Free range Florida?

[trev1lov3]

Ok, have successfully had guineas for almost a year now and had opted to just permanently enclose the first few i had to make them like a breeding coop and hatch out more. Have successfully hatched out a few more now and have been thinking about releasing a big flock to be free range totally and see how it goes. Ive read from time to time about different people having sucess with a flock that managed itself and stays around the same number even taking loses but i never saw what region those people were in. Where im at theres troops of coons bigger than smaller dogs all over coyotes. I saw a florida panther once and a bobcat a couple times but never saw a florida blsck bear. Too far from the coast for that i think but just wondering if the people who did have success with that would chime in and say what regions theyre in. I plan on continueing to occasionally set coon traps but idk if that would be enough

 

[CapricornFarm]

You might want to keep some in the coop and let some free range. That way you can boost numbers if you need to. Guineas seem good at getting themselves run over by cars. It is hard to say if your guineas will roost high enough to keep themselves safe from predators. Where are you located? We just moved to Virginia from Bradenton, FL. Good luck.

 

[trev1lov3]

Im a rare situation. I live on my grandfathers old farm and have been tryin to rekindle it into functioning as something again because no one in my family cares really but me. In the 80s he was an egg provider for publix withe white leghorn chickens. Its a 120 acres about 42 miles north of tampa as the crow flys in masaryktown. Its pretty rural but the the other areas becoming more developed have been pushing different wild life in. Used to see bob white quail and red foxes and now dont see them much but in the last year a pack of coyotes has come in at random and one of them is bigger than my aunts yellow lab. That was the only time i saw them. At dusk once. Everytime i here them around dusk or middle of the night i grab my rifle run out and theyre completey gone already by the time my door shuts. I dont really have help cause the rest of them are past their prime. I know sections of fence need repair and thatd help but i think the only way ill be able to catch em is to he ina tree stand a few nights when i have a break from work so i cant be smelled. I know they are randomly trying to run calves (unsuccessfully ad the other cows) dont let it happen long but they have gotten 2 of my chickens. Im gona try and find a donkey to help with that if i can find anyone to trade me for a cow but back to topic. I have 1 cock and 3 hens of the french pearl grey guineas and 3 lavender guinea hens. Plan on keeping them as my reserve to breed a main flock. Maybe add a few more colors as time goes. Also those 5lb bags. of mannapro gamebird chcik starter r killin me. Cant find a game bird chick starter with as high protein in bulk anywhere near me so looking for an alternative for that if anyone has suggestions. That has 24% i give the adults a 21% meat bird.

 

[trev1lov3]

Ohh btw c2spricorn that runt i was telling you about is doing fine. Still wierdly not eating meal worms. Maybe still a lil too big for it plan on putting it separate eith dum crushed up to try and make her eat sum. She seems to use more grit that the others all the time so idk i think shell be ok but hopein i can get her to eat em soon.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I always feed mashed boiled eggs to sick or injured birds and electrolytes. Sounds like you have a challenge with the farm. Good luck.

 

[BlueShadow]

Not entirely sure all of your questions, but here are a few thoughts:

1) You have a LOT of predator pressure. Way more than we have here. Free ranging may not work for you, but the only way to know is to try. A couple ideas to help: Offer them feed & water in a sheltered location (shed with an open door, 3-sided building, it can be very low key) to keep them coming back home. Also, make sure they have plenty of safe(ish) roosting spots. Mine like to roost on our clothesline, so we covered the clothesline posts in tin so that the coons can't climb it. They also roost in our 30+ foot tall trees where a predator could climb, but would have to be very persistent to get to them.
2) I do not think you will ever have a self-sustaining free range flock. Where we lose the most guineas is when hens go broody. If we don't take them off the nest, before those 4 weeks are up, some predator has found them. I would not expect your free range birds to ever successfully hatch keets, and I would expect losses of at least 50% of your free range flock each year.
3) Buying 5 lb sacks of feed is ridiculously expensive. Have you asked if they are willing to special order feed for you? Purina isn't the cheapest out there, but lots of stores carry the Purina brand and Purina offers gamebird feed in 50 lb bags. Ask if your store will special order it for you. If not, go to the next store and ask again. Another thought, is there a Tractor Supply near you? Here, TSC carries their Dumor brand of gamebird feed in all their stores. If your store doesn't carry it, I definitely would expect they can order it for you. I think you can even order it online??
4) I feed my adults an 18% feed. Maybe you can find that in 50 lb bags and save a little money?
5) If you find yourself having to travel far for feed, and therefore wanting to stock up, remember to keep it COOL and DRY. You definitely do NOT want the feed to mold!!

 

[trev1lov3]

Dang well if ur adults do well on 28 perxent then maybe i dont have to worry so much
I had been giving my adults 21% meat bird and the keets were getting the 5lb bags of manapro i guess thats akk the make of that stuff so the keets are 3 weeks noe im gona try and seitch em over to this new 50lb organic 30% that i picked up today as long as its fine enkugh gran or i can process it finer

 

[BlueShadow]

I give the adults an 18%. I start my keets on 28% and gradually decrease the protein content as they age, until they go on 18% as adults.

I suppose, I should add the caveat, my adult guineas free range and the feed makes up no more than 50% of their diet. So they provide whatever protein content they want in the other half of their diet.