Laying Hens for Pest Control

[Rach]

They can fly very high, a fence won’t hold them but if it is a large area they may stay put if there is enough food and foraging. Mine roam within about a tenth a mile of my house. Most days they are closer but they do wander sometimes. Mine just sleep on a branch above my goat pen. They do not like to be confined at all but I do know people who have convinced theirs to go into a chicken coop overnight. They are loud for no reason but especially if someone strange walks by, like your spouse who isn’t their caretaker but more so for real strangers and any wild animal or predator. They tend to be loudest during breeding season but they are seriously loud everyday at some point. I don’t recommend if you have close neighbors-we have 80 acres set way off the road so it works here. Look up a YouTube video of them vocalizing. I love them but they aren’t for every situation.

[Sparty]

I grew up with guinea hens roaming the property. My neighbors have a few, but his guineas spend half their day across the street at a different house. That lady hates her nieghbor’s guineas. She is always chasing them out of her yard. In my opinion, it’s not fair to let your animals roam onto your neighbor’s property. Just one thing to consider.

[Pokeweed]

We keep guineas. I put a coop on the edge of our orchard. For the first several years we tried fruit trees, grasshoppers damaged or killed everything. Literally. I tried nolo bait, kaolin clay and a pesticide I don’t remember. No effect. I got the guineas and after several months they got the hoppers under control.
Ours go into the coop at night. I Have an automatic door that opens in the morning and closes at night. They can get quite loud, but we are probably a mile from the closest neighbor. D

[glib]

Guineas have the advantage of being almost completely carnivore. You need to train them when they are young (force them to stay in a coop for a long time until they get the habit). They hunt at night also, so if they stay put and you have a mice problem, the mice will disappear in short order.
The time for bug control is the fall and early spring, when there are overwintering larva in the soil.

[shein33]

This is exactly why I want Guineas. As far as foraging, they sound perfect. I’m worried I’m a bit too close to my neighbors for the noise and wandering. Totally agree with @Sparty, totally not fair to let animals roam onto your neighbor’s property. Hmmmm, tons of awesome feedback. I’m either going to run Guineas by my neighbors or go with ducks.

One more Guinea question… My orchard is right against a huge wooded area behind my house. Any chance these guys would just prefer the woods? If they do, I think I’d be all set because it’s over the hill a bit and in the woods. That would dampen the sound greatly and keep them out of my neighbors area. I only have one close neighbor so that’s the only concern.

[CA_Poppy]

Just wanted to put it out there that different chicken breeds have significantly different temperaments. Brown egg layers tend to have a heavier body, be less “flighty”, and stay closer to home when they free range. Most of them can be kept confined with a 3’-4’ fence. White egg layers tend to be the opposite in personality.

[nil]

Ducks taste great, and are large enough to feed a family. Duck eggs are rich & sweet. They do not tear up the ground like chickens. They tend to move as a flock, which makes them easier to control.

[Pokeweed]

I made a partition in my coop so we can introduce keets to the coop and let them all become accustomed to each other without contact. That lasts about 60 days, then we remove the partition and they work out the pecking order.

[Pokeweed]

Our guineas probably roam a 300 yard radius from their coop. They spend time in a mesquite thicket as well as our fruit tree plantings. They will go all over the place! D

[PA_Fruit_Grower]

Never thought about keeping ducks before. Do they eat as many bugs as chickens? It sounds like they are easier to keep and do less damage than chickens.

I have a 50x50 fenced orchard, is that big enough for some ducks or do they need more room to roam?

[CA_Poppy]

That would be big enough for some ducks. You need to provide them with a source of clean water at least big enough that they can dip their heads in. A dishpan is fine, but they really appreciate a kiddie pool that they can get completely into. They do not return to the coop at night naturally like chickens. You generally do not need to treat them for internal or external parasites. Otherwise, care is similar to chickens.

[CA_Poppy]

Also, if noise is an issue for you, female ducks are the loud ones. Males are much quieter. Unless you get Muscovy ducks, where both sexes just make a soft hissing sound. However, Muscovies can fly, so be prepared to clip wings if you go that route.

[glib]

Good point. I am surprised no one has mentioned how delicious guineas are.

[moose71]

the ones i ate tasted a lot like pheasant.

[CA_Poppy]

The one time I helped a friend butcher her guineas, we cooked them a la Normande, with butter, cream, bacon, apples, onions, dijon mustard and Calvados. They were delicious. And I did think they tasted a lot like pheasant. They have that same tendency toward dryness, so this was a good recipe for them with all the cream, butter, etc.

[Rach]

Mine spend lots of time in the woods, we are in the middle of a large wooded area.

[Rach]

Ducks do not scratch so they do less damage but still eat the bugs.

[northof53]

The nice thing about ducks, especially the heavy breeds, is that a fence just 18 inches high is enough to keep them in, or out. I hatched out some Saxony this spring and they cannot fly. No wing clipping and I can easily step over the fence.

I kept some Indian Runners all winter and they can stand -20C to come out for a quick dip. They handled the weather wonderfully.

[moose71]

only at -25f or below will my ducks and geese seek shelter. tough birds!

[shein33]

My neighbor has some and they are fascinating. A storm could be raising hell. Every animal and person is hiding out. The ducks are in heaven.