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Guineas in the bee yard

13K views 41 replies 21 participants last post by  lazy shooter 
#1 ·
Anyone else have them? I've read they might sit outside the hive and snack on bees and wanted to hear from others with experience. Thinking of getting a few in the spring to control the fire ant population.
 
#4 ·
"Annoying and nervous" :)

Friend has a few that run around. I hear they use them as guard animals in some places around the world because as soon as they spot some little oddity in the area they cause a big row.
 
#7 ·
BeeSmart, we had guineas for a short time, they never bothered the bees but I must tell you that we through a celebration when we got rid of those birds, the noise was just too much to take.
 
#10 ·
We had guineas at the old house and yes, they are great to have around! They are noisy and will squawk at anything out of place! The chickens and them would hang around the hives but never bothered the bees that I noticed. They are tick eating machines though! Before guineas the dogs would be checked for ticks daily, after getting a dozen guineas the tick population got hammered around my house! But they are dumb birds and either got hit by cars or picked off by the owls at night and disappeared over time.
 
#14 ·
When living in East Texas, I noticed quite a few of the rural residents kept guineas. They are good watch animals and will let out really loud cackles when anyone or anything strange comes near them. Personally, they are not for me, although they eat huge amounts of bugs.

The fire ant infestation of most of Texas got rid of our ticks. Fire ants will get rid of all ticks, period. That's the only good thing I have been able to discern about the mean little ants.
 
#16 ·
BeeSmart:

Someone on a bee forum posted that coffee grounds were a deterrent to fire ants. I saved my coffee grounds for a few days and sprinkled them around my bee hives. I did keep the fire ants away for weeks. It's now something that I do every month or so in warm weather. It has worked for me.
 
#18 ·
I may have to try that. Currently, coffee grounds go directly into the garden and get worked in. I would need an awful lot of grounds to treat our 2.5 acres, though.

Kylemeinert...We've already had 25 free-range egg laying chickens for 3 years. I'm not too worried about ticks, but they don't do a thing for fire ants.
 
#17 ·
Now this is my opinion from raising chickens fro over 10 years....Throw those birds away....They do lay some good brown eggs but I dont understand why new people think they are so great. They are noisy and ugly lol.... I have had chickens for ages at my ranch and someone who is new to birds always comes to me with those **** things. Get some nice RIR Buffs or Austrolorp chickens way better than guineas. They wont mess with bees except to eat the dead ones. You will get large brown eggs use about 1/2 the food and have a chicken that only coos when they lay and gentle enough to eat the ticks off a dog. Literally they will eat off the dog and raid his food if they get the chance. They are also great left over disposals..got rice...corn....veg...meat...they will devour it... Plus they are mighty tasty come late fall when you kull back for the winter and hardy. I get an egg a day from each of my birds after about 4-6 months.
 
#25 ·
I've got 15 chickens at the moment. 1 Wyandote bantam hen, 1 Buff Brahma bantam hen, 2 Welsummer bantam hens, 2 Barred Rock hens, 8 Black Star hens, and 1 tiny little Sebright rooster. In my hen house, I have a light rope that goes around the rafters. I also have a flood light in the enclosed area. The lights are on a timer that comes on at 5:30 in the morning, and shuts off at about 7:30, then comes back on at 4, and then shuts off again at 9. We also let them free range most of the time. Inside the nesting boxes, I have seedling mats that are thermostatically controlled to come on when the temperature drops below 35. They have been on for about a month and a half now. We get about 11 eggs a day. The light on the timer seems to be what has the biggest effect on yield.
 
#27 ·
They have been on for about a month and a half now. We get about 11 eggs a day. The light on the timer seems to be what has the biggest effect on yield.
The age of the birds makes a difference. They all lay the first year and then slow down after a couple of molts. Yes, the light does help and because we don't want them laying in the late afternoon we only light the coop in the early morning 4 to 7:30. All birds treated the same way in the same area the RIR are the top producers for us. They are also more social around people.
 
