Pastured guineas and chickens in rotation?

[LaurelC]

I've kept chickens before in a suburban coop environment. We got rid of them before moving cross country to a big piece of land we are developing as a small hobby farm. I'm presently building a mobile chicken coop trailer to house a few dozen chickens. The coop will be night digs only, and outside of the coop, I'll theoretically keep them contained and protected using electric chicken netting, the trailer will be moved every several days to keep them in fresh grass and bugs. I would like to grab say a dozen guineas to eat ticks and be extra vigilant, however I've never kept them before. I know they have a tendency to fly up into trees to roost. I'm basically resigned to the first year of having them be a trial in regards to whether I can stand their noise, how they do in this system, etc. If they split, then they split. Will brooding them in the mobile coop/trailer help them to "home" to the trailer? How about raising them alongside hens?

Thanks!
Laurel

 

[R2elk]

I've kept chickens before in a suburban coop environment. We got rid of them before moving cross country to a big piece of land we are developing as a small hobby farm. I'm presently building a mobile chicken coop trailer to house a few dozen chickens. The coop will be night digs only, and outside of the coop, I'll theoretically keep them contained and protected using electric chicken netting, the trailer will be moved every several days to keep them in fresh grass and bugs. I would like to grab say a dozen guineas to eat ticks and be extra vigilant, however I've never kept them before. I know they have a tendency to fly up into trees to roost. I'm basically resigned to the first year of having them be a trial in regards to whether I can stand their noise, how they do in this system, etc. If they split, then they split. Will brooding them in the mobile coop/trailer help them to "home" to the trailer? How about raising them alongside hens?

Thanks!
Laurel

Read the thread Raising Guinea Fowl 101 and pay particular attention to posts by @PeepsCA .
I recommend brooding and raising the guineas separate from the chickens so that when they grow up, they understand that chickens are not guineas. I recommend keeping them in a secure coop at night to help eliminate losses to predators. Guineas can be trained to return to the coop at night whether by herding or through the use of feed and/or treats. They can be trained to come to a call, sound, etc. to come for treats.

Guineas don't seem to me to be ideal for a tractor. They require much more "personal space" than do chickens.

 

[LaurelC]

Read the thread Raising Guinea Fowl 101 and pay particular attention to posts by @PeepsCA .
I recommend brooding and raising the guineas separate from the chickens so that when they grow up, they understand that chickens are not guineas. I recommend keeping them in a secure coop at night to help eliminate losses to predators. Guineas can be trained to return to the coop at night whether by herding or through the use of feed and/or treats. They can be trained to come to a call, sound, etc. to come for treats.

Guineas don't seem to me to be ideal for a tractor. They require much more "personal space" than do chickens.

Thanks. For clarification, this is a pretty large trailer, and the "run" will be a large area encircled by electric netting, however I expect guineas could easily fly over the net. Do you mean they need more personal space at night?

Can they be trained to go inside on their own? The game plan for this trailer is to have an automatic door, and nighttime chores of chasing birds down to go to bed are a nonstarter for me.

 

[R2elk]

Thanks. For clarification, this is a pretty large trailer, and the "run" will be a large area encircled by electric netting, however I expect guineas could easily fly over the net. Do you mean they need more personal space at night?

Can they be trained to go inside on their own? The game plan for this trailer is to have an automatic door, and nighttime chores of chasing birds down to go to bed are a nonstarter for me.

Guineas can be trained to go in a coop at night on their own. A "tractor" is not in any way ideal for guineas at night because they like to roost high. Guineas need far more "personal space" than chickens at all times of the day and night.

They have entirely different instincts and behaviors than do chickens. The flock tends to split into smaller groups during laying season. Breeding season with all the chases and races and the attacks from behind along with the feather pulling and breaking are unique to guineas.

The constant "buckwheating" of the hens calling for mates during breeding season is also a guinea only trait. During laying season their habit of having hidden nests can make them extremely susceptible to predators. They will not voluntarily return to a coop when they are broody unless their nest is in the coop.

