Healthy soil and sustainable growing

[Harvey Ussery <harvey@themodernhomestead.us>]

On 06/02/2010 01:40 PM, Dianne Palmer-Quay wrote:
> Harvey wrote:
> >Once the squash vines start to run, I net the winter squash plot with
> electric net fencing and put in 3 to 5 guineas. No more squash bug the
> rest of the season.
>
> Harvey,
>
> Could you talk a little more about how you manage your guineas?  Do 
> you clip wing feathers to keep them in the netting? 

Yes. Guineas are much more active fliers than chickens. I routinely clip 
wings. Sometimes I have a rogue flier who goes over the net despite the 
clip. I respond with an ever more radical clip, ending in extreme cases 
with shearing off *all* flight feathers on *both* wings, right down to 
nubs. I would never do that to a free-ranging bird, but in this case I'm 
protecting them with the net, and depending on their services with the 
squash bug, so they *have* to keep their butts on the ground inside the net.


> Where do they live the rest of the year?

I've taken different approaches. If I keep adult guineas with the 
chickens over winter, it usually works okay--until the testosterone 
starts rising in the late winter. Then the guineas start getting really 
kick-ass with the chooks. This is espec true of the cock guineas, who 
harass the chicken cocks mercilessly. I've even gone so far as 
*hobbling* the guineas to give the chooks some peace.

More recently, I've preferred bringing in adult guineas from elsewhere 
in the spring, letting them accustom to new home shut inside their 
shelter, after 10 days/2 weeks releasing to the squash patch. Then 
slaughter in the fall so no problem as described above. Of course, this 
strategy depends on local source of adults.

This year I got guinea hatching eggs from a friend, hatched them out 
under chicken mama, hope they will be old enough for bug duty by the 
time they're able to be separated from the hen. (Can't put her in the 
squash plot, she'd trash the planting with her scratching.)
> I have a small (1 acre) suburban homestead with a second garden spot 
> on borrowed land up the street at a neighbors' home.  This spot has 
> more sun and is better for food production but insect pests are a real 
> trial (along with the neighbor's free ranging chickens.  I have put 
> netting around the garden this year, which has solved the marauding 
> chicken problem. Now onto the bugs.
>
> I have been offered a chance to go in on a order of keets but wasn't 
> sure if I could keep the birds at home.
>
> Thanks,
> Dianne in SC

I've had great success with guineas to control squash bug. But the 
strategy depends on a way to ensure they stay where you put them.

~Harvey

--
Harvey in northern Va
www.themodernhomestead.us

My book, THE MODERN HOMESTEAD POULTRY FLOCK, will be published next year by 
Chelsea Green Publishing.