In this post, I share a few photos of Oliver’s new friends.. the guinea fowl who live next door. I will share some fun facts about this bird and personal experiences.
Guinea Fowls
The birds featured in my post today are actually Royal Purple Guinea Fowls. They are usually referred to as Guineas. There are a few different species available in North American including Pearl Guineas Lavender Guineas Purple Guineas, White Guinea Fowl. I sometimes call the ones who visit my garden in New Guinea on accident because that is a flower I love. (giggle). Increasingly popular because I keep seeing small backyard flocks of these on our travels. Guineas are known to be vigorous, hardy, and disease-free birds.
They are a little noisy if you are looking for a quiet place to enjoy country living. They kind of sound like an old engine being started. I captured the new flock right near my front door in the late summer. Check out the video I posted on Twitter below.
Ha! There are six of them so they are certainly making a scene. They don’t bother me too much because I know when they visit they are eating lots of bugs in my yard. Lyme disease has been diagnosed in my area so these birds are welcome to CHOW DOWN on any ticks they may see. Guineas are especially known to immensely enjoy snapping up ticks out of tall grass where they tend to thrive and pose threats to dogs, children, and livestock nearby.
Good Reads About The Guinea Fowls
Below you will find the links:
I am sure I will be adding more to this post as the days go on. The birds really do have quite a personality and I think if my neighbors didn’t have the flock that visit so often I would get a few to let enjoy my property.
Keeping The Critters on Your Farm
If you want to keep your guineas from wandering in a specific area, it is best to keep them in covered pens. I’ve seen the neighbors get chased by my pup and fly to the top of the 20 ft. barn peak. Guineas are able to fly at a very early age. I read on the poultry extension site that they are able to fly 400 to 500 ft. at a time. Guineas are also very good runners and prefer to move on foot. As you can see in the video of Oliver chasing them!
Let’s Connect
Curious to hear from you and if you have seen these birds before. Let me know by commenting on my site. You can find me sharing more fun poultry and other creative living ideas on social media. Follow the links featured on this page or @brenhaas.
Happy Guinea Fowl Discovery,
2 Responses
ONE GUINEAU ENTERED OUR YARD IN 2015 – CAME UP TO OUR FRONT PATIO WINDOW AND PECKED ON THE WINDOW – SAW HIS REFLECTION? MY WHEEL-CHAIR BASED HUSBAND TAPPED BACK AND THE GUINEAU HAS NEVER LEFT OUR YARD SINCE! MY HUSBAND DIED IN 2017 BUT THE GUINEAU CONTINUES TO SPEND ALOT OF TIME AT THE FRONT PATIO WINDOW AS WELL AS ON THE OTHER SIDE O OUR HOME. THE FIRST WINTER WE FED IT OUTSIDE AND DID NOT PROVIDE SHELTER – “TOODLES” MADE IT THRU THE WINTER BUT WE DECIDED TO PROVIDE SHELTER BY MOVING THE FEEDING INTO OUR HEATED GARAGE – “TOODLES” IS HAPPY THERE, STILL PEEKS IN MY WINDOW, STAYS IN OUR YARD (WE LIVE IN THE COUNTRY), PERCHES ON MY UTV CAN-AM ( THINKS IT BELONGS TO HIM) AND IT IS NOW 8 YEARS SINCE “TOODLES” CAME TO OUR FRONT WINDOW. I WANT TO TAKE A 2-WEEK TRIP AND AM
TRYING TO FIND THE PROPER EQUIPMENT TO PROVIDE 2 WKS OF FEED AND WATER – LOOKING FOR SUGGESTIONS.
wow.. that is a pretty interesting story about your new Guinea fowl friend. It is so cool that he picked YOU as it’s owner. Honestly, for the experience I have with my neighbors fowl spending time on our property they bird seems very independent and can find its own food. I am sure they drink from the pond because they do spend time up near that. Maybe try sitting out a bird bath with water that sits about 1-2 feet from the ground. They can fly well over 20 feet – I’ve seen it! With that in mind, you can always use a regular bird bath. They eat the bugs out of our soil in the garden and lawn all day.
I hope this helps – enjoy your trip!