1st time outside....didn't go as well as I had hoped

[SassyKat6181]

Yeah, my husband scooped him up with a giant fishing net.

 

[damselfish]

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Now that I would pay money to see on video!

Regarding time to go back in, our guineas wait it out until the deep dusk, a good 45 minutes or an hour after the chickens go in. At that point, DH goes out and supervises the cooping. Sometimes I go, but generally I am morning chores and he is evening coop patrol. Sometimes they just stroll in and sometimes he has to talk them in or even poke a couple out of a tree with a long pole.

But anyway, here's the thing: our lowest ranking guinea, the social reject like your one guy, is not allowed by the others to come into the coop until they are all roosting. So DH waits until the rest are in, tell them to "get up" on their roost. They're pretty good about doing that. Then he tells Prince that he can go in, and Prince goes in. So you may find that even once your reject guinea learns to coop you will have to wait and do him last. Hope this helps.

 

[cgmccary]

How old are your Guineas? My adults are almost a year old now. They were ALL going in the coop faithfully and NOW (about a month ago), they ALL want to roost on the tractor shed (roof apex) and others high up in the big oak trees over the barns. NONE go in the coop now.There is no herding or controlling them, and I have given up trying. Guineas do what they want . . .

I have young Guineas I've hatched this year that I still have penned and am debating turning them out (as there may be no going back -- I don't know I have the energy to chase them down --which I have done as you have in the past). The best way is have a chicken hen hatch and raise and she controls them until they are older.

A Game hen hatched twenty keets for me this season, and I loaned her and 15 of her keets I was giving the keets to a friend who is a mile away & lives in a great Guinea place-- (i.e. no road to play in but a clearing in a the smack middle of a 40+ acre patch of thick woods). My friend let them escape the first day & that was two weeks ago. The Game hen has kept them on the premises and has kept 14 of 15 safe-- one went missing the first day (probably a snake or something) -- but when I saw them a few days ago at roosting time, the Game hen was high in a heavily branched tree (i.e. well hidden and the keets were on the same branch about equally on both sides of them -- it was really something to see them all lined up like that). Guineas are amazing birds.

 

[perchie.girl]

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It was lucky for those keets they had a game hen to teach them the ropes. Too bad you couldn't get some pictures it would be an amazing thing to see. I was amazed to see how quickly Keets grow their flight feathers. Mine at two weeks looked like they were carrying umbrellas under their wings they stuck out so far and wiped things clean when ever they turn around. I just moved them into a bigger brooder where they have more room to Get up on stuff. (once I build it).

 

[SassyKat6181]

They are about 13 weeks now. Today was the third night that I let them out. I opened the door at about 630 to give them a little extra time. At 8 I put down the feeder and yelled "guineas dinner!" and went back up to the house. By 815 they had put themselves in the coop.

I am so happy I didn't have to herd them in tonight.

The loner guinea that was giving me trouble was put in with the chickens & ducks today. At least I know he will be safe, since that run is enclosed. The chickens ran the other direction and the ducks were curious. When the 3 little chickens that were raised with him saw him, they immediately welcomed him and he was peeping away happily. I think he was looking for them and that's why he kept taking off. He actually has helped them be accepted by the chickens since he watches over them. He even let them get to the feeder tonight. The last few nights the new chickens had to wait until the girls were roosting to eat. So, all seems well with them.

 

[perchie.girl]

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SUCCESS

 

[tsparrow]

I also have a game hen hatching out the keets this time. She has 9 of them and she does great with them, I am just keeping her to hatch out my guinea eggs. Well, did hatch out my keets. They are only three weeks old, but I think it is a good match, game hens are a little more wild then other hens I have.

 

[tsparrow]

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That is great he catch him and with a fishing net. I tried that yesterday at my neighbor’s house and man can they fly high. My husband said he wished he could have taped it. Me running around with this net, falling down and playing peek a boo with him and him teasing me. I had tried everything to get him to come home but couldn’t pursued him to come with me. The neighbor said they will adopt him and keep him. I am glad he will have a good home, I want him, but it is just stressing him out chasing him and I never had to do that before.

 

[SassyKat6181]

We caught him in the dark, when he was bedded down in the tall grass. Not sure if it's because mine are still young, but they don't fly very well.

 

[Colettedre]

This is the 3rd year with my French Guinea Fowl - they do not go in until it is dark in the summer (they free range). And I have one male that loves to run around the coop half a dozen times before he will join the others that are more sensible and have already gone in for the night.
We just added 3 Production Red chicks to the flock of Guinea Fowl and (we never had chickens before) I am so amazed at how early they will head in for the night - just starts to go dusky out and in they go - love it!
My advice is - - - get used to the idea that a Guinea Fowl does what it wants when it wants. I would also be happier if they would go in earlier but they don't seem to care - I worry about the predators that the evening brings in, they still don't care - lol - what are you going to do.
The advice about feeding them earlier sounds like a good idea to me, ours have their food / water available in the coop at all times and do go in late afternoon for a snack - if I watch I can close the door then - but usually I am not watching so I miss it. Mine do dearly love white millet - just like candy to them and if I call "treat - treat - treat" they will come from anywhere they are - at a run- to get some treat - I have never tried to do this only from the coop though - but I bet it would work because they come to me and know I am going to give them white millet treats in a certain area and head there with me lol - it is the most sociable they ever get!
Good luck with your Guinea's - they are quite a bit of noisy, stubborn and obnoxious fun - I would never give mine up!