Do guineas need solid walls on their night coop?

[87Tweetybirds]

im new to guineas and I’m in the process of cleaning out my shed for our first batch of guineas. They’re due to hatch Wednesday (8/31), so I’ve got a bit of time to get it ready, but I’m not sure what to do. It’s a partly open shed, closed on 3 sides and the peak is probably 15 feet high. I plan to put chicken wire up to close the gap between the top of the wall and ceiling, and some sort of barrier/enclosure on the 4th side, but I am uncertain if it would be better to do an “open” wall of chicken wire or a solid wall with a door. I live in the Midwest (zone 5 growing season), and we haven’t lived in this house through a winter yet, but based on all the windmills around us it looks like it might get windy.

 

[nuthatched]

I'd recommend using hardware cloth or stucco lath. Chicken wire is not predator proof. I think they'd appreciate a windbreaker

 

[R2elk]

im new to guineas and I’m in the process of cleaning out my shed for our first batch of guineas. They’re due to hatch Wednesday (8/31), so I’ve got a bit of time to get it ready, but I’m not sure what to do. It’s a partly open shed, closed on 3 sides and the peak is probably 15 feet high. I plan to put chicken wire up to close the gap between the top of the wall and ceiling, and some sort of barrier/enclosure on the 4th side, but I am uncertain if it would be better to do an “open” wall of chicken wire or a solid wall with a door. I live in the Midwest (zone 5 growing season), and we haven’t lived in this house through a winter yet, but based on all the windmills around us it looks like it might get windy.

I am in a very cold zone 4. My Guinea Coop is wholly enclosed. It can and does get to -30°F here in the winter. It is windy here all year long.

 

[87Tweetybirds]

Thanks, I think we’ll continue the pole shed around to give a windbreak in the winter and build a covered run off one of the windows. I’m thinking metal siding or hardware cloth with plywood behind it. Thanks for the input.

 

[R2elk]

Thanks, I think we’ll continue the pole shed around to give a windbreak in the winter and build a covered run off one of the windows. I’m thinking metal siding or hardware cloth with plywood behind it. Thanks for the input.

The entry and exit for the guineas works best if it is at ground level. While they like to roost high, they are ground dwelling birds.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

im new to guineas and I’m in the process of cleaning out my shed for our first batch of guineas. They’re due to hatch Wednesday (8/31), so I’ve got a bit of time to get it ready, but I’m not sure what to do. It’s a partly open shed, closed on 3 sides and the peak is probably 15 feet high. I plan to put chicken wire up to close the gap between the top of the wall and ceiling, and some sort of barrier/enclosure on the 4th side, but I am uncertain if it would be better to do an “open” wall of chicken wire or a solid wall with a door. I live in the Midwest (zone 5 growing season), and we haven’t lived in this house through a winter yet, but based on all the windmills around us it looks like it might get windy.

Hi 87Tweetybirds and welcome to BYCs!!!

We live in Oklahoma which swings from very hot (110+ F) summers to brief periods of extreme cold (-10 F) winters. The heat is more of a problem for poultry, so all three of our coops have only hardware cloth wire for the South facing wall. We also include additional ventilation on the other sides that can be opened in summer for cross-ventilation but closed in winter. Our poultry do fine in the winter and the guineas are fine with just the top portion of the south facing wall blocked off with a clear tarp in the winter. The top portion is where the guineas roost at night, so this gives them a fairly draft free sleeping area. We do have a lot of storms from the South, but these are our “warm”, above freezing storms. The cold storms that bring very cold temperatures, ice and snow come from the North, so they never have freezing cold drafts. I’m attaching a pic of the solid North side ( top is tarped in winter) and looking out through the wire South side.

If you want to post some pics of your space I’m sure people will have suggestions. We’d love to see your flock too!!!

 

[87Tweetybirds]

Hello! So I’ve decided to shift my coop to the other end of the pole shed to decrease expense on running electricity to my Guinea shelter, also less square foot of hardware mesh required to predator proof the bottom, and ability to make an outdoor run without knocking out walls or windows. My Spouse suggested hardware mesh up the “outside” walls to provide ventilation in our summers (currently open front and side) but built as such to be able to back with plywood in winter, temperatures get up in the high 90s in summer and can dip below 0, but averages closer to 32 in winter. I’ve been trimming trees and plan to suspend a couple of tree branches up in the rafters to give roosting spots and need to put down something to encourage nesting in the shelter.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Hello! So I’ve decided to shift my coop to the other end of the pole shed to decrease expense on running electricity to my Guinea shelter, also less square foot of hardware mesh required to predator proof the bottom, and ability to make an outdoor run without knocking out walls or windows. My Spouse suggested hardware mesh up the “outside” walls to provide ventilation in our summers (currently open front and side) but built as such to be able to back with plywood in winter, temperatures get up in the high 90s in summer and can dip below 0, but averages closer to 32 in winter. I’ve been trimming trees and plan to suspend a couple of tree branches up in the rafters to give roosting spots and need to put down something to encourage nesting in the shelter.

Looks like it will be pretty roomy! Don’t forget to close or wire off the eaves so snakes and weasels can’t get in. What kind of ventilation will they have in winter when you close it off?

 

[southwind00]

need to put down something to encourage nesting in the shelter.

Your space looks amazing , but your guineas will need some hiding places for when the dysfunctional family has some disagreements. Any combination of boxes ,boards,5gal buckets with the ends cut off , just some safe places for low ranking guineas to hide, And the places might also be used as nesting places if the hens are feeling cozy enough. I've observed out in the wild they like to be under over hanging branch, logs, dense flower beds when they make their nests, so same goes for when they are inside.

My boxes have worked well for both hiding and nests.
Good Luck.

 

[87Tweetybirds]

Looks like it will be pretty roomy! Don’t forget to close or wire off the eaves so snakes and weasels can’t get in. What kind of ventilation will they have in winter when you close it off?

I think I’ll try leaving the eves “open” with hardware cloth year round to provide ventilation. It has a lip over the front to block most wind. If I find it to still allow too much wind in I’ll reevaluate then.