13 Reasons why you should raise Guinea fowl

Guinea Fowl aren't for everyone, that's just the straight truth. They are loud, annoying, funny looking and dumber than you can believe. However they have several redeeming qualities that make farmers and backyard poultry keepers alike big fans of this silly looking bird.

Why you should raise guinea fowl

I started raising Guinea fowl a few years back because of our tick problem. I've decided you either love guinea fowl or you hate them. I happen to love them and have found a whole bunch of reasons why I think everyone should get a few Guineas.

Why you should raise guinea fowl:


1) Tick control 

Yes, chickens will eat ticks that are in your yard and so will Guinea fowl. Guineas though, will forgo personal safety and enter the brush and woods to hunt out these minute pests which will help keep your kids and pets safer from tick borne illness like Lyme disease.

2) Watchdog 

Ever hear a flock of Guineas "go off"? It's like someone tripped the alarm system! It's pretty darn loud but it's a good indication that someone drove down the driveway, the neighbors dog is in the yard, a hawk is overhead etc etc. 

When you start to hear really loud Guinea fowl sounds, it's time to look out the window because something is up.

3) Predator alert 

Your chickens will learn pretty fast that when the Guineas see a hawk and freak out, it's time to run for cover. Of course it could just be a leaf blowing by that causes the guineas to freak out, but the chickens seem to learn the difference in guinea alerts. 

Guinea fowl also let you know about things you might not notice are in the yard like snakes or the neighbors cat. 

4) Guineas hate snakes! 

They will actually kill small snakes. The guinea fowl will start hollering and alert you to the presence of larger snakes. Many time this will scare the snake away, especially if the guineas all surround it, which they tend to do as they are screaming their heads off.

5) Other Bug control 

They also like to eat bugs like fire ants, earwigs, grasshoppers, Japanese beetles and yes, guinea fowl eat stink bugs. They'll eat pretty much everything but ladybugs and adult tent worms. They are kinder to your garden then chickens are. 

They don't scratch as deeply as chickens and are usually more interested in searching for bugs then snacking on your zinnias. Usually.

6) Guinea fowl eggs

Their tasty little eggs are triangular shaped and very hard shelled. They break like porcelain when you crack them. Backpackers like to pack Guinea eggs since they're so much harder to crack then chicken eggs. Plus, guinea eggs have twice as much protein than chicken eggs!

A beautiful spotted guinea hen feather

7) Beautiful feathers!

They leave those lovely spotted feathers everywhere! Plus, guineas come in about 30 different colors. Other than the white guinea fowl, many of the different colors of guineas sport feathers with the little white dots on them.

8) Amusement value 

Guineas are absolutely hilarious! They are like tiny little roadrunners when they get started and the male guinea fowl will chase each other for hours. They'll also run from one side of your yard to the other chasing a moth. Plus they are pretty funny looking. Kinda like miniature little helmet shaped clowns.

9) Cold hardy 

For a bird that is originally from Africa, Guinea fowl are surprisingly cold hardy and can tolerate winter better then some chicken breeds. They have no problem going out in the snow and will even try to sleep in the trees in the winter if you let them!

10) Very little feed consumption in summer

Guinea fowl don't need much feed spring through fall. They would much rather eat the bugs they catch. This is good news for your feed bill which will dip every summer. I let my guinea fowl out in the morning and they don't return to the coop till evening. 

11) They make excellent dinner 

Guinea fowl meat is very yummy roasted. Guinea tastes exactly like chicken only a bit gamey. Of course they can be a little difficult to catch come butchering time...

12) Disease hardy 

Guineas get sick far less often than chickens. In my 5 years of raising guineas I've never had 1 case of illness other then the occasional mites dropped by a wild bird. They love dust bathing though and DE and wood ash in their dust tub solves a mite problem real quick! 

cute guinea keets and 12 other reasons you should raise guineas

13) Baby guinea fowl are so cute!

Guinea keets are about the cutest thing you will ever raise! With their bright orange beaks and feet they almost look too cute to be real! They are fast little things too, and pretty quiet compared to how noisy they will be as adults.


Keeping guinea fowl is about the same amount of work as chickens are. They require the same type of housing and care. They can even eat the same feed. I have to admit that of the 3,000 or so keets I sell every season the most common thing I hear is that they want guineas because either a family member or pet has contracted Lyme disease.

This isn't as big an issue in certain other parts of the country, but here in the mountains of western Pennsylvania it's a pretty big problem. Thankfully, solving that problem is a guineas favorite thing. They spend their entire day searching the woods for bugs!

If you're looking to order some guinea keets, I've bought most of mine from Ideal hatchery. Now that you know why you should raise guineas...I'm going to confuse you even more with 14 Reasons you should not raise guinea fowl. Enjoy!

Want to know more about raising Guineas? Click here for Guineas 101, everything you want to know about guinea fowl!

~L

Want information on raising chickens sent right to your email weekly? Click right here to join my list and get new posts sent directly to you the day they're published!

17 comments:

  1. I love your info on Guineas....great reading...Wish I could have livestock here in suburbia....alas...it isn't legal...
    Nancy
    wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. the Guineas would probably drive the neighbors nuts with their hollering! lol Thanks for stopping by!

      ~L

      Delete
    2. How easy or difficult is it to integrate guineas with adult chickens?

      Delete
  2. Interesting! What do the eggs taste like?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They taste just like regular farm fresh chicken eggs. Much better then store bought!

      ~L

      Delete
  3. I have memories of chasing the guineas as a kid on my grandparents' property. They are such fun to watch. I didn't know they were such great bug hunters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chasing? I bet you never caught one....lol, those things are fast! They are excellent tick eaters, that's the main reason people order them from us!

      ~L

      Delete
  4. Great reasons to have guineas! I'm working on my husband to maybe let us have some on our farm. ;) Thanks for sharing over at the Homeacre Hop. Please join us again this week!
    Mary :)
    www.homegrownonthehill.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You should get a few! Everyone needs a living alarm system!

      ~L

      Delete
  5. Lyme is the reason we bought our guineas. I'm hoping they devour every last tick in our yard! Two of my sons have had Lyme (one of them twice) plus our dog, too!

    ReplyDelete
  6. How are guineas around honey bees? My husband raises bees - over the hill from the house - and I am concerned they will take up residence by his beehives. I am interested in raising them for the ticks and the garden bugs. Anyway to keep them from hubbie's honeybees?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. From all my research guineas will eat bees unless you make it that the guineas can't get near the hives! I personally have no experience but that is what I have read elsewhere! Good luck!

      Delete
  7. I was given 9 guineas about 7 weeks ago. I still have them in a very large outdoor pen. 7 of the guineas pick on the 2 others. They will not leave them alone. I can tell were they have pecked them on the top. Is there any way to stop this behavior? I have already enlarged the pen (which would be big enough for 10 more) & have several roosting areas & 2 enclosures in the area. The 7 keep the other 2 behind one of the enclosures & won't let them come out unless I go in & keep the in one area so they can come out. At night they all roost together though. I have not let them loose as I rad somewhere you should keep them up for 10 weeks before letting them loose so they will know to come back to roost. We have every kind of animal area you can think of (coons, opossum, owls, coyotes etc) Any suggestions on how to handle this situation

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am a beekeeper and I have about 40-50 guineas running around the farm. I have no problems with the 🐝 bees and the guineas. I hope that helps

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is awesome! Thanks for letting us know!

      Lisa

      Delete