Bees and guinea fowl

[BeeMiner]

I'm considering buying some guinea fowl and am wondering if they'll make a meal out of my bees. Anyone have experience keeping guinea fowl and bees in the same general location?

Mark J.

[Hillbillynursery]

I do not have a problem with them but have worried about it. Guineas are real bug eaters. My father has about 20 running loose. I have seen them near the hives but never seen them bothering the hives. He has hatched off close to 50 more which will be released soon. I know the number of ticks are way down the past 3 years the guineas have been around.

[ron c]

Mark J,Thisn't an answer for you,but rather a question.How do gueina(sp ?)behave around a garden? Do they eat young plant sprouts,and do they like aphids etc? Thanks, Ron.

[Hillbillynursery]

They are great around a garden for larger insects but not for aphids. Need lady bug for them. They prefer meat/insects over grains and sprouts.

[magnet-man]

I have three chickens and a duck and none of them like to eat bees.

[ron c]

MM.On the guineas, my concern was more whether or not they had an appetite for newly sprouted plante(as some birds do) thanks. Ron.

[magnet-man]

Ron C, I was answering Bee Miner. But for you, my duck does like to dig up the garden with his beak and eat any small plants and mushrooms. He really likes the mushrooms above all else! The chickens scratch it up and eat a few small leave. Unfortunately I don’t have any feathered footballs walking around, so I can’t help you there. Why do you want the guineas?



[This message has been edited by magnet-man (edited September 06, 2004).]

[BeeMiner]

Magnet-man,

I read that they make good guard birds (make a racket when something or someone comes around) and that they taste like pheasant. I just thought it would be neat to have a few around the place. Even though the ones I've seen at the state fair kinda reminded me of dolled-up fancy looking buzzards.

Also, they're supposed to be quite hardy and forage for most of their food.

Mark J.

[BeeMiner]

Thanks everyone, for your replies!

Mark J.

[magnet-man]

BeeMiner, did you know that the Romans used geese as watch dogs?

[Mark Johnson]

I kept hives on my brother's farm for four years, and there were free roaming guineas on the place the whole time. I never saw them down around the beeyard, nor did I ever see one of them nab a bee while they were patrolling the garden. So I would say, just go get 'em.

In the mid-90s I lived down in Puerto Rico, and people there think a roast guinea or a guinea fricasse is the finest kind of meal. It's a dark, rich meat. I never was able to talk Baby Brother into getting enough guineafowl going that he felt like putting one one the table. He also has a gaggle of peacocks running loose, (again, no problems for the bees), and I haven't convinced him that if King Henry VIII thought they were tasty, we should try one. Glazed in local honey, of course.

[BeeMiner]

Magnet-man,

I read that somewhere about Romans keeping geese as watchdogs. I can believe it cause I used to have some geese and they could lay a nasty peck on you if you weren't watching out. There was one of them that used to chase my Golden Retriever. Of course old Trooper was a pretty laid back dog. I came home one day and he was lying on the ground with a chicken on him and a deer was walkng up our drive about five feet from them. It looked like that old bible picture of the lion lying down with the lamb. Cracked me up. Some guard dog, huh.

Mark Johnson,

I think I'll buy a flock of 30. It seems to be the smallest lot they'll ship so the birds keep warm.

Mark J. (the J. is for Johns) http://www.beesource.com/ubb/smile.gif

[JohnBeeMan]

Geese are also good to keep foxes out of the chicken house. Geese will wake and defend themselves after dark - unlike chickens.

As to damage to garden plants, a couple of years ago I had 4 guineas and since have had chickens. The only problems is that there are some of the greens type plants that appear to be tasty for them -mustard green, turnips, etc.

[BeeMiner]

I bet guineas would have made a racket when the bear that trashed my hives came around.

Mark J.

[wayacoyote]

BeeMiner,

Considering that, I would definately build a wildlife-proof coup to put the fowls in anytime you won't be home to supervise them. Otherwise you'll simply be providing another easy meal....

WayaCoyote

[BeeMiner]

WayaCoyote,

Good idea. Those black bears go pretty much where they want to, but we have coyotes, fox, mink, cougar and misc other critters around here to consider. And not to forgot the worst of the bunch - neighborhood dogs.

Mark

[kookaburra]

I don't know anything about guinea fowl except for what I've read just now on the web but I thought I'd pass along these pages if you are interested.

On the other hand there are some projects in africa starting the people out there with both guinea fowl and beehives....
http://www.centralpets.com/pages/critterpages/birds/domestic_birds/DBD4903.shtml
http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Guineas/BRKGuineas.html
http://www.guineafowl.com/fritsfarm/guineas/ticks/
Second article there..."'They’ll sit in front of a beehive and clean it out,' Tim Watkins added. 'They’ll eat every bee.'"

???
-rick

[This message has been edited by kookaburra (edited September 13, 2004).]