Can Guinea Fowls be left at a rural setting without people there all the time?

[JonM]

Can Guinea Fowls be left at a rural setting, with a fenced-in coop with food available, if I only visit the property every few weeks? No one lives at the property and therefore cannot lock them in or feed daily.

Also, if they can be left alone for long periods, would that include the winter? I live in Missouri.

 

[foreverlearning]

Not advised. The reason is because anything can happen from water being dumped out, heat evaporating the water, food being eaten by another animal and they run out of feed, and predator attacks. If you can't be there every day to check on these things then you can show up to an entire flock being dead because all of these things can kill your flock in less then 1 day depending on their health to start with. Don't count on automatic waterers because the water can be shut off from everything from improvements to a blockage in the line. Rain barrels post their own issues from mosquitoes breeding in the water spreading fowl pox, not enough rain collected, algae growth, mold growth, and evaporation.

 

[kjanda]

I think they'd be fine. It's risky but they're such good foragers they should have plenty to eat if they have enough room. I use troughs under the barn roof and a 5 gallon waterer and it lasts a good while- assuming you get rain and leave enough water I don't think that should be a problem, either. Of course a predator can get them but how many times do birds get eaten even if they're in a good coop? I've always had them at the house so never tried what you're talking about. Also I'd make sure they know the place as home or they might just wander off.

 

[JonM]

They would have free range to foreage and drink at a pond that we have there. It will freeze in the winter though.

 

[alldembirds]

they need to be confined for however long before you can free range them. I also live in missouri and have pondered the same question. I have property almost an hour away that i go to about once a week, the ticks are so thick sometimes and i know i need guineas. I would not feel comfortable leaving the guineas pinned up by themselves for more than a couple days. Once they are used to the area and know where home is I wouldnt worry about leaving them out there at all. well bobcats, coyotes, bears, raccoons, and various other predators do poke there nose around here so they will never be truly safe but once they are established they will at least have a chance.

 

[JonM]

Do you think I could start them in a coop in my suburb backyard until ready to relocate using the same coop at the property? At that time they would be free to roam, but have a fenced in area 6' high, with landing board, and coop in the middle.

 

[alldembirds]

Hmm. I am not sure, you say you would bring the coop to the new location. I am not sure if they actually imprint on the coop or the location itself. I am interested in finding out also. If they actually imprint on the coop it sounds like a great solution to my problem too, just need to wait for somebody with more experience in this exact topic to chime in.

guineas can easily clear a 6' fence and they love to wonder, you can have one wing pinioned, to prevent them from flying.

 

[kjanda]

Yeah they definitely love to wander. Mine range about 3 acres but they know where home is and are always close. I would think they'd sooner need to be in the coop at the location than starting them at your home and moving it but that's just my guess. Yeah a 6 ft fence is nothing to a guinea. I have no idea about the winter part. Where I'm from I've only seen snow twice in my life (3 times if you consider it falling from the sky one Christmas Eve but melting soon as it hit the ground) They've always made it fine through winter here

 

[foreverlearning]

What are your plans for winter water?

 

[Trefoil]

If I understood you correctly, you are asking if you can let guineas free range where you don't live. If this is what you are asking the answer is no. Free range guinea fowl = no guinea fowl. Even if they went to coop at night ( and good luck with that) what's to stop the predators going into the coop and wiping them out? You might stand a chance if you had a very good LGD, but most likely you would lose the dog as well. Even if you could train them to go to the coop at night and you got lucky, i.e. you have no predators, then without the constant reinforcement of being fed every day they would wander off. With the setup you were talking about birds of prey and coons would probably be the worst problem.
If you were planning on building a completely predator proof coop and pen, you still couldn't safely leave them for any amount of time. A couple of days maybe.