#26 ·
Ace; the source of your birds is the problem. Different hatcheries seem to all have different strains of each breed, some good some poor. Each hatchery will have a few varieties which are excellent, and a few that are lousy, all depends on where they get their hatching eggs. Good idea to just go with the best breed from your particular supplier. I would love to have guineas, but with the foxes, coyotes, and large owls around here, no one seems to be able to keep them for very long.
 
#28 ·
Acebird, I think they need at least 12 hrs of light for full on egg production. I also think if you run them all year they burn out faster (my chickens tend not to live much past 3 yrs). So giving them that winter break may prolong their life and probably how long they will lay (just my opinion).
My chickens have a pension plan and I keep them until the die (natural causes) even if they stop laying.
 
#29 ·
Yes, 4 to 4:30 is 12 1/2 hours of light per day.

Are you feeding your chickens organic feed at $27.00 per bag? That last about a week. Our remaining two RIR are 5 years old. Probably not laying though.
Most animals lifespan are affected by stress. I think our chickens have it pretty good but remember they are at the bottom of the food chain so stress is always a part of their life.
 
#30 ·
I agree I bought a nice heat bulb that I run in the coop from abou 6AM-6PM which keeps my girls going all year. I get about an egg a day plus or minus a few during molt/springtime. I also noticed the buckeyes (pea comb RIR) or the RIR are the best survival birds. I had a RIR rooster after I sent all my girls to the freezer (was sick of dealing with the mess) that I couldn't catch to save my life. He survived for 2 years by himself in our barn on cow grain and some dogfood. He didn't even come around us until I got him some new ladies. Now he has since gone to freezer but not after he left his legacy with our new Roo and a Austrolorp girl..for those that are wondering you get a dark brown bird that looks like it rolled in TAR from that cross..I think this is why my flock does so well. They are cross bred and blackish...like little turkey vultures.
 
#32 ·
Yup you are right on! Layer is the way to go. Don't know where you are located doc25 but if you look for a local feed store (they really don't advertise like tractor supply) you can find bags of good complete layer and medicated layer for half that price. Ask around your area or look in the business pages (yes it still exists) even big cities like Dallas have feed stores and they are cheeep.

For you guys just wanting chickens it is a good place to find some local pullets (chicks with feathers) for you guys that want to get started. The guys in the feed stores are also typically your friendly type and you can get some great healthy local birds that do well in your area. Usually farmers give the leftovers or trade to these places for feed. You just have to find them.

About the oyster I found that if you have good layer you won't need calcium if you free range or even if you cage. It should be all included. Never noticed a difference my shells are always about double the grocery store thickness.

What I have found that works is I give them the medicated right before it starts to get cold. I found I have more survivors that way. Also i give my girls about a 1/8th cup of ground corn it keeps them warm at night. It isn't much for nutition butit brings them all back into the coop so I can shut the door. The corn will keep your eggs flowing longer into the winter I have found.
 
#34 ·
Yep I can see both sides of to medicate or not. I use it sparringly as antibiotic overuse is the primary reason why most of our old antibiotics don't work anymore or have weak effects esp in the AG industry.

Acebird, unless it says 100% antibiotic free and freerange(sometimes non medicated), or if you have ever eaten a store egg or gone out and ordered eggs even if it says its not medicated/hormoned you have probably eaten a medicated egg. Most of us have eaten or are eating an egg from a bird that is heavily medicated or medicated in some way. I mean from the day it hatches till it dies in its 1ft cubed battery cell most industry birds get dosed heavily to keep the sickness out. Laws are against steroid/hormone use and really not so much against use of antibiotics in most states. Now a few have come around but your brands like Tyson and Pigrims just move operations to states that have less regulated rules.
 
#36 ·
I use it sparringly as antibiotic overuse is the primary reason why most of our old antibiotics don't work anymore or have weak effects esp in the AG industry.
I don't see how you can claim you are using it sparingly if you give it to your birds in their feed when they are not sick. Isn't that what big AG is doing? If you are free ranging and cleaning your coop from time to time I don't see the need for medication in the feed. I have no fear of eating unpasteurized egg nog from our own eggs. I had no fear when I was a kid and lived next to a chicken farm (the eggs were even cracks). I do have a fear today from eggs purchased in a grocery store.
 
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