Do guinea keets every become less terrified?

[R2elk]

Wow thank you for sharing your experience! That gives me so much hope! It sounds like such a small thing, but here’s what happened tonight: I went out to lock up the chickens. The coop has a storage area, a small coup for the guineas, which shares a chicken-wire wall with the chickens. The each have their own pop door to go outside. I closed the chickens pop door and plugged in my light. I hung out with the chickens (who are extremely disgruntled with the light) for about the minutes and the guineas came in. They gave me the side eye, but somewhat quietly ate some food and jumped on the roost bar. With the light still on I slowly opened the door and stepped in. The guineas continued to give me the side eye but stayed quiet so I closed the door and then stood there for another minute or so and slowly walked out. I think that was the calmest experience so far. Having that happen and reading your story gives me hope. They are still young and have a lot of maturing to do.

I’ve also been sprinkling small amounts of different types of treats into their feed. At first they ignored it but now it’s looking like they are starting to eat a little. I’ve done small amounts of meal worms, flax seed, and all flock feed on top of their game bird feed. I also try to make a point to pour their feed while they are present, but so far they’ve not been calm enough to seem to be aware of what I am doing. It’s looking like I might get to that point. It would be the dream if they’d learn to eat from my hands!

Be very careful with using flax seed. It is 50% fat and doesn't take much to cause problems.

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

They have a ramp, so they tend to go under instead of up when I am near them. While it is certainly not dark in the coop, it is much brighter inside than out. I have been putting them up around five or six so they can eat, where the chickens have gone in around 7:30 or 8. I'll try to spend more time with them but it's peak harvest season so I've been neglecting all of my animals compared to the time I normally spend with them.

Can guineas eventually figure out ramps?

Yes. My guinea goes up the ramp every night.

 

[R2elk]

When they're on the roost is when they're calmest. A good time to work with them, start by talking, short strokes of their backs. You might get air-striked or bit. Personally, I dont find the bites to hurt, but you can start w/gloves until you feel comfortable. Save your treats for training-hand feeding, coming when called. R2elk advices to avoid flax seed d/t fat content. Mine don't like a lot of what ppl suggest, esp dried worms. They like outer leaves of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, chives,sage, borage and nastirium leaves, peppermint leaves, lambs qtrs, - a lot of herbs. Lol

If you want your guineas to leave things alone in your garden, never feed them treats from the garden no matter how much they like them. If you keep them out of the garden it is a different story. Some people like their guineas to patrol their gardens for bugs. If they have become accustomed to treats from the garden. guess what they will go for instead of bugs.

 

[Sydney65]

If you want your guineas to leave things alone in your garden, never feed them treats from the garden no matter how much they like them. If you keep them out of the garden it is a different story. Some people like their guineas to patrol their gardens for bugs. If they have become accustomed to treats from the garden. guess what they will go for instead of bugs.

we changed ours this year to 10" high raised boxes w/paving stone pathways.
Before they were only 6" tall(pavers were there) & they didn't eat plants but liked to dust bathe in the chives (best smelling goons ever). I wondered if it was an instinct that they deter predators.
This year, they didn't dust bath,get in the boxes or even on the pavers. They walked on outskirt & searched for bugs. Rosie had an insatiable appetite for onions this yr and lopped the tops off of any she could reach. But they didn't bother any of the other plants, so I'm ok w/that. Probably bc brassicas were in center of box with herbs on edges. Peppers and tomatos, lettuce, sweet potato leaves, beans, berries-left it all alone. PUPPY kept snagging the beans.

 

[R2elk]

we changed ours this year to 10" high raised boxes w/paving stone pathways.
Before they were only 6" tall(pavers were there) & they didn't eat plants but liked to dust bathe in the chives (best smelling goons ever). I wondered if it was an instinct that they deter predators.
This year, they didn't dust bath,get in the boxes or even on the pavers. They walked on outskirt & searched for bugs. Rosie had an insatiable appetite for onions this yr and lopped the tops off of any she could reach. But they didn't bother any of the other plants, so I'm ok w/that. Probably bc brassicas were in center of box with herbs on edges. Peppers and tomatos, lettuce, sweet potato leaves, beans, berries-left it all alone. PUPPY kept snagging the beans.

