Though people may complain about guinea fowl being loud, there are many advantages of keeping guinea fowl on your property.
Guinea fowl have an almost prehistoric appearance compared to chickens and other types of fowl. Their plumage is spattered with black and white feathers on their bodies. And depending on the breed of the guinea, the face and neck feathers are generally shiny and entirely black.
They have red eyes that look rather fierce as well. The helmeted guinea fowl looks the most prehistoric of all because it has a horn on top of a patch of red skin that looks just like a helmet on its head. There is also a guinea that looks very similar to a vulture too.
Among popular breeds, the helmeted guinea fowl is the most recognizable, but American breeds and utility breeds are also kept on farms. The unique attributes of this type of fowl make them an interesting addition to a farm, but their looks aren’t why most people keep them. Read on for several benefits of having a flock of adult guineas.
Although some people are against raising guinea fowl due to their reputation for being loud, there are many advantages that may outshine the disadvantages.
Benefits of Keeping Guinea Fowl
1. Pest Control
Guineas originate from Africa, where they spend their days with rhinos, who don’t mind their presence at all. They pick ticks and other bugs off the rhinos’ thick skin, which the rhinos can’t reach themselves.
On a farm, they continue this behavior by eating bugs off the ground, as well as small snakes, baby chicks, and other vermin. They are active birds that spend much of their time foraging, which means they get about 90 percent of their meals this way, saving on bird feed costs.
2. Source of Food
Since guineas are not as protective of their eggs as chickens are, collecting guinea eggs in the morning is fairly easy. The eggs are smaller than a chicken’s egg but have a richer flavor.
Egg-laying birds like guineas provide nutritious eggs that complement the farm’s produce. The guineas themselves are also a food source. Most people find that guinea fowl meat is lean and tastes best when paired with foods that offer moisture. This meat is lower in fat and calories, making it a heart-healthy protein choice.
3. Easy to Multiply
Guineas produce about the same number of eggs as a chicken, with a gestation period only one week longer. This means you can multiply them almost as fast as chickens if you want to. In as little as a month, a clutch of eggs can yield guinea keets, or baby guineas, that grow quickly.
However, guinea mothers often forget about their eggs, sometimes sitting on them infrequently or abandoning them to lay a new set of eggs elsewhere. In such cases, a broody chicken might be used to care for the eggs, or the eggs can be incubated.
4. Friends to Other Animals
For the most part, domesticated guinea fowl get along well with other animals if raised with them, including other types of fowl. However, if a rooster should harass them during mating season, they may attack. So it’s best to keep guinea cocks and roosters separated during this time to avoid any conflict.
5. Protection
It is difficult to sneak past a guinea without it alerting the others in its flock with a loud call. A bunch of guinea fowl, or a large flock, acts as an alarm system for the farm.
They have been known to gang up on predators, which helps protect other animals from injury by foxes or weasels. For guineas to serve effectively in this role, they should roam freely rather than be caged, as dual-purpose birds like guineas prefer space and activity.
6. Fertilizer
When allowed to roam and eat insects, they leave droppings that fertilize soil. Droppings from adult birds can be collected and used directly in compost piles or gardens.
7. Weed Control
Unlike chickens who often damage gardens, guinea fowl generally leave planted areas alone, though they will peck at weeds. If kept in a fenced yard, they can control weeds without much interference in the garden.
As you can see, guinea fowl make an excellent addition to a farm for many reasons. They offer protection, provide food, and help manage pests and weeds. Since this type of domesticated bird originates from Africa, they are more acclimated to warm weather.
If you live in a colder region, give them a heated shelter to stay warm and dry, along with fresh, clean water daily. During winter, when pests are scarce, be prepared to offer more grains. Their droppings, pest control, and presence as backyard birds add natural value to any homestead.
Jennifer Poindexter and her husband raise most of their food and a variety of animals in the foothills of North Carolina, where they built a small homestead on very little money. She writes about all of her adventures at Morning Chores, where she shares the knowledge she has gained with others that might want to take the full plunge into homesteading.
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