building a coop

[KidsandGuineas]

any tips for our guinea only coop?

 

[0wen]

Sound proof it! (if only that were an option...)

I like cattle panel coops - easy to build, roomy, durable...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/permanent-hoop-coop-guide

 

[gguineasfamily]

Make it big and tall. Guineas like flying up high and running around a lot. Also what I do is have several sections that can open up back together in case the guineas are fighting and need to be separated. Give them lots of room to roost and use natural branches from trees that need a trim and scatter them a bit randomly. Preferably where guineas on one branch cannot reach the ones on the next branch or they will peck them... And I use poop hammocks made from feed bags that get cleaned every week and sand on the floor that gets replaced every year. The small wire mesh is good so guineas won't get their head stuck and it looks neat. I would just try to make it as natural as possible.

That's just my opinion you don't have to listen to everything I say



Are you free ranging them during the day?

 

[sadie10023]

I have learned a lot in modifying our coop. We bought it second hand and modified it. It is a stellar coop. One thing i wish it had ws a taller person door. I have to hunch over just a bit when caring water etc into coop. That is annoying. Other things…we have multiple perches around the sides of the run part - that is good so everyone has a perch and no one poops on the other. Having hang in feeders without perches above them is good - keep them ppop free. We have a long perch swing across the main run. They ove to swing. I have a wood framed mirror at Guinea level in the coop so they can look at themselves. I keep a light on in the run, it is a pink light. i think they like the glow. We have multiple water systems - large tai with pac tubing and nipples (This is need eset up in time and I am not so sure they know how to use it so I always keep galvanized tanks that get changed each week and closed waterers in the coop house. We really need to retrain them to use nipples)

Anyway - most important thing is to predator proof. We have hardware cloth siding that is buried 2 feet into the ground with cement holding it in the ground. We dig a trough all around the coop and run and did this. That is one thing I never have to worry about now.

Out coop has a little swing door that leads to the big run. I am able to close it off from either side and that helps when I need to be in one side to work, feed or clean and they are locked up in the other. We are weekenders at the ranch right now and they only free range on weekends when we are there - and some extra days we stay through. So i have to lock them up for weekdays and have them fed. Not ideal but they are used to hanging closer.

I leave a heat lamp on during the winter months. It is a heavy duty one bought for keeping small livestock warm. It may be overkill but I am sure that no one is freezing in the Texas cold nights. I use pine shavings in the house and just replenish in hopes that the natural bacteria takes care of mites etc. This was a decision after replacing it each week with fresh. It actually smells better now with nature doing the control. I plan on sand at some point - I think…

We add insulation panels on the outside of the coop house in winter to keep the wind out. I think these birds have it pretty good overall and don't freeze. The females lay eggs in a corner of the coop house. We have never had a hatchling. Dunno why….I used to pick them up weekly and we would eat some fresh ones. But now I leave them in hopes something will hatch. Maybe they never get fertilized???? I am a dunce on this part.


One think I wish I had done was take the time to attempt to hand feed them when they were young. Then they might be more excited when I arrive ad follow me to coop. This would be good when I have to round them up to put away. It can be frustrating when you have to coax them in. Ridiculous amount of patience required.

This is just a brain dump from my thoughts. May or may not help.

 

[KidsandGuineas]

yes i will be. they are just keets right now.