Hampton Bays, Long Island has added a small flock of guineafowl to its Squiretown Park to control ticks, http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=236633. The five birds are doing their job enthusiastically.
Guineafowl are galliform birds native to Africa, but have been domesticated and are good egg and meat birds. They are popular for insect control because, unlike chickens, they don't tear up and eat the landscaping. Bugs are their prey, and they are voracious eaters.
Guineas were popular on Victorian tables, but have mostly been lost to modern cooking. Guineas can be a good choice for a small flock. They are also beautiful, and are bred in a bewildering variety of feather colors, as shown by Ralph Winters' stock at his Iowa farm, http://www.guineafarm.com/toc.html.
How to Raise Poultry includes a chapter on Guineafowl. These unusual birds are worth investigating for your poultry operation.
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