How good are Guineas at Detering snakes

[TheTwoRoos]

Was wanting these because copper heads keep popping up in my yard and that’s absolutely unacceptable.Too many little kids running around,bu read guineas are pretty good snake eaters?And also have watched videos of hen running them away and surrounding them.Dont mind if the snakes stay in the woods but they cannot be in the yard.Have had bad run ins with them.One actually but my shoe last summer so they must go,are guineas truly snake deterrent?

 

[R2elk]

Was wanting these because copper heads keep popping up in my yard and that’s absolutely unacceptable.Too many little kids running around,bu read guineas are pretty good snake eaters?And also have watched videos of hen running them away and surrounding them.Dont mind if the snakes stay in the woods but they cannot be in the yard.Have had bad run ins with them.One actually but my shoe last summer so they must go,are guineas truly snake deterrent?

I haven't seen any evidence that guineas deter snakes here but I have not had any snake problems since I have had turkeys.

To get the kind of behavior that you are expecting from guineas, you will need a whole flock of guineas. Don't think you that can get a couple of guineas and expect them to eliminate your snake problem.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Wasn’t expecting them to eliminate just assist a bit.I wanted at the most ten.

 

[R2elk]

Wasn’t expecting them to eliminate just assist a bit.I wanted at the most ten.

Ten is enough to satisfy their flock needs and cause them to become brave enough to do things like harass snakes.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

As far as them and my rooster,should I intergrate them as I would with another bird.

 

[R2elk]

As far as them and my rooster, should I integrate them as I would with another bird.

I house my guineas separate from my other poultry. I do not let them get imprinted by my chickens and house them separate. Because of this I am able to let the guineas and the other poultry free range at the same time in the same area without any interaction between the guineas and the other poultry. The guineas know that the other poultry are not guineas and leave them alone.

In cases where guineas are imprinted by chickens, everything can seem great as they grow up until the first breeding season. At that time the inborn nature of the guineas takes over and they can terrorize other poultry that do not understand these behaviors.

 

[Krazyquilts]

In cases where guineas are imprinted by chickens, everything can seem great as they grow up until the first breeding season. At that time the inborn nature of the guineas takes over and they can terrorize other poultry that do not understand these behaviors.

X2! I had read that if you raise guinea keets with chicken chicks, then the keets will be calmer and less spastic. They were my first keets (and my first chicks), so I have nothing to compare the keets to but this spring when breeding season started, they did indeed begin to terrorize the chickens, mostly the young "teenagers," and especially my expensive Ameraucanas. So the guineas went up on Craigslist and I sold the last one a few weeks ago. The pasture is sooooo much quieter and calmer without them! I used to think that they were funny but I now they are gone, I think the guineas got on my nerves more than I realized. My husband wants to get some again for tick control, but if we do get more, they will be raised by themselves and housed on the other side of our pond far away from the chickens - and my eardrums!

 

[BlueShadow]

X2! I had read that if you raise guinea keets with chicken chicks, then the keets will be calmer and less spastic. They were my first keets (and my first chicks), so I have nothing to compare the keets to but this spring when breeding season started, they did indeed begin to terrorize the chickens, mostly the young "teenagers," and especially my expensive Ameraucanas.

This was my experience also with guineas.

For the OP, I have not found guineas to be very good snake deterrents, however they are excellent snake watchers. We have lots of garter snakes here, I always know when one is out and about because there will be a circle of 3-4 guineas standing around, watching it.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

Well I guess I’ll just get guineas for ticks then because my ducks alarm is very well,I call them the police crew because they have sighted snakes and raccoons and all types of crap.Ducks and guineas seem to be great watch outs.