When we moved to Dauphin, we discovered that the acreage was thick with ticks. You couldn't walk across the yard without three of them crawling up your pant leg. The dogs were covered, and it became a daily ritual to check the dogs, and ourselves, for ticks. The thought of getting Lyme Disease from a tick bite scared me. I started reading and researching methods to safely get rid of ticks.

Through my research, I discovered that Guinea Fowl are successful at eliminating ticks. A Guinea Fowl's diet largely consists of insects, though not only ticks... they also like moths, slugs, aphids, grasshoppers and all sorts of other bugs. Apparently, they also hate snakes. Unlike chickens, guineas do not scratch up the soil. They won't destroy tender plants in the gardens. Constantly on the move, they patrol the grounds... picking off bugs and weed seeds with nearly every step they take. The Guineas free-range, but we have them come back to roost in the hen house at night because of predator concerns.

We have been warned that guineas can be very noisy. They are often referred to as the farmer's watchdog. Adult guineas are usually quiet unless disturbed, but have a shrill warning call and can cause quite a commotion if something is amiss. It might be a hawk overhead, a stray dog, a strange vehicle, or just about anything. But, I think it's a small price to pay for the job they do keeping the bugs under control around here.