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  1. southwind00

    Dead Birds

    On the dec 23 my temps went from 42°F and rain to -17°F snow and 40 mph winds( with lots of higher gusts) in 17 hours. Coop is tight and Christmas eve morning I went out to check the water and they were all subdued but when I spread some more wood chips out they kind of livin'd up a bit so I...
  2. southwind00

    When to let keets out

    Hi Chick and Hound , Welcome to Back Yard chickens(Guinea fowl ), You have a pretty untenable situation. Guineas need a coop, esp young guineas who are no more equipped to defend themselves as are your chickens. Under normal guinea procedure you would take the adolescents out of the brooder...
  3. southwind00

    Would this work for a guinea coop?

    Like I have said before, everybody does guineas a little differently and it is really about the effort you put in as to what you get out of them. Older guineas are way more laid back and set in their ways. My guineas, now it is fall hang more by my coops and go in and out probably 10 times a...
  4. southwind00

    Would this work for a guinea coop?

    Yea, the ladder looks good and coupled with your enclosed outdoor area, which I am assuming is ground level entrance your young guineas have no problem navigating up it. A problem my arise as they get older and more territorial with the dominant cocks guarding against the lower ranking birds...
  5. southwind00

    Would this work for a guinea coop?

    No, Not really. Adult guineas spend 95% of their time on the ground because that is where their food is. Young guineas will exercise their wings some and fly around but you will need a ground entrance for them to use it consistently. And even that requires training for them to get use to.
  6. southwind00

    How Old Are These Guineas?

    Chain link fence is great for keeping your guineas in but unfortunatley it is large enough to let raccoons reach their arms in and grab your guineas. It is also large enough to let things like weasels, snakes and rats in. Wire mesh is preferred over chicken wire but chicken wire is better than...
  7. southwind00

    2 hens 1 nest. Guinea Fowl push to hatch !!

    i chase the hens off the nest in the evening and after they are herded into the coop I gather the eggs and then put them back out in the morning before I let them out. One of the hens has already lost interest so I'm betting just a few more days and I'll be over this exercise.
  8. southwind00

    Do guineas need solid walls on their night coop?

    Your space looks amazing , but your guineas will need some hiding places for when the dysfunctional family has some disagreements. Any combination of boxes ,boards,5gal buckets with the ends cut off , just some safe places for low ranking guineas to hide, And the places might also be used as...
  9. southwind00

    Can you help a newbie who is trying their best?

    HI and welcome to BYC. Sorry about your loss, guineas are not easy esp when they are young. Not sure where you are at but if you are thinking about getting more guineas( 8-10) is a healthy flock I'd start looking around now . The sooner you can integrate them the better. Does the stall...
  10. southwind00

    Keet with Mareks disease?

    You might get more answers if you ask the question in the Emergencies and Injuries forum. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/emergencies-diseases-injuries-and-cures.10/
  11. southwind00

    When to let my guineas out

    Also, I'd do it under supervision for while, they are prime hawk food at that size.
  12. southwind00

    When to let my guineas out

    In my experience you can start letting a few out but leave some(most) in, they won't range far and will be very willing to go back in with their buddies when they can. Everyday let a few out and repeat. It is a good way to train them to return to their coop. After a few weeks you can let them...
  13. southwind00

    Considering Guineas

    Guineas spend 96% or more of their daylight time on the ground. They walk everywhere and only fly to get away from each other or predators. Young,adolescent guineas wil fly to test their wings and hang in trees some but the food is on the ground and thats where adult guineas are. If you get...
  14. southwind00

    Guinea Fowl Fighting

    One of my hens that hatched last year up to a couple months was what I think the term is "non-binary":cool:" . No vocalization what so ever,no bustle and decent size. She finally started to squeak out a buckwheat and I saw her on a nest. Two months isn't set in stone.
  15. southwind00

    How to feed a guinea with a broken beak

    I've used faked chicken eggs three years in a row and they work til the nest gets crowded and then they are the first that get pushed out. Chances are it will become a community nest if it is in a partially hidden location.
  16. southwind00

    Keenagers in Early Winter

    At 12 or so weeks old they will be quite timid and probably not wanting to range very far. Which is good, because they will be pretty stupid while learning the lay of the land and very vulnerable to what ever winged and ground predators you have around. I'd limit their time and make sure you...
  17. southwind00

    Waterer for keets

    I used nipple waterers the first year I had guineas but living in Western Ny, the winters are cold and the nipples were impossible to keep thawed as opposed to standard waterers. Not sure where you are but something to think about. As far as them poopin in the waterers, it is very gross at first...
  18. southwind00

    Introducing the keets

    I hope you don't mind me hijacking your thread @Sydney65 , but it says 'introducing the keets" so I thought I'd introduce my lastest coop hatched batch. There were initially 14,two were trampled and one keet I found in the nesting box was actually pecked acouple times in the head. I figure its...
  19. southwind00

    Brooder Design

    It sounds like you have good support and plan. Everybody does guineas a bit differently, from very hands on to my style of pretty much hands off. They are hardy and interesting birds but getting them through the keet and adolescent stages is the biggest challenge especially without any older...
  20. southwind00

    Brooder Design

    I think as your birds get older and more mature you'll see them ranging farther and farther. Young guineas are timid and want to follow the leader but the problem is unless you have adult guineas there is no leader. You will grow with your guineas as they grow and when the losses start maybe...
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