I am seriously considering getting some guinea fowl for my yard. Any one have experience with them here? Do you clip there wings or are they not good flyers? My husband grew up with malard ducks and they clipped their wings to prevent flying away.
I'd really like some button quail again too but afraid that the owls in the neighborhood may pick them off. Any thoughts on where to get some guineas? I live in north Fl and do not have an incubator and would rather start with either adults or keets.
Any body have guinea fowl?
See this recent thread: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/971159/
I think it has everything you need to know. ;-)
For myself, I don't recommend them unless you have a large property, but other people like them. They are very very very very loud and noisy.
Thanks Gallesfarm. Yes we recently had a conversation where everyone gave their thoughts on that very topic. Let us know if you decide to get them chubbydoll. hehehe CUTE NAME! :)
One added asset of guineas: they're better than speed bumps in the road. Our neighbors flock used to get in the road and run ahead of one's car (noisily) rather than fleeing to the sides.
I currently have a flock of 25, down from 42 last November. Foxes, hawks, bald eagles, coyotes love them. They free range as far as half mile from "home"; keeping them cooped full time is a bad idea. Ours roost in pine, oak, poplar trees at night now (next to their coop) - that was after we cooped them for 2 weeks, so they knew where "home" was.We got them after I got Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever - they are buggers, particularly ticks. They also love to be under bird feeders for the seed, and love scratch grains. They love flower beds for the dried flower heads, and the dirt to scratch around for bugs. They are not nearly as destructive to landcscaping beds as chickens are, but the chickens will at least let you pick them up and hold them! Guineas will come around you after a while, but not to you. They are excellent "watch dogs"; they let you know when something out of the ordinary is going on. They do fly - you do not clip their wings. However, they mostly run like maniacs. Females start laying eggs here in central VA late April; quit in the fall. They only lay for reproduction. I'm not brave enough to try eating the eggs. They will use your flower beds and shubbery for nesting sites. Multiple females use one nest; one female sits the nest for 28 days. I have had 3 successful "wild" hatches in 9 years, but you must take the keets indoors, under heat, to raise for 4-6 weeks. I mostly do incubator hatches. Gardening with Guineas is a good reference book. Must have at least a pair - they are not solitary; and they love to see themselves in a mirror. And they are noisy! You cannot "sex" them until about 5-6 months old - side combs and a certain "female only" call are the distinguishers. We live in the country and they roam most of our 20 acres, as well as the neighbors' property. I have 6 varieties on site, but they interbreed, and sometimes something totally different emerges! Good luck!!