GARDENING WITH GUINEA FOWL
(Page 2 of 7)
But these little foragers have their faults. Like chickens,
guineas are natural-born scratchers — I once watched
a week-old guinea scratch vigorously in a saucer of starter
mash while others stood by trying to catch bits of mash
sailing through the air. Nevertheless, a guinea doesn't
scratch as enthusiastically or as persistently as a
chicken, and is far less likely to dig up garden seedlings.
Although they are attracted to freshly worked soil and will
spend hours digging holes for luxurious dustbaths. Once I
acquired a whole flock of guineas simply by arriving on the
scene moments after they had devastated a friend's
blossoming snap beans.
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In addition to the minor inconveniences caused by dusting
and occasional scratching, guineas have other
characteristics that some people find somewhat less than
endearing. For one thing, the hens lay only seasonally, and
the young are quite delicate. Guineas are also a noisy
bunch, making them a poor choice where high-strung
neighbors live nearby. Because of their continuous
conversations, guineas cannot be snuck into housing
developments as chickens often are. It's probably best
because guineas don't take kindly to confinement; they much
prefer the freedom to prowl their home base. In this
respect, a guinea has the same independence as a barn-born
cat — it'll eat your food and tolerate your presence,
but a guinea will never be your best friend.
Hardly Any Trouble At All
Maybe you can't pal around with these guys, but they're a
heck of a lot less trouble than other fowl. Because guineas
prefer freedom to regimentation, they have not been
commercially exploited and "improved" as have chickens and
turkeys. The happy result is that, while these other fowl
have become less resistant to disease, free-ranging guineas
remain almost entirely disease-free. Also, guinea fowl
adapt readily to all but the severest climates (although
they strongly dislike snow).
In most areas, a shelter is not essential against the
weather, however (as I learned the hard way) a rudimentary
shelter is a good way to provide night-time protection from
predators such as dogs, coyotes, foxes, and owls. The
shelter need only be a simple three-sided, south-facing
shed with a wire front and a draft-free perch toward the
back, offering seven inches of roosting space per bird. A
flock fed late in the day under the roof will be encouraged
to stay the night. If you prefer to pen your guineas,
instead of letting them come and go as they please, you
should allow for at least 30 square feet per dozen birds.
Cover the pen with wire netting, or pinion your guineas to
keep them from flying out. (Pinioning involves clipping off
the last joint of one wing, at the thumb, when birds are
less than one week old.) Never pinion free-ranging guineas
or they won't be able to fly away from predators.
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