Nothing Beats Having Keets
Baby guinea keets in their new home
Years ago when I told my buddy Mike that we were getting 30 guineas, he was slightly confused. When I told him the guineas can fly over the house, he was REALLY confused.
Guineafowl or “guineas” (not to be confused with guinea pigs), are fowl originating from Africa. Though still found wild in Africa, some have been domesticated and are a common critter on the homestead due to their watchdog and aggressive, tick-eating nature. Baby guineafowl are known as keets. They are a similar in size and diet to chickens but that’s about where the similarities end.
As much as I enjoy watching chickens scratch the ground for tasty morsels, the guineas are the most entertaining creatures we have. They move in tight bunches and DO NOT STOP TALKING. Everything, everywhere they go must be discussed. This is a large part of what makes them so amusing but also why some people dislike them. They are also barely domesticated and good luck catching one in the open. They are fast and can easily fly 30+ ft high.
A couple guineas casually hanging out 30 ft high on the peak of our house
Because the guineas are constantly moving and so chatty, they alert everyone within screeching distance of any stranger. Surprisingly, they have developed an effective relationship with the dog for keeping predators at bay. It goes like this: Guineas run around aimlessly until they spot a strange human or animal. They holler loudly about this strange creature. The dog, Belle, hears them and runs up to investigate barking fiercely. Sometimes the strange creature is a coyote stalking the young lambs and sometimes the strange creature is the mail lady we see twice a week. Upon seeing the intruding mail lady, Belle, our vicious rottweiler, squeals and rolls over for tummy rubs.
The wife and I often compare the chickens and guineas to Southerners and Yankees. The chickens (Southerners) take their time scratching about while softly conversing on occasion. The guineas (Yankees) run around hurriedly in dense groups constantly up to something and gossiping loudly. The guineas surely do more in their day but the slow gentle pace of chickens is soothing. The guineas are perhaps more entertaining but watching a chicken casually walk about finding worms is awfully comforting and wholesome. I think it’s clear that our farm would be incomplete without both of these animals.
As of this writing, the wife commented that my posts are “tastefully cheesy”. Let me know in the comments below if you agree (if you don’t agree, keep it to yourself).
