Dog run as coop?

[Kaolru]

Okay, I recently kind of adopted a stray male guinea who first appeared on our trail cameras, then found his way to our house, and promptly fell in love with his reflection in our vehicles. He hasn't left since. I've never had guineas or even chickens really. I was always a duck person, but I don't have those anymore either unfortunately.

I want to keep this guy around, and because I'm sure he's terribly lonely, I've decided to get more guineas, though only about three or so. Keets seem to be my only option, and I guess I won't complain. I'll keep them in sight, but separate from him so he doesn't hurt them, and hopefully getting them young will help with the training process.

Anyway, I'm trying to think up a coop without spending much money, as this was definitely an unexpected event. We already have a chain link dog run we've never used and have no plans for. It's a bit run down, but still solid. I was thinking of adding some sort of roof and then a few staggered perches. I want to build an elevated box too, in case they want to use it for additional shelter or eventual nesting.

I just want to get him somewhere safe. He is not roosting in the trees at all, which has me worried. He sleeps by an old car that sits in the woods next to our driveway every night. I haven't been able to find a reason for this behavior. I've searched for a nesting hen, but haven't found anything. I'm wondering if he's been pinioned, though I don't know why someone would do that to a guinea.

Will this work? I'm assuming I should reinforce the chain link with chicken wire since the holes are so big. Any other tips you guys can give me to make this shelter work better?

This is what our run looks like, or at least it's fairly similar.

Here's the lonely guy:

 

[perchie.girl]

Id keep looking for that hen... or the eggs... she may have been killed already and hes just doing guard duty still. I use these types of kennels for all my coop strucutres. Chicken wire inside is good hardware cloth is better.... espeically around the places where the guinea will come up against the chainlink.

you can tell if hes pinioned because the flight feathers will be missing on one side even when his wings are tucked. Hes probably young. Even so I would put a roof on that pen Both to keep him in incase he remembers how to fly and to keep predators out.

And if you have a spare shiny hubcap give that to him too... or a mirror. They love looking at themselves in reflective surfaces.

With regard to Getting Guineas for company... They do best in larger flocks... At least six... Ten would be better if you can manage it.

deb

 

[Kaolru]

Id keep looking for that hen... or the eggs... she may have been killed already and hes just doing guard duty still. I use these types of kennels for all my coop strucutres. Chicken wire inside is good hardware cloth is better.... espeically around the places where the guinea will come up against the chainlink.

you can tell if hes pinioned because the flight feathers will be missing on one side even when his wings are tucked. Hes probably young. Even so I would put a roof on that pen Both to keep him in incase he remembers how to fly and to keep predators out.

And if you have a spare shiny hubcap give that to him too... or a mirror. They love looking at themselves in reflective surfaces.

With regard to Getting Guineas for company... They do best in larger flocks... At least six... Ten would be better if you can manage it.

deb

Alright, I was thinking about hardware cloth too. I think we may even have some if I look around.

Thank you, I'll keep looking then. I'll also see if I can tell about him being pinioned.

I'm searching for an old mirror as we speak, or anything that would work for the purpose.

As for a large flock, I wouldn't mind it, but I'm not sure how well my father would tolerate it. I'll see if I can encourage it though. We could certainly use the help with ticks. We live in a lyme disease hotspot and the ticks are just ridiculous where we are. He has lyme disease himself.

 

[BYC910]

Dog kennels are the best . I will take a picture or two to show you how to cover it . I use 2x4 welded wire on mine . chicken wire or hard wire cloth either one on the lower two feet yours is a good size 10x16 or 20 ?

 

[perchie.girl]

 

[Kaolru]

Dog kennels are the best . I will take a picture or two to show you how to cover it . I use 2x4 welded wire on mine . chicken wire or hard wire cloth either one on the lower two feet yours is a good size 10x16 or 20 ?

I'm actually not sure of the size. The one pictured is similar to mine, but not quite, and I don't think it's 10x16. I believe it's smaller, but I'll check when I get home. I'm at work right now.

Also, an unrelated question but where do you buy straight millet? I want to see if I can tempt him with it, but everywhere I look has it mixed with other things.

 

[perchie.girl]

I'm actually not sure of the size. The one pictured is similar to mine, but not quite, and I don't think it's 10x16. I believe it's smaller, but I'll check when I get home. I'm at work right now.

Also, an unrelated question but where do you buy straight millet? I want to see if I can tempt him with it, but everywhere I look has it mixed with other things.

You can use plain old scratch or wild bird seed... there is millet in it. But you can get it by the fifty pound sack at the feed store. Its the same millet that's in Parakeet seed.

As far as general feed goes I use Flock Raiser for adult birds... Keets get Game bird starter which has a higher protein content... Keets grow very very fast so they need that protein.

deb

 

[Kaolru]

You can use plain old scratch or wild bird seed... there is millet in it. But you can get it by the fifty pound sack at the feed store. Its the same millet that's in Parakeet seed.

As far as general feed goes I use Flock Raiser for adult birds... Keets get Game bird starter which has a higher protein content... Keets grow very very fast so they need that protein.

deb

Oh good! I did pick up some scratch and he does seem to like it, but he's not too fond of the cracked corn in it and there's a bunch in that mix. I also bought the 16% pellets, just trying to see what he'd eat and so far he has no interest in it at all. Maybe I'll have to wait for the weather to cool off and bugs to start disappearing before he'll eat a regular feed?

I'll be sure to switch over to the flock raiser though. I wasn't sure if the 16% was high enough for adults or not, but it was the only one that came in a small bag. I didn't want to get a huge one in case he didn't eat it.

 

[BYC910]

I'm actually not sure of the size. The one pictured is similar to mine, but not quite, and I don't think it's 10x16. I believe it's smaller, but I'll check when I get home. I'm at work right now.

Also, an unrelated question but where do you buy straight millet? I want to see if I can tempt him with it, but everywhere I look has it mixed with other things.

Millet is sold as seed most of the time and is high . Look at wild bird mixes without corn in small bags at walmart .

You can use plain old scratch or wild bird seed... there is millet in it. But you can get it by the fifty pound sack at the feed store. Its the same millet that's in Parakeet seed.

As far as general feed goes I use Flock Raiser for adult birds... Keets get Game bird starter which has a higher protein content... Keets grow very very fast so they need that protein.

deb

Deb knows them Italians better than me Wanted to show you these it's what I have done . A regular deck board fastened to the top of the panel using a one and three eights tensioning strap. Two straps to a board and most of the boards and the 4x2 wire were salvaged from jobs .

Wire lapped over and a strip used to hold the wire in place.

This one I let the board lay over and fastened a piece of vinyl flat roofing for the cover striped it the same way . I used a home made chain link panel under the cover for support

this one is just 4x2 wire that is wired on with pig tails . You can buy what they call six inch loop ties and a pigtail twister at home depot in the concrete section . the twister is cheap and a bundle of loop ties are not very expensive .They come in very handy when working with wire of all types . this one is coated left over from a job . And yes that is a truck bed liner that is the coop top

this is a cage clip handy little thing for fastening poultry netting to chain link. I us them to fasten the netting together and to the chain link . The clips and tool you can get at tractor supply . Don't laugh at my stuff neither hope it gives you some help .

 

[perchie.girl]

I was just going to say have you been to my back yard.

deb