# Geese, ducks, or guineas?



## IndyGardenGal (Apr 5, 2009)

I'm wanting a few birds to help with bugs (mostly mosquitoes and the few odd ticks). I'm wondering what our best option is. 

I've heard that guineas are great for controlling bugs and good alarms. From what I've seen online, they have a reputation for being loud and "alerting" people to every small noise and event. I've also heard they are less than intelligent and have a knack for being killed by both predators and the elements.

I have tried to read some on ducks, but have only found that they are very messy, but do well with bugs.

I like the idea of geese because I think butchering a few geese every year might not be too bad and I've heard goose eggs are pretty tasty. I've heard they are good barnyard alarms. I like this (because we do have neighbors dogs that come on the property from time to time (we're working on fixing fencing). I'm worried about them being aggressive as I have two small children (3&4).

I just want a small group of whatever it is we chose. Give me the good, bad, ugly. We may scrap the deal all together. I'm worried that too much noise might irritate my neighbors (our roosters and the neighbors roosters a few houses down have never been an issue).

Thanks,
Mary


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

mosquitos are not on the diet of domestic fowl, if mosquitos are your problem then you need eather Purple martin or Bat houses to attract natural mosquito eaters, 

ticks can be controlled locally with chickens, and over a larger area with guineas, ducks can eat bugs but are more selective with larger bugs, geese are grazers and will eat your grass not your bugs

also if your in town guineas are not probably a good choice as they ROAM ALL OVER< 

geese do not protect against dogs or any other preditor, and anything you get will need to have a fence to keep the bad varmits out, geese eggs are good for bakeing, so are duck eggs,


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## GoldenMom (Jan 2, 2005)

I don't have guineas, so I can't tell you much about them (other than I am going to try to find a few keets this spring...). I don't use any of my birds specifically for bug control so can't comment on that either. I do have geese and ducks (and turkeys and chickens and more ducks...). Waterfowl are MESSY. Their poo is big and wet and BIG. They throw water all over (not too big of an issue in the summer, but a PAIN if you keep them over winter). Geese are noisy, as are the hens of mallard derivatives. My muscovies are nice and quiet. Both geese and ducks are a pain to butcher (compared to chickens and turkeys). My geese and ducks are both nice enough birds. They are not friendly (I never attempted to make them such) but they do not chase or bite my family (that's what tom turkeys are for...). I have been around not so nice geese, but mine only guard their nest in the spring (my geese are pilgrims).


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## IndyGardenGal (Apr 5, 2009)

We may scrap it all together and just stick with new breeds of layers, possibly a few BBW turkeys to try out and butcher, and bat houses for the mosquitoes.

I do appreciate your responses!


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Domestic ducks can help keep mosquitoes under control. I rarely have any around the duck areas but they breed pretty heavily outside the fenced area. I think they eat the larvae. Ducks will also try to eat flies and seem to do a fair job of that. They eat mice, frogs and grasshoppers too. Don't seem to care much for wooly worms.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

My 'scovies are death on mosquitoes. I can tell a huge difference between my yard and the yard at our property just down the road. Muscovies are nice and quiet but do fly and fly well. I had to butcher a whole bunch of hens because they constantly roosted on our roof, not easy to sleep with a herd of elephants stomping around above your head at 6:00 am and you work 2nd shift. Muscovies also eat tons of slugs and slug eggs. They will decimate a garden in no time so you'll have to fence them out of anyplace you don't want them to be. They'll even pick the bark off young trees and shrubs. Poo is messy and plentiful. The eggs are delicious, especially if you like yolks. They are seasonal layers so you won't get eggs most of the fall and winter (however I know a woman in Indiana that was getting eggs in December, but she had lights on for her girls). Muscovy ducks are friendly but sometimes overly so. You can't dig a hole without all of them sticking their heads in your way and commenting on your progress, or lack thereof since you can't do anything with them all in the hole.


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## bluetick (May 11, 2002)

One reason ducks can help keep the mosquito population down is because they roil any standing water they can get their bills into. Mosquito larvae need still water to thrive.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Geese will help keep the grass that mosquitoes hide during the day clipped short so there is no place to hide. Ducks eat the larvae in any standing water.

I would put up some tree swallow nest boxes for mosquitoes and flies. They need to be spaced 50' apart but if you place them closer you might still get some bluebirds.


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## OJ Rallye (Aug 4, 2005)

I think Muscovies are the only ones that eat mosquitoes and the larvae off the water. I'm not sure if adults bother with mosquitoes but the ducklings sure snap them out of the air. My wife was picking greens and accompanied by some 4-6 week old ducklings and they'd pick mosquitoes off of her arm as they'd land on her.


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## Falls-Acre (May 13, 2009)

Guineas are excellent at insect control. They do require training to stay home and possible a regular wing clipping as they are good fliers and prefer to roost in trees at night. I live in the city and never had much trouble with roaming once they were trained. They can be a loud raucous bunch though. I've found them to be extremely intelligent, when a dog broke into the poultry lot, the hens hid well and the cock actually attempted to battle the intruder!

Ducks are very messy. That about sums them up for me. LOL

Geese don't really eat a lot of bugs, they are more herbivorous. If your aim is to help control weeds, they can do it, but bugs... probably not as well. They are territorial and make good alarms, and if you get large ones they can help repel 2-legged predators very nicely.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

I love and miss the sound of guineas!


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## Frenchy (Sep 28, 2005)

Well don't know what you heard about guineas being killed by elements my guineas roost in a open oak tree all winter during freezing rain an thunderstorms snow whatever may happen can't get them to roost any wheres else once they pick a spot that is it ........... as too predators never had a guinea running loose caught by dog yet (unless nesting) have had some gotten that was penned up an couldn't fly away, but as long as a guinea can fly not much gonna catch him on the ground it can happen but much harder than you think,........now in a tree at night yes have lost several to owls and even couple to hawks in day time, and yes if one gets hit by a car they will all gather around an talk it over in the middle of the road DUH!!! 

Now as to bug control I have very few ticks around here & not very many grass hoppers an last year was the first year we have seen any snakes in a very long time and not very often do we find any damage to anything in the garden once in awhile we find where a guinea has snatched a bug an took a piece out of a tomato or some such thin skinned veggy...........

I have at most times close to 40 guineas on my place here an yes they can be very noisy but a person can get used to that an they are very entertaining also ..............


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