Does anyone raise any kind of poultry? I have been wanting to raise a flock of guinea fowl for a couple of years now. They are supposed to be great for keeping bugs down, especially ticks, as well as small snakes. Raising them up from keets takes some effort, but once they are able to forage for themselves they are supposedly low maintenance.
They seem to be hard to find around here, which given the tick and snake populations you would think everyone would have them. I received a great mail order catalogue with every kind of fowl imaginable, and am thinking of ordering from there.
My biggest concern is training the Gangstas not to terrorize them, as they have developed a high prey drive since moving out here. Squiggy is a wannabe bird dog, whom my hubby has taught to chase crows off of the deer feeder corn. He even barks at birds flying high in the sky, and much to my consternation chases off the herrons that come to fish in the creek, so I'm not sure there is any hope for him.
I already have a nice chicken house, that currently houses the cat tenants. They probably won't be happy about being displaced either.