best arial defence suggestions wanted.

[Chickiemom25]

Not sure which topic to post this in as it covers a few.... I started my guineas in the garage, then moved them to a 5X10 dog run and released one at a time to free range. The released birds roosted on top the chicken run near the confined birds. All was good until 1 was attacked before sunrise by something that can either fly or climb. I cant get the birds to go back in the run at night. bunnies moved into the run for about 6 weeks so it wasn't available for the birds. Now They still want to stay on top the chicken run but there are only 2 of them left. I have tried putting their food in there but they would rather free range then go in the run.


In the mean time, I have 6 keets in the garage again ( heat lamp). and 9 eggs in an incubator which I don't have the highest hopes for. I have a new 10X10 dog run for them. The old run has hardwire roof and floor but it was only 5' wide so easy enough to do. What is the best "roof" for the new run? Can I put up poultry net or should I get more hardwire cloth? Since I have discovered hogrings, it should be easy enough to put 2 6' pieces together but costly. is it possible to put the keets in the large run and temporarily release to free range and put them up in the small run next to it at night? If I open the door to the run with the confined birds they are liable to all get out. Will the younger birds just follow the older birds or are they more likely to be their own flock.. My ducks seem to stay in the groups they grew up with, even if those are just 2.

Thanks for any advise.

 

[guineapeeps]

Not sure which topic to post this in as it covers a few.... I started my guineas in the garage, then moved them to a 5X10 dog run and released one at a time to free range. The released birds roosted on top the chicken run near the confined birds. All was good until 1 was attacked before sunrise by something that can either fly or climb. I cant get the birds to go back in the run at night. bunnies moved into the run for about 6 weeks so it wasn't available for the birds. Now They still want to stay on top the chicken run but there are only 2 of them left. I have tried putting their food in there but they would rather free range then go in the run.


In the mean time, I have 6 keets in the garage again ( heat lamp). and 9 eggs in an incubator which I don't have the highest hopes for. I have a new 10X10 dog run for them. The old run has hardwire roof and floor but it was only 5' wide so easy enough to do. What is the best "roof" for the new run? Can I put up poultry net or should I get more hardwire cloth? Since I have discovered hogrings, it should be easy enough to put 2 6' pieces together but costly. is it possible to put the keets in the large run and temporarily release to free range and put them up in the small run next to it at night? If I open the door to the run with the confined birds they are liable to all get out. Will the younger birds just follow the older birds or are they more likely to be their own flock.. My ducks seem to stay in the groups they grew up with, even if those are just 2.

Thanks for any advise.

I would try to catch your 2 remaining guineas with a net or try and herd them into a place where you can catch them and lock them inside for awhile, otherwise they will probably not survive outside at night. They are easily picked off by owls, raccoons, weasels, mink, etc. Guineas are completely useless after dark and have very poor eyesight so are very prone to predation. Do you have some roosting bars up high in your coop? Guineas like to roost up as high as they can get so if your coop is not very tall, they may have chosen to roost outside in order to get up higher. I would place some roosting bars as high as you can in your coop to encourage your guineas to roost inside at night. Also, how long were they locked in the coop before you let them out? They really need about 4 weeks of confinement in their coop to learn where there home is and to return to it each night.
As far as your keets go, I would lock them in their permanent coop for around 4 weeks as well before you let them out. They may not wander off with your older guineas right away, but they would eventually follow them as they have a very strong "herd" mentality and seem to function as one large flock rather than individual birds. Sometimes it seemed like mine all functioned by sharing one brain....goofy birds, for sure!

 

[Chickiemom25]

I would try to catch your 2 remaining guineas with a net or try and herd them into a place where you can catch them and lock them inside for awhile, otherwise they will probably not survive outside at night. They are easily picked off by owls, raccoons, weasels, mink, etc. Guineas are completely useless after dark and have very poor eyesight so are very prone to predation. Do you have some roosting bars up high in your coop? Guineas like to roost up as high as they can get so if your coop is not very tall, they may have chosen to roost outside in order to get up higher. I would place some roosting bars as high as you can in your coop to encourage your guineas to roost inside at night. Also, how long were they locked in the coop before you let them out? They really need about 4 weeks of confinement in their coop to learn where there home is and to return to it each night.
As far as your keets go, I would lock them in their permanent coop for around 4 weeks as well before you let them out. They may not wander off with your older guineas right away, but they would eventually follow them as they have a very strong "herd" mentality and seem to function as one large flock rather than individual birds. Sometimes it seemed like mine all functioned by sharing one brain....goofy birds, for sure!

I really haven't given them a coop, just a covered run with a roosting bar about 5 feet up. It over hung the 5' wide run by a couple feet on each side so when the birds were released, the confined ones sat on the bar inside and the free birds sat on the bar outside the run at night. Doesn't seem to phase any of them that they got soaked when it rained outside the run.. there were certainly enough trees they could have moved to but didnt. .. The older birds were locked up 6 weeks before release, my daughter moved bunnies into the run for the following 6 weeks and the birds just stayed on the outside roost or moved over to the chicken run which was 2 feet away and more stable. The guineas DO NOT like to be locked in the chicken run even after I put a roosting bar in there for them outside. They will NOT go in the chicken coop.

The concern with the keets is that I will let one out every 4 days or so. That way they keep coming back to the ones who are still confined.. However once released.. They are free and getting them to go into another run (or even back in the original once all are released is challenging.

But back to the original question, is poultry netting good enough to go over the top of the 6' high dog run or should I hard wire the "roof"?

 

[R2elk]

But back to the original question, is poultry netting good enough to go over the top of the 6' high dog run or should I hard wire the "roof"?

As long as the roost is kept far enough away from the netting so that a predator can not reach the guineas it should be okay. You may want to consider putting a tarp or some other solid material over part of the run. If nothing else it will provide much needed shade along with the ability to get out of the rain, etc.

 

[Chickiemom25]

As long as the roost is kept far enough away from the netting so that a predator can not reach the guineas it should be okay. You may want to consider putting a tarp or some other solid material over part of the run. If nothing else it will provide much needed shade along with the ability to get out of the rain, etc.

thanks. I do have a tarp.. just didnt know if that was enough to keep racoons out since it doesnt cover the entire top

 

[guineapeeps]

thanks. I do have a tarp.. just didnt know if that was enough to keep racoons out since it doesnt cover the entire top

I'm guessing that R2elk meant to put the wire up first and then put the tarp over a part of the wire top. That way they are still protected with the wire but have a little protection from the elements. The wire will also provide a place to help secure the tarp to the top of the run.

 

[Chickiemom25]

I'm guessing that R2elk meant to put the wire up first and then put the tarp over a part of the wire top. That way they are still protected with the wire but have a little protection from the elements. The wire will also provide a place to help secure the tarp to the top of the run.

thanks., the 2 are going back in their run now for the last 2 nights. I am setting up the other run this weekend and going to try to get them in there.