Guinea Fowl aren't for everyone, that's just the straight truth. They are loud, annoying, funny looking and bird than you can believe. However they have several redeeming qualities that make farmers and backyard poultry keepers to be a big fans of this silly looking bird. I started raising Guinea fowl some years back, I've decided you may either love guinea fowl or you hate them. I happen to love them and have found a whole bunch of reasons why I think everyone should get a few Guinea fowl.
Why you should raise guinea fowl:
1) For Tick control Yes, chickens will eat ticks that are in your yard and so will Guinea fowl. Guineas though, will forgo personal safety and enter the brush and woods to hunt out these minute pests which will help keep your kids and pets safer from tick borne illness like Lyme disease.
2) For Security (Watchdog) Ever hear a flock of Guineas "go off"? It's like someone tripped the alarm system! It's pretty darn loud but it's a good indication that someone drove down the driveway, the neighbors dog is in the yard, a hawk is overhead etc etc. When you start to hear really loud Guinea fowl sounds, it's time to look out the window because something is up.
3) Predator alert. Your chickens will learn pretty fast that when the Guineas see a hawk and freak out, it's time to run for cover. Of course it could just be a leaf blowing by that causes the guineas to freak out, but the chickens seem to learn the difference in guinea alerts. They also let you know about things you might not notice are in the yard like snakes or the neighbors cat.
4) Guineas hate snakes! They will actually kill small snakes. The guinea fowl will start hollering and alert you to the presence of larger snakes. Many time this will scare the snake away, especially if the guineas all surround it, which they tend to do as they are screaming their heads off.
5) For Bug control , They also like to eat bugs like fire ants, earwigs, grasshoppers, Japanese beetles and yes, guinea fowl eat stink bugs. They'll eat pretty much everything but ladybugs and adult tent worms. They are kinder to your garden then chickens are. They don't scratch as deeply as chickens and are usually more interested in searching for bugs then snacking on your zinnias. Usually.
6) For eggs, Their tasty little eggs are triangular shaped and very hard shelled. They break like porcelain when you crack them. Backpackers like to pack Guinea eggs since they're so much harder to crack then chicken eggs. Plus, guinea eggs have twice as much protein than chicken eggs!
7) For Beautification! They leave those lovely spotted feathers everywhere! Plus, guineas come in about 30 different colors. Other than the white guinea fowl, many of the different colors of guineas sport feathers with the little white dots on them.
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8) Cold hardy , For a bird that is originally from Africa, Guinea fowl are surprisingly cold hardy and can tolerate winter better then some chicken breeds. They have no problem going out in the snow and will even try to sleep in the trees in the winter if you let them!
9) Little money in raising them, in summer Guinea fowl don't need much feed spring through fall. They would much rather eat the bugs they catch. This is good news for your feed bill which will dip every summer. I let my guinea fowl out in the morning and they don't return to the coop till evening.
10) Highly resistance to Disease, Guinea fowo get sick far less often than chickens. In my 4 years of raising guineas I've never had 1 case of illness other then the occasional mites dropped by a wild bird. They love dust bathing though and DE and wood ash in their dust tub solves a mite problem real quick! .
Keeping guinea fowl is less amount of money that you will use in rasing chickens . They require the same type of housing and care like chicken. They can also eat the same feed you feed your chicken . They consumed less feed and they don't sick often like chicken.
