with whistle.
3.  Feed every evening at/around 7 pm. Guess?  Speak and whistle.
4.  At 6 weeks they moved into their palace and pen to acclimate to the open outdoors.  At a.m. feeding time, I whistle before I reach the structure and they go nuts - the door to the pen is opened; at p.m. feeding, same; I whistle from inside the structure as well and they head in to eat and roost; pen door is closed.
5.  I always feed inside, never out.  Encourages the habit of returning to their safe place.

Pretty rigorous with the whistle.  We had a nasty predator incident that scattered all of them in different directions in the woods.  I was so relieved (and surprised!) when they actually recognized the sound and returned.  One in particular, 3 days later.

And yep, people probably think I'm crazy.  But so far it works for us.

Sound like you are not crazy just take your responsibility seriously...I love guineas..we always had them growing up...i am not sure how stupid they are but they are darn good watch animals...really could not call them a dog

[oakrunfarm]

These birds fall under "you either love 'em or hate 'em."

I have not yet run across any animal I think is dumber or louder! 

People who have guineas seem to really enjoy having them around for various reasons, and I respect that they have their fans, but I am not among them.

Just as an aside, be sure that if you are going to get guineas, you either live on enough property that they are unlikely to leave your land, or that you have extremely tolerant neighbors (unlike us!    ), or that you clip flight feathers enough to keep them within an enclosure or fenced area.

[Catliness]

I'd love to add the guineas to my flock.  Do you still have them?
Beth

[natvrabit]

I'd LOVE to borrow some guineas to gobble up some ticks! They are hilarious birds. Not the brightest bulb in the box for sure. If you want LOUD Oak, go for some Peacocks, they make Guineas sound like chicken peeps!

[tinytownmom]

I found someone to take the guineas. Now all we have to do is have a guinea round up! If anyone out there can give advice on how to corral guineas into a cage for transporting, please share your information! So far, we have spent a couple of hours herding them from one place to another. I think they're a lot smarter than previously thought.

[chrstnhsbndfthr]

Take a stiff wire coat hanger, straighten it,  at one end bend back about four inches in a hairpin, and at the outside of the four inches spread the mouth wider into more of a v. Hold the wire by the other end. Three of these chicken catching tools should do the trick, one for each person on the team. Heard the guineas into the side of a house or barn or chain link fence, anywhere you can just get close enough to snatch a foot out from under them.  The team has to tighten into a half-circle, and close into them together. But people have been doing this for thousands of years. Before they had grocery stores anyway. When you get one by the leg, tuck its head under is wing and rock it a little bit before tucking it into the cage. We used to catch chickens that way when I was young.  We didn't put them in a cage though.

Good luck. Keep us posted.

[seavey]

I back them in a corner and grab them, which works well enough if you're quick.  Mine are also totally food driven, so to get them in a cage, all I have to do is put scratch in it. 

[bluetick67]

Any opinions/experience using a long-handled large fish net??  Kinda what I'm thinking, but have never done it.

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