Coming home to roost?

[Partsguy19]

Hello All,

My wife and I recently bought a 20 acre property. We were left with 3 chickens and one Guinea. At the time of purchase (late winter/Early spring), there was not a home on the property but did have an older barn. The chickens we have lost to predators but our guinea is hanging in there. While our new home was being built we've always been out there and always supplied fresh water and extra feed for the guinea in the barn. The guinea (which my wife has named Sweet Pea) knows the "extra" food source and waits for us in the barn when we get on the property. Now that the home is built, Sweet Pea actually waits/sits at our back door and watches us in the house. We can't get any closer than that. Every evening we can watch it waddle across the field and pick a tree to roost in.

Our issue is we want to keep it "safe". Can you teach an old bird new tricks? Can we get "her" to go into a pen at night since she has been free for at least 9 months min? We are planning on buying some more but not immediately. We thought maybe having some cooped up would bring her "in". We just don't want something to happen to her with winter coming and already loosing come chickens to predators. We know we have a fox in the area (seen it 3 times) and hawks. We are in the North Carolina.

Thank you,
Bill

 

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC One thing to try would be to lead her with treats back to the coop just before dusk. Once in, keep her there for a couple three days with food and water. That should teach her that this is her safe place. That said, guinea's are stronger willed than chickens and it may not stick. Again welcome and I'll look forward to what the guinea folks have to say.

 

[R2elk]

Hello All,

My wife and I recently bought a 20 acre property. We were left with 3 chickens and one Guinea. At the time of purchase (late winter/Early spring), there was not a home on the property but did have an older barn. The chickens we have lost to predators but our guinea is hanging in there. While our new home was being built we've always been out there and always supplied fresh water and extra feed for the guinea in the barn. The guinea (which my wife has named Sweet Pea) knows the "extra" food source and waits for us in the barn when we get on the property. Now that the home is built, Sweet Pea actually waits/sits at our back door and watches us in the house. We can't get any closer than that. Every evening we can watch it waddle across the field and pick a tree to roost in.

Our issue is we want to keep it "safe". Can you teach an old bird new tricks? Can we get "her" to go into a pen at night since she has been free for at least 9 months min? We are planning on buying some more but not immediately. We thought maybe having some cooped up would bring her "in". We just don't want something to happen to her with winter coming and already loosing come chickens to predators. We know we have a fox in the area (seen it 3 times) and hawks. We are in the North Carolina.

Thank you,
Bill

Since the guinea is already used to getting food from you, simply start feeding it in the evening in the pen where you want it to spend the night. Make sure there is a high roost in the pen to satisfy its roosting desire. When you get the guinea into the pen, close it in for the night. Open the gate first thing in the morning and repeat the procedure everyday. You can also call or whistle or ring a bell to associate the sound with feeding time. You should also place the guinea's water source in the pen to get it accustomed to entering the pen.

Good luck.

 

[esavvymom]

Agree with the previous posters. If you have a coop with a safe run area (covered fenced area so they can get outside safely, but still be confined), then she will likely follow you in if you put food in there for her. Then go out daily at the same general time (around dusk or just before if you can) and give her a treat or feed. That's when we give millet or sunflower seed (or whatever the favorite treat is). We make noise with the grain bucket, talk to them, etc. They don't follow us in at the same time, but after we walk out, they go running in. NOW, they will see us go into th yard around dusk and start running from the yard (usually) or if we are late, they'll sit somewhere and "yell" at us to get over here with our treat so we can go to bed! But yes, it can be done. Be consistent each day while you have her penned up. Then when you start letting her range again, that same evening, go out making the same noises/routine and see what happens.

Good luck!

 

[Chickiemom25]

Feed where you want her to sleep. I also find that mine like a solar light I hung in their run... they will roost next to it. Seems the light is more of a draw than the food, but they get both in the same spot.