Free Range Guineas?

Neighbors have a few they have raised from chicks. Niece wants to get some. Purpose for both is bug control around the buildings.

As I understand it, once homed to the place, they will roam around, but will stick around. But prefer to roost in trees vs. a coop.

What is their survival rate? Between the coons and owls, would think they would get wiped out PDQ?

They are not very smart, and extremely noisy critters. They will let you know if someone or something comes into their "home" area. They will roost wherever they please, even with trying to run them into a coop at night. I've not had much luck with them, neither have several of my friends who tried to raise them. Everything likes to eat them

Buy a good supply of earplugs.

I raise a few guineas here, they run around the place during the day and they sleep in the chicken coop at night. They can be noisy little buggers but they are tasty.

You are so right,they taste so good.
Tom

I've never seen an established feral population if that tells you anything.

Stupid question........do guineas have white breast meat?

Dark meat

Neighbor had 70-80 guineas they roosted and cackled in everybodys yard except theirs

Kind like sheep....walking around looking for a place to die! All kidding aside, we have a bunch of them, and I like them. Mine have gotten pretty tame, and we put them in every night. If you let them out at night, the owls are the worst on them, and they will eat every one of them, so if you want to free range over night, don't waste your money! On top of that, they are not good moms. Just don't take care of business!

I'm not a fan but they do eat bugs and get plenty noisy if anyone comes around

We had some when I was a kid. They became semiwild. They made nests and laid eggs in a neighbor's brushpile. Come fall I remember my dad started collecting them with a 410.

Parents have always had them for bug control, but they constantly get eaten by coyotes and bobcats. I've seen them feeding with a coyote stalking them and they seemed to not care. Shot the coyote. They are incredibly dumb.

I have 5 of them running around the property. They do occasionally go to the neighbor but not often. They eat bugs all day long. They’re not as noisy as people sometimes believe they would be sometimes. They have quieted down as they have matured over the last 2 years. They choose to roost in the chicken coop with the chickens and always take the highest spot on the perches.

Well at least one positive report.....they made it to Fall.

I am beginning to see a downside.......if you also have chickens.....you are training your predators to come shopping at your place. Clean out the guineas and then start in on the chickens?

Our neighbors probably won't care. Niece has an organic hippy mindset and is learning the hard way that mother nature has a mean streak.

That shows their not as dumb as a chicken! I'd take the high roost too, don't like to be shat on! lol

Hahaha! I spaced them out like steps so that wouldn’t happen. When I painted my chicken coop, a chicken brushed up against the wet paint and it still has the paint on it. I figured they’d trade out feathers here and there or something. Guess not. Lol.

But I don’t like to be what on, either. I’m glad elephants don’t fly.

Guineas work really well with livestock guardian and just good, old fashioned farm dogs. The dogs quickly learn that when the guineas yell, if they come running, they get the fun of killing something.

The best way to get guineas to stick and come in at night is to raise them with chickens. Train all your animals to a feed call. Feed the guineas and chickens a small amount, in the coop, when you want to lock them up.

You need to make sure the guineas can see the area and become accustomed to it before letting them out. I gave one friend of mine 36, day old guinea keets and another one 48, day old guinea keets. Both friends let the flocks out for the first time when the keets were pretty good sized. Both flocks walked off and were never seen again. Neither flock had a good view of the outside world.

Keith

John, your Indian name is painted chicken! lol

Keith, late afternoon, My wife goes down to feed and gather eggs, and in her shrill voice gioes "guinea guinea guinea", and they. all come running! Throw a little cracked corn in their pen, and they file in, every evening, and it'll be two hours or more before dark. Chickens don't go in near that good!