Adopted by a single Guinea - Need Advise

[OhDebra]

Hello - I did not have chickens - I just got adopted by a single Guinea, I live just outside of town on a rectangle 3 acres - deep lot. About 2 weeks ago a Guinea chicken showed up. Running around franticly all over screaming and sometimes in circles. Up and down the street to the neighbors houses. Got on my roof and screeching from there. Kind of remind of a peacock. Every time I went outside that poor thing went crazy.

Well now the Guinea has settled down and mostly stays in my yard. I have a brick house with tall windows - sometimes it purchase in a window to sleep. Never any damage, so I don't chase it off. I have 4 cats, indoor cats but they have a large cage outside on the patio with shelves. I would like to know if anyone has any suggestions on how to cokes the Guinea in there for shelter? I have left the door open and placed some feed in there. It is starting to get used to seeing me. I want the Guinea to survive and do what I can for it. I have made sure there is water out there and some chicken food if it wants.

Anyone have any suggestions? I can not just pretend I do not know it is there and winter is coming on fast!

Thank you

Debra

 

[OhDebra]

Hello - I did not have chickens - I just got adopted by a single Guinea, I live just outside of town on a rectangle 3 acres - deep lot. About 2 weeks ago a Guinea chicken showed up. Running around franticly all over screaming and sometimes in circles. Up and down the street to the neighbors houses. Got on my roof and screeching from there. Kind of remind of a peacock. Every time I went outside that poor thing went crazy.

Well now the Guinea has settled down and mostly stays in my yard. I have a brick house with tall windows - sometimes it purchase in a window to sleep. Never any damage, so I don't chase it off. I have 4 cats, indoor cats but they have a large cage outside on the patio with shelves. I would like to know if anyone has any suggestions on how to cokes the Guinea in there for shelter? I have left the door open and placed some feed in there. It is starting to get used to seeing me. I want the Guinea to survive and do what I can for it. I have made sure there is water out there and some chicken food if it wants.

Anyone have any suggestions? I can not just pretend I do not know it is there and winter is coming on fast!

Thank you

Debra

I caught Guinea today!!! Did what Patricia Comer suggested. Took days but Guinea is now save in the cat cage. I placed wind screens on the sides of the cage and added poles for roosting, a light, water and food, Plus a Mirror.

For days Guinea would come hang out and the door on the patio. Go in the cage and eat but not far in the cage. Now the real trick was so Guinea did not see me, you can see thought the screen.

According to the weather today is going to be the last good day for a while. Guinea went in the cage and was hanging out, would sit a little and such. Well I went out bear footed and crawled on the ground keeping lower than the patio. I had to because I tried one time before standing up and Guinea saw me and ran. I slowly worked my way to the patio from the corner of the house, felt like a cat kind of, I slowly made my way to the patio steps. Crawled up the steps, at that time my husband was coming up the farm lane and could see me, he said I looked crazy. I hugged the patio with a really low profile sneaking up to the door and pushed it shut...... I had screen on the door so Guinea could not see me coming that easily. Guinea ran all the way in the cage then, it is 4 by 8 feet.

I opened the bottom of the doors screen so Guinea can see out as it has been doing and left. I figured enough for now, let Guinea get settled. I will come visit later. But the whole thing was not as stressful on Guinea and me to catch Guinea this way. I now have to worry about the upcoming weather and getting some better sides on the cage. But I do not have to worry about Guinea getting eaten and not having shelter. I am so happy.

I will start checking with the farmers around us and see if any have Guinea's so I can find Guinea a life long home.

 

[OhDebra]

I caught Guinea today!!! Did what Patricia Comer suggested. Took days but Guinea is now save in the cat cage. I placed wind screens on the sides of the cage and added poles for roosting, a light, water and food, Plus a Mirror.

For days Guinea would come hang out and the door on the patio. Go in the cage and eat but not far in the cage. Now the real trick was so Guinea did not see me, you can see thought the screen.

According to the weather today is going to be the last good day for a while. Guinea went in the cage and was hanging out, would sit a little and such. Well I went out bear footed and crawled on the ground keeping lower than the patio. I had to because I tried one time before standing up and Guinea saw me and ran. I slowly worked my way to the patio from the corner of the house, felt like a cat kind of, I slowly made my way to the patio steps. Crawled up the steps, at that time my husband was coming up the farm lane and could see me, he said I looked crazy. I hugged the patio with a really low profile sneaking up to the door and pushed it shut...... I had screen on the door so Guinea could not see me coming that easily. Guinea ran all the way in the cage then, it is 4 by 8 feet.

I opened the bottom of the doors screen so Guinea can see out as it has been doing and left. I figured enough for now, let Guinea get settled. I will come visit later. But the whole thing was not as stressful on Guinea and me to catch Guinea this way. I now have to worry about the upcoming weather and getting some better sides on the cage. But I do not have to worry about Guinea getting eaten and not having shelter. I am so happy.

