Guineas and veggie seeds

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Yesterday, I slaved like a dog hand digging my raised beds and planting my peas and some cabbage and broccolli seed. Loved every minute of it!!

Much to my dismay, however, today I discovered my guineas happily pecking away at my planted bed. Why it never occured to me that this could happen I'll never know. Do they eat veggie seeds regularily. This will never do folks! I will have to renew my plans to have a guinea supper. Thought I'd give them a second chance - but gardening is my first love.

Do you folks with guineas keep them contained at planting time? or is it my imagination that they are eating my seed?

-- Tiffani Cappello (Cappello@alltel.net), March 20, 2001

Answers

UPDATE - Sorry to end this post so quick but I found a real nice home for my guineas and they will be leaving this evening. Not going to miss them much I hate to say. They kept attacking my black and white chickens and killed two. Can't figure out why they only hated the b/w ones. Anyway there are NO chickens at there new home. Now I just have to catch them! Sheesh!

-- Tiffani Cappello (Cappello@alltel.net), March 20, 2001.

Good luck :-) The only way we have been able to catch the guineas is after they have settled down for the night. (It's still not easy.) Be sure you get a really firm grip on them, around their wings.(They're pretty strong.) Hopefully, by the time you read this, you will have said a fond goodbye. :-) mary

-- mary, texas (marylgarcia@aol.com), March 21, 2001.

Altho you got rid of 'em, guineas eat weed seeds, why not the delicious seeds you planted. I don't garden, so I don't have the problem. There's a book out, 'Gardening With Guineas.' The author claims the guineas don't scratch like chooks (HA!) and will walk thru the garden without disturbing the plants and just eat the bugs off the plants. Everyone I know with guineas has the garden fenced off with wire/netting across the top! I guess folks have to make the decision: get rid of the ticks on the property or have a garden! -G- Not only don't I have a garden, I don't have ticks. Now, let's talk about the 4 inch grasshoppers I USED to have!

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), March 24, 2001.

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