 

[LaurelC]

Thanks. As noted, this is a trailer, not a low chicken tractor, you're the only person who's mentioned a tractor. I can see how you'd assume it's a standard chicken tractor, however, it's a trailer that is more than 6' high. Of course, it's not a tree, but if what I'm seeing in this subforum is indicative of acceptable housing for guineas, I'm not worried at all about the trailer.

It sounds like regardless of what the coop is like (stationary, mobile, etc) they'll hide out to try to hatch eggs if they are allowed to free range.

As noted, I am new to guineas, but given enough space, it sounds like what I've described isn't likely to be an issue for guinea keeping outside of preferring to brood them separately so they don't get confused about who's who?

 

[R2elk]

Thanks. As noted, this is a trailer, not a low chicken tractor, you're the only person who's mentioned a tractor. I can see how you'd assume it's a standard chicken tractor, however, it's a trailer that is more than 6' high. Of course, it's not a tree, but if what I'm seeing in this subforum is indicative of acceptable housing for guineas, I'm not worried at all about the trailer.

It sounds like regardless of what the coop is like (stationary, mobile, etc) they'll hide out to try to hatch eggs if they are allowed to free range.

As noted, I am new to guineas, but given enough space, it sounds like what I've described isn't likely to be an issue for guinea keeping outside of preferring to brood them separately so they don't get confused about who's who?

If you are constantly moving this "trailer", it may be an issue.

 

[LaurelC]

Perfect. For clarification, is the concern about the trailer (why the quotations?) being moved in regards to leaving behind broody mothers that have set up shop outside of the coop, them finding the trailer again after a move, or something else? If the concern is them finding the trailer after a move, is moving it 100 feet or so every several likely to be confusing?

Thanks

 

[R2elk]

Perfect. For clarification, is the concern about the trailer (why the quotations?) being moved in regards to leaving behind broody mothers that have set up shop outside of the coop, them finding the trailer again after a move, or something else? If the concern is them finding the trailer after a move, is moving it 100 feet or so every several likely to be confusing?

Thanks

If you want to use it as a coop, leave it in one place. Guineas don't do well with changes. 100' may not be much to you but it is to a guinea.

 

[LaurelC]

Fair. I'll make this coop chickens-only.

I just want to make sure I'm understanding the reasoning behind your advice so I can apply this to decision-making in the future. Moving a coop is likely to cause issues with guineas because the location to them is more of a requirement than the structure when it comes to determining a home base? I understand that they're different (and far less domesticated) than chickens, and pastured chickens and turkeys do fine with movable coop structures, and knowing what that difference is in regards to moving "home" helps with understanding.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Fair. I'll make this coop chickens-only.

I just want to make sure I'm understanding the reasoning behind your advice so I can apply this to decision-making in the future. Moving a coop is likely to cause issues with guineas because the location to them is more of a requirement than the structure when it comes to determining a home base? I understand that they're different (and far less domesticated) than chickens, and pastured chickens and turkeys do fine with movable coop structures, and knowing what that difference is in regards to moving "home" helps with understanding.

Interesting to consider how much movement of their coop guineas will tolerate - I don’t know. Will you have a livestock guardian dog? The guineas won’t stay in the electric poultry netting. I just happened to snap this pic of Razorback the Guinea cock who flew over the poultry netting that pens our roosters. Razorback was nervously pacing back and forth along the netting in this picture, but he will eventually fly over it. My guineas routinely fly back and forth over this 4’ netting. If you want guineas for tick control, then maybe you could make them a permanent coop outside the netting? Guineas are better at evading predators than chickens are. Especially if you have a LGD, you wouldn’t need to keep them penned. I don’t have a LGD but manage to keep them mostly unpenned. Space can be an issue, we are on 10 acres and that’s barely enough space. Roads are another problem, as are neighbors bothered by their nosiness and noisiness! Since I’ve started raising and cooping guineas separately from the other poultry, I’ve had no problems with them getting along.