It's a Dirty Job

But, somebody's got to do it!! Yes, those are our guinea fowl on the manure pile. Can you think of a better place to look for a tasty meal? We keep a steady supply of guinea fowl on the farm because of their love for the taste of insects...particularly ticks. Each year as the birds' numbers dwindle (they have a nasty habit of running under the tires of heavy equipment) we start a new flock of hatchlings to take their place. I will be starting a new batch this summer as soon as electricity is run to our upper hen house. It is necessary to keep these chicks very warm in the earliest part of their life. So, I will set up one of our goat warming huts in the empty henhouse to act as the guinea nursery. Once they are fully mature, they will be turned loose on the farm to do what they do best.
Another benefit of having guineas on the farm is their tendancy to act as an alarm system. Their loud "buckwheat" squawks alert us to the arrival of guests to the farm. Luckily, they quiet down at sundown and roost in a tree. The next morning at sunrise they congregate back on the ground in formation...once again ready for sweeping the woods.

Comments

Kelly said…
Im ordering guinea fowl tonight. I grew up with these birds and I love the noise they make. How many do you hatch/order at a time. It seems that they have a min of about 30. Is this too much? Will I go crazy with that many? LOL Thanks.
Kelly
Katmom said…
I am sooooo glad that I am NOT a Guinea hen.... lol!
hugz
Guineas are truly free spirits, aren't they!? Too bad God didn't give them the brains to watch out for big tires..LOL And what an alarm system..no one can sneak in.

Steph