free range guineas

[cluckinbob]

Greetings,I want to get some guineas and let them free range. Can they avoid coyotes, raccoons etc. or do they need to have a coop? thanks.

 

[pipermark]

Many people free range this type of bird, however while they seem to be better adapted at avoiding predators, be ready to lose some. If you live in an area with a large population of predators, I would coop them at night.

 

[the1much]

if you have a safe roost for them,, it would have to be 1 sneaky anything to get em.if you loose them its USUALLY at night,, when their roosting in a tree.

 

[scooter147]

When free ranging they can avoid predators better than most domestic poultry. They are very good flyers and the ground predator that strolls through during the day poses little threat with a flock of guineas, they will simply fly up in a tree or on a building.

Flying predators are a threat.

I strongly suggest that they be homed to roost in a predator proof structure at night. They are vulnerable roosting in the open.

I had a flock of 35-40 guineas for about 6 years and they always free ranged during the day with minimal losses. They always roosted in with the chickens at night.

 

[brandywine]

You will want some kind of a coop to start with.

Babies need the protection, newly purchased adults need to be confined to learn where "home" is.

I had one keet panic last week and fly off towards the house while I was trying to herd her into the pen with the rest of them. I didn't see where she landed (they are good flyers, bad landers at this age). I guess she just kept going, because she hasn't come back -- and guineas are highly motivated to keep with their homies. That's why she was so flitterpated to start with -- she'd gotten on the wrong side of the fence from them. These are not clear-headed animals.

Either a predator got her or she is in the next county now.

 

[the1much]

Quote:
hahaha,,,not good "landers"???? is that why i have 5 or 6 pairs of footprints on the SIDE of my house?hahaha

 

[Selena]

"These are not clear-headed animals."

That's a bit of an understatement.

And yes, they really stick close to their flock. I have 3 keets, and they escaped the 2nd day we had them in the chicken pen with the others, when they were 3 weeks. I have one with a bum leg, so of course, I was concerned for it. I caught one (not Gimpy) about 2 hours later. He was so scared to be alone, he kept hollering for his buddies. I put him in a giant dog carrier in the center of the pen. About 4 hours later I caught the other healthy one when he came to visit his buddy.

6 hours of screaming guinea. Oy.

We figured when he wasn't back by nightfall, Gimpy was toast. Summed it up to "Survival of the Fittest". Besides, our neighbor has 5 free-range cats. Surely they'd pick him off.

The next afternoon I found him on my back porch. He traveled the farthest, about 100 feet through tall grass and a blackberry patch. They are now all together.

And boy can they fly! Even with clipped wings they pick up some height.

I don't think you'll have too much trouble. What they lack in sense, they make up with flight and (from what I understand) size.