Do you have to have a Coop for guineas?

[MelindaAustin]

We just got our first set of guineas (6) and we're wondering if we need an actual coop for them. We had a couple guineas adopt us for a while a few years ago, the hen even laid eggs and hatched 3 babies in our hedges but they just came and went from our barn. We didn't really feed or water them, our neighbors stole them so we decided we'd try getting some. We live in Amarillo, Texas where we can get a few 100 degree days in the summer and 10 degree days with some snow in the winter, we maybe get a foot or more of snow one time a year.

Do we need a coop for the guineas, we did buy a chick condo from a neighbor which we're going to put more roosting options in and then we were going to keep that in the barn when they're ready to come out of the brooder. Or, should we buy an actual coop in a few months for outside the barn that they can live in? Thanks so much.

 

[Mims]

I'm down the road from you, near Lubbock. I'm interested to know the answer to this as well.

 

[Bryant Redhawk]

Guineas will roost in trees if they are available, however, since you live in an area that most likely has coyotes, hawks, etc., you would be well advised to have a coop for them to roost in where you can lock them up safe and sound. Guineas will come home as long as you train them where home is and teach them that when they come home there are treats waiting for them.

I've known folks that just let their Guineas roost in the trees but these folks occasionally lost one or two to predators at night. We keep ours in the roofed pen for around 6 weeks after feather out before we let them free range. Ours are also raised with chickens, they are kept close but separate until they are teenagers at which point they roam the run with the chickens. Since we free range all our birds, the Guineas go out at the same time and it is usually they that range the furthest but we do have a few chickens that go with them, all come home right before dark or even a bit earlier since they know there are mealworms to be had in the coop.

We have several roost poles and Guineas always are on the top pole. They will go after a chicken that gets out of line or tries to take the food they think is theirs.

I see no problem with having the coop inside the barn, just be ready for the guineas to prefer to be as high as they can get for roosting time. If the barn has a loft, that is most likely where they will prefer to be at night.

The guy down the road keeps his birds all together just like we do, but there are some folks in our area that have separate housing for chickens and guineas, preferring to keep them segregated for what reason I do not know. We have never had any real problems with keeping the two flocks together but they were raised that way from the start so that may be why ours get along as well as they do.

 

[MelindaAustin]

Because of the mess and because we have horses, I'd rather keep the coup out of the barn. But, as people have said, we have to worry about predators and I'm also concerned about weather conditions. Is there such thing as a small coup for a barn, we don't have a very big barn? If they're trained to come back to the barn at night, are we better off to lock them up for the night?

 

[Bryant Redhawk]

You can keep the coop outside of the barn, that is really not a problem at all. My grandfather had his coop separated from the barn (dairy farm) with an enclosed run around the coop. Our coop is inside a run and the rabbits are also in this run area. We let our flock out to free range every day when we are home. During the week they spend most of the day in their run, when we get home they free range until about dark when they come back to the coop on their own to get their bed time treats (mealworms).

If you are free ranging them, you don't need a big run since that is more of a staging area rather than home yard. We always lock them up at night as do our few neighbors, we have a good sized pack of coyotes roaming the area, Raccoons, Opossums, Foxes, probably a bobcat or two and many other predators, including owls. We would not have any birds left in a short time if we didn't lock them up at night.

 

[MelindaAustin]

Thanks, I guess I'm worried about them getting too cold in the coop in the winter, what do they for warmth?

 

[Percheron chick]

If you train station them to return to the coop for food and water, they will be less wild. They'll still range and clean up your ticks. They like the same treats chickens do and will come running if you work with them. Don't worry about the weather. Texas is similar to parts of Africa.