Guinea Fowl for tick control

[SOONER*REDNECK]

Anyone use Guinea fowl for tick control? I have a property we purchased in October 2021 that is consumed with Ticks right now. It has a small 1/4 pond that my wife, kids and I spend a lot of time at but right now within seconds ticks will cover you. I keep the grass and weeds down around the pond and due to run off concerns with water quality and fish health I am not able to treat around the pond. I have been researching and the only true option I think I have is some Guineas. Will they stay put around the pond if thats where I feed them? I also hunt within 20 yards of the pond. Will these dudes run my deer off? Will they wonder off my property and be a nuisance for the neighbors?

[CatFan]

Coyotes will inhale them without a coop to put them away at night and they will wander away without somebody feeding them regularly.

[BP in ME]

Yes, they will annoy the neighbors because they're noisy. I can't attest to their effectiveness for tick control but they certainly have a good rep for that purpose. I'm trying diatomaceous earth this year. So far it hasn't helped but I might have put it on too light.

[rboren]

Just get chickens. They will eat ticks and bugs also. The eggs are edible and they are much quieter. I am sure I can record audio from a guinea. They are all hard to keep alive if they roam free.

[high 2]

They do roam some. Feeding regularly will help keep them close. They will help with the bug control and they’re not as bad as chickens about getting on top of your cars. Guinea fowl are pretty good watch dogs and are aware of danger. Coyotes say they taste just like chicken.

[WPS456]

We're in the exact same situation as the OP, trying to figure out the best route. We haven't done anything yet but some mentioned on here a while back about saving toilet paper rolls (the inner cardboard part) and lint from the dryer. Spray the lint with permethrin, stuff lint in rolls, spread throughout the property...mice use it for nests and the spray kills the ticks that the mice carry.

[bassnpro1]

We're in the exact same situation as the OP, trying to figure out the best route. We haven't done anything yet but some mentioned on here a while back about saving toilet paper rolls (the inner cardboard part) and lint from the dryer. Spray the lint with permethrin, stuff lint in rolls, spread throughout the property...mice use it for nests and the spray kills the ticks that the mice carry.

Thermacell sells exactly what you are describing if you don't want to make your own.

[Duece22]

Wondercide Flea and Tick seems to work really well.

[boneil]

They are so annoying. Very noisy all day long. They eat ticks, but you and any neighbors will be happy when the foxes eat them. Place some tick tubes around the property. treat your clothes, and boots/shoes with permethrin

[juice780]

Very loud and hard to keep something else from getting them.

[Thamelau]

They can be loud, and I know of people's that don't go in the coop at night, so they get picked off. Ours however do go into the coop at night and even use the chicken's nesting boxes so we get their eggs. They supposedly do a good job on bugs, but I don't know if I believe that a handful of birds could put a reasonable dent in the fly, tick, whatever bug population. They do make good alarms when someone is coming onto the property

[okhawg]

They are LOUD. They eat a lot of ticks, but did I mention they are LOUD!

[jsharp]

They are loud but you get used to the noise and I would much rather deal with the noise instead of a bunch of ticks everytime you walk in the yard.

[Bobby Gray]

Your area bobcats will love you for it.

[LewStulePH.D.]

Just get chickens. They will eat ticks and bugs also. The eggs are edible and they are much quieter. I am sure I can record audio from a guinea. They are all hard to keep alive if they roam free.

If this is anything like other Guineas, just make a model and change the mantra...

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Cargo_cult

These pics are dated so the satellite dish has materialized and they even get the Sunday package It is the time difference that makes it suck..

download-2.jpg <--- here Darren is modeling the 'New Reality™ glasses...

[big bucks 170]

Owls ate the seven I had,they were pretty cool and would come the yard like a little army on a mission.

[plowjock]

Sure make great watch dogs also. They are LOUD!

[bassfisher444]

They are loud and not very intelligent. Chickens would be a better investment.

[phelptwan]

They decimate insect populations. Mosquitos, ticks, ants, whatever. My parents had a few of them randomly show up at their house several years ago and they went to town eating everything. It was enough that even the bats left the area for that summer. By the end of the summer, they were all eaten by Coyotes though.

[rboren]

They are loud and not very intelligent. Chickens would be a better investment.

You sir are correct! I already stated my opinion on this topic. We have one. Her name is Penny(the guinea). She is a bossy beatch to the chickens. Ugly bird. Looks like she is made up of left over parts. God said: throw the left over parts together I will call it a Guinea.