I will start checking with the farmers around us and see if any have Guinea's so I can find Guinea a life long home.

Guinea has a NEW Home!!!!!!

Dec. 10, 2019 Guinea moved to her new home. I do not know if Guinea is a her but Guinea did not make the calls that I have seen males make on Youtube ???
The first house I stopped at about 2 miles down the road had Guinea's, 5 (hens) of them in fact alone with many chickens. I had a good feeling there and ask Geoff if he wanted another Guinea, he said yes without hesitation. He even came down and caught Guinea in the cat cage. I could tell by the way he handled her he was the right choice.

I went with Guinea to her new home. Geoff had a large cage in the barn where all the other Guinea's and chickens were. All of them stood there and watched us as Geoff placed Guinea in the cage. The barn has access to a large outdoor inclosed for the birds to go our and that has another door that he allows them to free range in the day time.

As I left I felt GREAT, Guinea is in a safe home, with friends.

This was just in time. The day Guinea moved it was 50 degrees. That night the air changed and the wind picked up. Over night the temperature dropped 25 degrees and continued through the next day with 20-25 mile winds. I had cleaned out the cat cage and I thought I would step out in the cage and see how it felt. That wind was bitter, the air had a such a cold bite I was so happy Guinea was in a barn. It was so cold out in the cage and that made me so thankful for Geoff and his willingness to take Guinea.

Geoff emailed me the next day and said all the other Guinea's have been coming up to the cage and acting friendly and chatting with Guinea. He said she would have to be in there for a week or two to make it easier for them all to get along.

Guinea I think I will now change your name to "Ginny" No longer do you have to look to a mirror for only company, which she did a lot in the cat cage and talk to herself. Now she has real friends. I have been told I can come back and see her and Geoff will keep me informed on her progress.

Thank God and Geoff!

 

[Unicornlife3316]

Ok first — it’s not a guinea chicken, it’s either a Guinea Hen (female makes a two syllable buckwheat sounding call) or a Guinea Cock (males make a three syllable very shrill call)

Second - it did probably lose its flock one way or another, they are miserable alone, should not be raised with chickens because of their breeding practices, they can get very aggressive and rough with chickens, even mine that WERE NOT raised with chickens still like to sneak up on my chickens and pull a feather. They’re kind of jerks. They prefer flocks of 10 or more to be happy.

Third - dear god don’t open a window. I could NOT imagine having one of my Guineas in my house. They’d break everything, freak the everything you kNow what out. Best to build a cage, lure it with treats (meal worms, white millet, something it likes, may take trial and error) - the one thing you’re right about is being easier to handle at night, they’re completely blind, so if you got it in a contained area, theoretically you might be able to grab it, watch the beak and toenails, they’re sharp as knives.

If you do manage to catch it, please find someone with a flock to regime it - but honestly, if it’s being left in the elements and doesn’t have shelter, don’t expect it to last long.

@R2elk... care to add if I missed anything?

 

[R2elk]

This is my experience too, especially now that it’s not breeding season, my guineas are very quiet - unless they see something that’s not right. Then it’s all alarms LOL

Don't get me wrong, my guineas almost never shut up completely but their constant chatter is very low level and almost melodic.

 

[OhDebra]

Now whatcha gonna do with it?

Guinea has a new home now with other Guinea's.

 

[red horse ranch]

So glad you caught the guinea!

p.s. My guineas love bird seed as a treat

 

[R2elk]

whoever thought of the flapping towel is a genius!

@PeepsCA would run screaming and waving a towel when she wanted to discourage them from going certain places. It did not take her many repetitions to convince her guineas that they did not want to go those places.

 

[R2elk]

Ok first — it’s not a guinea chicken, it’s either a Guinea Hen (female makes a two syllable buckwheat sounding call) or a Guinea Cock (males make a three syllable very shrill call)

Second - it did probably lose its flock one way or another, they are miserable alone, should not be raised with chickens because of their breeding practices, they can get very aggressive and rough with chickens, even mine that WERE NOT raised with chickens still like to sneak up on my chickens and pull a feather. They’re kind of jerks. They prefer flocks of 10 or more to be happy.

Third - dear god don’t open a window. I could NOT imagine having one of my Guineas in my house. They’d break everything, freak the everything you kNow what out. Best to build a cage, lure it with treats (meal worms, white millet, something it likes, may take trial and error) - the one thing you’re right about is being easier to handle at night, they’re completely blind, so if you got it in a contained area, theoretically you might be able to grab it, watch the beak and toenails, they’re sharp as knives.

If you do manage to catch it, please find someone with a flock to regime it - but honestly, if it’s being left in the elements and doesn’t have shelter, don’t expect it to last long.

@R2elk... care to add if I missed anything?

Auto correct, I would rehome it rather than regime it.

 

[Unicornlife3316]

Auto correct, I would rehome it rather than regime it.

Yes yes... REHOME! Thanks for catching that!