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If you've never been around guineas , you'll either love them or hate them. They're noisy and can be very loud , which is a real turn off for many. Some people say they're great watchdogs , but I consider them to be more like an alarm system. They will sound off if someone comes on the property or if there's unusual activity going on. I will admit their calls can be nerve wrecking when hubby is on the tractor and they squawk like they're under attack (LOL). But we have learn to live with their noise , since their benefits far out weigh the noise.
We bought 8 keets about 3 years ago to help with tick control , the ticks were terrible that year. I would walk outside to the dog lot and return with 10 ticks on me. I had always heard about guinea fowl being good for tick control , so we decided to give them a try. We've been very happy with the results ,we rarely see a tick in the yard anymore.
But wait , they're not only a great alarm system and tick eating bird , they love those pesty Japanese beetles. During garden season , I love watching them walk up and down the rows taking care of all the bugs & worms. Guineas will not eat your plants or scratch your plants up like a chicken. They just walk down the rows , carefully plucking away those beetles , grasshoppers and any other yummy bug they find.
I've learnt to enjoy their squawking and quirky ways. So if you've thought about adding guineas to your farm , I highly recommend them. They're the best natural pest control you can have around the farm , although sometimes they get sidetracked and spend time talking and pecking at their reflections in a window (LOL).~ Farm Friend Blessings ~
JoyceAnn
9 comments:
I didnt realize Guine's were pest control.Thats Great!
Have agreat wk. end!
Blessins',Lib
Great post full of information. Thank you they are cute. B
I'd love to try guineas, but I'm not sure my dogs wouldn't eat them if they came in the yard, and I'm not sure the people who built a house directly across the road would like them visiting. Do they have a big range?
Teresa
Terrific - nice to have a natural way to keep the bugs down.
We had guineas for a while but we kept loosing them to our dogs. They were so great until our little Annie decided that they tasted better than they looked. I would HIGHLY recommend them...they took care of our wasp, ant and tick problem.
Hi Lib ~ Yea , they're the best natural pest control you can have.
Hi Buttons ~ Thanks , hope the info was helpful.
Hi Teresa ~ My dogs are confined to a large dog lot , our GS will kill anything that moves. Our other dog Shadow has killed one. The guineas are very fast and can fly high , but he caught one early one morning when it's wings were wet and it couldn't fly well. They do have a large range , but our neighbors love them. I've found that since I have the keets in a pen that were born last Fall , that the others don't range to far away. So I plan to keep one caged to keep them from ranging so far away. We've had several that were hit by cars trying to cross the road to a field there.
Hi JoAnn ~ Yep , it is terrific !
Hi Teresa ~ I think they make themselves a target of dogs by running away , which is their natural self defense mechanism to distract predators. But for dogs , it means the chase is on (LOL).
~ Be Blessed ~
Great pictures. We tried Guineas and had the usual problem of keeping them. We bought 4 young ones and they dug under the fence on day two and hit the road. We haven't tried them again, but we have so many ticks out here I would like to have some.
JoyceAnn, I am right there with you-I think guineas are fabulous. I don’t mind their noise at all. We think they are funny to watch and great alarms. The ticks and other bugs they eat have been wonderful for us. We are huge guinea fans! Thanks for sharing with FFF!
hi there, i just found you and love all of your guineas. i would love to add some to our farm but my husband says no to fowl...grrrr. maybe he will change his mind.:)
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