Turkey, Geese, Guinea as guardian animal?

[PhantomSlayer]

My mom has been a lot of questions about how to protect the flock from predators. I've been doing all the research but nothing seems definitive on a guardian in the flock aside from dogs.
Come spring were planning to get 10-20 chickens, they'll be free range all day, locked up at night. My mother does not want to get a LGD I guess.. So she asked about other options. I just really want to know peoples experience with turkey, geese or guineas that are raised with chickens if they make good protection. My mom said her main worry is weasels.


We have alot of predator possibilities in the area but we also have alot of deer, rabbits and field mice.

Not saying were not expecting some of the bigger predators to come but I guess my mom is worried more about the smaller predators?

All of the research i've done say Guineas are more of an alarm system and geese and turkeys are roughly the same protection level but there was also worries of all three attacking the chickens? I would think if their raised together that would be diminished?

 

[SmiYa0126]

A good rooster will defend his flock. Mine saved my hen from a hawk attack. Get one that is over a year old. There will be some fighting initially, but then things should settle down.

 

[Isadora]

No supposed animal guardian can compete with a secure coop and fencing.

 

[ihatedarkroast]

Turkeys housed with chickens did not work for me as the chicken hens got bullied. And my turkeys were too dumb for free ranging.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

What did you end up doing?

I want to add to my flock, preferring a guardian type...friends suggested Geese, Turkeys, Maine Coon Cat, Dogs, Goats & a Donkey. (If I was independently wealthy, had more land & could stay home all day & hang out with them, I would get them all! )

I just asked for some advice & opinions here...I can start out with 1 type of the above.

 

[R2elk]

What did you end up doing?

I want to add to my flock, preferring a guardian type...friends suggested Geese, Turkeys, Maine Coon Cat, Dogs, Goats & a Donkey. (If I was independently wealthy, had more land & could stay home all day & hang out with them, I would get them all! )

I just asked for some advice & opinions here...I can start out with 1 type of the above.

The best option is a Livestock Guard Dog.

Neither geese, turkeys or guineas will protect your flock.

Guineas will alarm at anything. If raised with chickens, they will end up attacking the chickens.

My geese were very good for sounding legitimate alarms at anytime of the day or night but never protected the other poultry from anything.

Turkeys neither alarm or protect and can be very one track minded if they take an issue with your other poultry. If they take an issue with your chickens, the chickens will suffer.

If you have blackhead where you are, having turkeys with chickens can be a death sentence to the turkeys.

Guineas are flock birds and do best in large numbers.

Neither turkeys or geese should be raised as singles as they are very social birds with their own kind.

 

[Geena]

What did you end up doing?

I want to add to my flock, preferring a guardian type...friends suggested Geese, Turkeys, Maine Coon Cat, Dogs, Goats & a Donkey. (If I was independently wealthy, had more land & could stay home all day & hang out with them, I would get them all! )

I just asked for some advice & opinions here...I can start out with 1 type of the above.

As r2elk said, a LGD would be your best bet for actual protection, but they can be expensive to acquire and keep. They often require a good bit of training and can tend to roam.
You really shouldn't keep a donkey by itself. My goats didn't actually protect the chickens but they would chase foxes and raccoons.

 

[Mygoose]

The best option is a Livestock Guard Dog.

Neither geese, turkeys or guineas will protect your flock.

Guineas will alarm at anything. If raised with chickens, they will end up attacking the chickens.

My geese were very good for sounding legitimate alarms at anytime of the day or night but never protected the other poultry from anything.

Turkeys neither alarm or protect and can be very one track minded if they take an issue with your other poultry. If they take an issue with your chickens, the chickens will suffer.

If you have blackhead where you are, having turkeys with chickens can be a death sentence to the turkeys.

Guineas are flock birds and do best in large numbers.

Neither turkeys or geese should be raised as singles as they are very social birds with their own kind.

What kind of geese did you get?

 

[R2elk]

What kind of geese did you get?

I had African geese.

 

[fowltemptress]

Other people may have different experiences here, but I've found raising different species of birds together actually increased their likelihood of attacking eachother. As long as I raise them separately, they keep a respectful distance and do their own things as adults, but when I raised them together It's like they lost all fear of each other. None of them will protect your flock the way you want, so it doesn't much matter anyway. I have dogs to protect my geese and guineas.