Are you sure they are eating the onions? My understanding is that onions can be harmful for poultry.

The turkeys will go down a row of onions and either clip them all off or pull them out. They are not eating them, just dropping them on the ground.

 

[Sydney65]

Are you sure they are eating the onions? My understanding is that onions can be harmful for poultry.

The turkeys will go down a row of onions and either clip them all off or pull them out. They are not eating them, just dropping them on the ground.

Maybe that's what she did then, but I didn't see them lying around. She didn't pull them up, just lopped the tops off. She does eat the chives. I guess they grind as they go, but it looks like their version of slurping a spaghetti noodle.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Be very careful with using flax seed. It is 50% fat and doesn't take much to cause problems.

So is mealworms. Don’t worry I’ve used it sparingly. They’ve not been interested anyways.

I had some time to sit outside with them. I had a lot to do today but a migraine hit me and I slept most of the day away. First time I’ve taken a nap since last year when I got stung by a wasp and took a Benadryl! I guess we all need a rest day. I said screw it and grabbed a chair, a book, and a beer and have been chilling with the birds and the cats. The guineas even walked over in my direction.


In terms of them calming down, I think anxiety got the better of me. I’m still hoping we can move toward free ranging them with the chickens some day but I guess time will tell.

 

[R2elk]

So is mealworms. Don’t worry I’ve used it sparingly. They’ve not been interested anyways.

Mealworms are 50% protein which can also cause problems. My guess is that they will show more interest in live mealworms.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Just a bit of a final update:

It had become clear from their behaviors the guineas wanted to be with the chickens. They have a favorite rooster who is a barred rock, and they would sleep with him with the fence between them and cry when he's gone. I'm not sure if because he's barred he kinda sorta looks like a guinea, at least moreso than the rest of the chickens, but anyways he is a favorite of theirs. So I opened the popdoor that separates the two coops and the guineas were very happy to join the chickens on the roost bar. I kept them in the run the next day and the chickens were very unhappy about it, but did well with the guineas. The next day I allowed the guineas and chickens to have access to a less-secure run extension, and by day three the chickens were beyond angry at their new confinement so I opened the door for them to free range an hour before dark. The guineas cautiously explore the area just outside of the door, and then I was able to usher them back in. Basically each day progressed further and for the past three days they have been fully free ranging with the chickens, and one night they even went into the coop without me turning on the light. I had to use the light last night. The only big change is they are screaming all of the time when free ranging. I am 100% sure I have two girls, and 80% sure the other one is a boy.

 

[Sydney65]

Just a bit of a final update:

It had become clear from their behaviors the guineas wanted to be with the chickens. They have a favorite rooster who is a barred rock, and they would sleep with him with the fence between them and cry when he's gone. I'm not sure if because he's barred he kinda sorta looks like a guinea, at least moreso than the rest of the chickens, but anyways he is a favorite of theirs. So I opened the popdoor that separates the two coops and the guineas were very happy to join the chickens on the roost bar. I kept them in the run the next day and the chickens were very unhappy about it, but did well with the guineas. The next day I allowed the guineas and chickens to have access to a less-secure run extension, and by day three the chickens were beyond angry at their new confinement so I opened the door for them to free range an hour before dark. The guineas cautiously explore the area just outside of the door, and then I was able to usher them back in. Basically each day progressed further and for the past three days they have been fully free ranging with the chickens, and one night they even went into the coop without me turning on the light. I had to use the light last night. The only big change is they are screaming all of the time when free ranging. I am 100% sure I have two girls, and 80% sure the other one is a boy.

R2elk always warns that it's in the spring when mating season starts that issues between the species will begin. But if you only have 3 & are correct that 1 male has 2 females - maybe he'll be satisfied. But in reality, he'll probably try to chase your rooster over hill and dale.
I was always pleasantly surprised that most of the horrid stuff I read guineas would do either never materialized or wasn't as bad as implied. Good Luck!