For those lucky enough NOT to be privy to their machine gun like warning calls here is a short example of just how devastating their lung power can be!
Our neighbours are very sweet as they never complain when all four birds burst into "song" as it were but I know that when Alf,(above) Hughie and little Ivy get going, I am sure that there are some evil thoughts of murder circulating through various Trelawnyd residents' minds...............
Angostura ( the white "rescue guinea hen) keeps to herself with the older hens in their hen house and does not take up roosting positions with the other birds in the Church Yard trees at night...so at least the volume of the small group is diminished by 25% when they start their daily screaming at the odd unfortunate cat, buzzard and more importantly fox.
Angostura ( so named because her owner described her as being somewhat "bitter with life") will hopefully become a mate for Alf , once she realises that she is indeed a guinea fowl....but in the meantime he follows Hughie and his mate Ivy around like a love suck puppy, ever hopeful for a quick shag in the long grass.
This morning, as on every morning the three outdoor guineas were sitting on the Church wall, waiting for me to feed them.. They have become synonymous with the Graveyard , which they watch over as diligently as sentries of a castle....and I would like to think that they add some more character to a place already steeped in character and history
My lady would love to have some Guinea Fowl but fortunately for the valley neighbors she has not gotten any yet!
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ReplyDeleteFunny looking characters but I'm sure have their place in the hierarchy of it all!
ReplyDeleteWhen I worked on the fabric of Longleat House back in the eighties, I was usually stalked by a Guinea Fowl that would have dwarfed the ones in your vid. When it called to me (in a 100 decibel skwawk), it's hot breath would produce a cloud of steam in the winter morning air - very amusing.
ReplyDeleteOne bird that I'm very glad no one has around here.
ReplyDeleteI am going to loop all of those sounds and run them through a speaker about 3 inches from my ceiling... ThunderBunny, you've met your match!
ReplyDeleteKate x
Interesting sounds. Thanks for the clip, John.
ReplyDeleteWe are thinking of getting a few guineas when we go to the farm.
Were yours raised with your chickens? I've heard they need to be or they pick on the chickens.
Hope you're all doing well! :)
they can be a little rough on some of the hens linda!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up, John. Have a good evening. :)
ReplyDeleteHi John! I love guineas! When we first looked at our house there was a whole flock of about 10 of them in our yard--I thought it was a good omen! A friend of ours has offered to give us a few because they eat the ticks--maybe sometime I'll take them up on it!
ReplyDeleteJohn, you are right about Guinea fowl noise, they are indeed noisy. My neighbors farm has them and they are quite the alarms. I can always tell when someone is about the drive past our farm.... they alert us! However, in the early evening, just before sunset, they sing in a lovely, almost quiet, lilting song that I have become quite fond of hearing. Little chirping type noise... it's what I fondly refer to as their evening song to kiss the sunset goodbye. I have tried to keep Guineas on my farm, but they have always abandoned me for my neighbor... along with my peacocks, and peahens. I have given up trying to keep either one of these fowl on my place.
ReplyDeleteI am sure they add character to the surrounding area.
ReplyDeleteAs a young child, we had Guineas. They make wonderful watchers and are good at eating bugs but I can do without the pot-racking call.
This info came at a perfect time, I've been thinking a lot lately about getting a few guinea fowl.. I've heard that they won't destroy your garden as much as chickens. Thanks for including the video-too funny!
ReplyDeleteYears ago I lived near a factory that used geese instead of guard dos - I winder if you could use guinea fowl the same way? Not so large or vicious, but a great alarm system.
ReplyDeleteI love guineas and think they are under-appreciated. They are amazing tick eaters and bug eaters and protectors :) Thanks for joining up with FFF!
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