Has anyone had Guineas around the house to try and keep the stink bugs under control? I know they eat most anything that moves, so Im thinking maybe come early spring about finding a half dozen or so. Not worried about eggs or meat but bug control.
Guinea Hens
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They will eat LOTS of bugs. On the down side, they can be quite noisy and are incredibly stupid, even for a bird. I much prefer chickens for free range bug control. One thing to consider with either, your nightcrawler population will be reduced.
We have them and I love them. Predators got a lot so down to 3. Good watch dogs, they can be noisy but once they get to know you they only sound off when something new is in the yard. We got them for wood ticks and they are great.
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ehenry
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Its not that they can be noisy they ARE noisy and will roam on to adjoining property, roost on others cars, trucks and various other things. If you have neighbors remotely close they wont be very receptive of guinea foul. My neighbor had 12 or so roaming guinea that screeched incessantly, scratched and crapped on my vehicles, boat and tractors. One, a rooster, attacked my wife scratched her on the neck and cheek. After asking said neighbor once to keep his guinea contained to his property to no avail his flock size started diminishing at an accelerated rate until he had no choice but to keep them contained. Do yourself a favor, do not get guinea or peacocks.
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Newlyme
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We had a half dozen Guinea hens in with our chickens and turkeys. We got them for the same reason to eat bugs. But we also enjoyed them as "Yard Art" with the chickens and turkeys. Followed all the other birds right in the coop every night. They never climbed up on the vehicles and made a mess but they did have a lot of room to roam free range. We enjoyed them.
Now theres an idea Henry, couple peacocks and guineas. My neighbors dont like me cause I dont fit in with the ahhuumm upper crust cause I drive a pick up ride an HD and dont gossip with or about them. But then when you move out to the sticks and bring your city crap along, two world are going to collide sooner or later. But I have a pretty fair size hunk of dirt so maybe the odd one might stray but thats ok,,, Now the Peacocks,,, tehehee thats something else to think about,,,,,,, Maybe I will give them a real good reason not to like me,,,LMAO
Not sure about stink bugs but like it's already been stated, they say anything that moves... or at least kill it. We've found many dead mice in the chicken coop looking for a free meal, mangled but not eaten.
We had our chickens and guineas free ranging for a year. Then the wife put her foot down. The chickens were destroying her gardens by digging and nesting in them. They have since had a wing clipped and stay penned. Where as the guineas can still fly in and out of the pen and free range.
We mainly got them for tick control. With in the year and a half that we've had them, we have seen a noticeable decrease on the dogs and us.
On the down side, yes they are noisy when something or someone is out of place. I don't find it any worse than a barking dog, so it doesn't bother me. If you have a healthy owl population in the neighborhood, you'll need to keep them locked up at night. We've lost 4 to the owls, 2 in 1 night! Once in a while, they used to roost on the gate overnight. They haven't done that since the 2 were taken ( not so dumb after all! )
We had our chickens and guineas free ranging for a year. Then the wife put her foot down. The chickens were destroying her gardens by digging and nesting in them. They have since had a wing clipped and stay penned. Where as the guineas can still fly in and out of the pen and free range.
We mainly got them for tick control. With in the year and a half that we've had them, we have seen a noticeable decrease on the dogs and us.
On the down side, yes they are noisy when something or someone is out of place. I don't find it any worse than a barking dog, so it doesn't bother me. If you have a healthy owl population in the neighborhood, you'll need to keep them locked up at night. We've lost 4 to the owls, 2 in 1 night! Once in a while, they used to roost on the gate overnight. They haven't done that since the 2 were taken ( not so dumb after all! )
My neighbor down the road has 16 peacocks. They roam around during the day. They come over to my place everyday. They eat a lot of bugs and ants. A couple of the peahens follow me around eating bugs when I'm mowing the lawn. We enjoy watching them. On the down side, they crap all over the yard and driveway. We have to go out once or twice a day and clean it up. Looks like giant Hershey kisses.
RCW
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We had neighbors with them - a couple miles away. We plowed their driveway in the winter. Pull in with the plow down, and the damn things did make a racket, and wandered into the road often.
But they were good at the bugs!
Seems like someone I knew over the years had both the guinea hens and peacocks as "watch" birds, because they were so noisey. Be darned if I remember who, but seems like wife or kids had allergies to dogs, so it was next best thing.
But they were good at the bugs!
Seems like someone I knew over the years had both the guinea hens and peacocks as "watch" birds, because they were so noisey. Be darned if I remember who, but seems like wife or kids had allergies to dogs, so it was next best thing.
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