12-week old guinea flew the coop

[Mamma Athena]

Hi mom! I'm so glad the keet is ok...stupid rikky but speial thanks to bobby!

 

[Tacampbell1973]

Hi,

I'm a first-time guinea fowl owner...have five that are now 10 weeks old. Boy, they sure are a bunch of dumb clucks. We named them Rikki, Bobbi, Cal, lloyd, and Harry. Can you guess which movies?

Anyway, they are in a coop with seven chicks of the same size. The chicks will go back inside the coop at night, but one or two keets can't seem to figure it out. We turn a light on in the coop and still have a heat lamp at night, as it's getting down to 30 degrees at night. They have a high roost in the coop and usually sit there, above the heat lamp.

One of the knuckleheads got through the netting over the coop and onto the garage roof. She wouldn't come back down and flew into the mulberry tree. All alone. On a freezing night. What are her odds do you think?

Any more ideas for trip aiming them to get into the coop each night?
Sometimes the chicks get very upset when their friends are 'stuck' outside at dusk and bleating in confusion.

P.s. Had to look at a calendar to be sure, but this one is about 10, not 12 weeks old.

ha ha I recognized dumb and dumber. loved that movie

 

[TallJ]

We brooded our chicks and keets together. After a while outside they tended to drift to where the guineas are almost always reasonably together. They tolerate my 2 white rocks quite well, and a barred rock, occasionally the silver laced wyandotte. They do NOT like my buff orpingtons - or at least one of them. I have broken up a guinea latched on just above the tail feathers of a buff a few times. Running around the yard, raising a heck of a ruckus!!! Even though I tried to handle them as keets since we caught them to put them in the coop they won't let us get near them anymore.
We are also on a decent sized lot in a rural area. We have a lot of coons, 'possums, skunks, owls, hawks, snakes, etc. but I don't worry too much about the guineas these days so long as there are at least 2 out. I get worried when one is solo. We also got them for tick control, and as a warning system for the chickens. This spring we were finding ticks daily. That was the tipping point for us to get them. Of the 6 houses on our section of road (nearly a mile section) I know that 4 of them have Lyme's disease in them. With two young boys that is especially scary to me! I am hoping they take care of our ticks next year!!!

 

[Dreyadin]

The guineas aren't going to be able to get rid of all the ticks. Just saying... you'll need to keep up with mowing, clear the leaves, if needed remove some trees around the house.. get rid of the places they like where the family commonly is in the yard.

We also got guineas to help with the ticks (I got over 20 on me in 1 day in spring in the garden if that gives you an idea how bad it was. Thankfully none attached but that was a nightmare.. that gave me nightmares.) We got the guineas but also busted our butts making the area less tick friendly. This last year- just the dog got 2.

 

[Tacampbell1973]

So, I let the chicks and guineas out today. I've been raising them together since they were a week old. They now think they are a flock and roost together at night. One keet is getting a little agressive though, so I wouldn't mind if they became more independent during the days. It was fifty degrees today and we were working in the garden with our old hens ranging around ( we have two coops). So, the chicks and keets stayed around pretty good and we fed them in the late afternoon and closed them up. Hope it keeps working. We are on 11 acres in an undeveloped area, so plenty of coons, owls, and cayotes.

Please share any other ideas you all have to help domesticate these crazy creatures. Three of the four of us in my family have had Lyme disease, so we desperately need these guys to help us out with the ticks!

Hi Mammachix. I was sorry to hear about your families bout with Lyme Disease. What a horrible thing to go through. Say I just wanted to tell you about a book I keep seeing advertised on Tv,.. Supposedly it has every natural method for getting rid of every critter known to man. From spiders to mice to ticks and all in between. As sooon as i get ebnough money saveed up i want to get it cause we have spiders here big enouhg to saddle and ride. no kidding. the chickens won't even touch them,. ick. but the author is called Myles or Miles Bader.not sure the exact title of the book but you will know it when you hear it. Good luck to you and your family and stay safe.

 

[Dreyadin]

Tacampbell... see if your library has it or will order it.

 

[NHChickengirl]

I don't know anything about Guinea Hens except they are loud and eat ticks. I got regular chickens and Diatonatius Earth for my Acre lot and we had NO ticks at all this year on either the humans or the pets. Usually we pick many off the dog or she just carries them into the house and then they crawl off her and into some one else. We applied the Diatonatius Earth to both the garden and the lawn and the wooded areas around the perimeter of the yard. It really helped keep the bug population down. I too battle Lyme Disease and will try anything once to keep my yard clear of ticks. The combo of chickens and Diatonatius earth seemed to work this year.

 

[Tacampbell1973]

I just saw my first ticks this year. They were on a deer my husband shot

ick. My skin is still crawling with the memory of them. I had no idea they were so big and creepy. They look like a spider to me. not a fan of spideys at all,.blech.

 

[Tacampbell1973]

Tacampbell... see if your library has it or will order it.

Thank you, good idea, hadn't thought of that,. Although sometimes I try to check Amazon, I cannot beleive how much cheaper they are than a bookstore. And I don't particularly care if its used or not. Thanks again though.