Free Ranging Age

[R3M1X]

So we have 16 guinea keets that's are a couple weeks old now. We plan to let them total free range (with shelter and feeding option) once they are old enough, but what age would that be? 6 months or 12 weeks? Or maybe some other time? I am at a loss. We want them to be able to take care of themselves out in the big bad world, but also come back to the coop house whenever they feel the need and to eat and drink or sleep or whatever.

 

[red horse ranch]

I keep my little guineas in a grow out coop and pen until they are almost full grown, around 3 months old. They are usually to afraid to go far from the pen when I start letting them have a little freedom. They should ALWAYS be put inside at night no matter how old they are.
Guineas are pretty much blind at night and are easy prey for predators. My guineas free range over 30 to 40 acres but they always go back inside at night without my help.

 

[R3M1X]

...My guineas free range over 30 to 40 acres but they always go back inside at night without my help.

That would be good if they put themselves to bed lol my older chickens do that even though I'd rather put them away earlier than they like to stay out just to make sure they are all accounted for.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

Will they be a part of your chicken flock? Mine were. I allowed them to integrate at six weeks, a little older than I do with chicken chicks because they were still so small, and they acted a lot like the chicks did. For a few weeks, they hung inside the run, then just inside, then they began free ranging like the rest. They had the option the whole time but only felt confident enough to forage away from the run after several weeks hanging nearby. Though sometimes they were difficult to get into the coop itself, they always returned to the run with the rest of the flock on their own.

 

[R3M1X]

They will be completely free range with option to use the coop. They are being raised with my chickens and ducks so they know them and are social with each other, but overall they will be free range guineas. The chickens and ducks will be relocated to a larger coop/pen that can support the size of the flock. In the current pen the "run" is a large fenced in area with two buildings, several roosting objects (such as a picnic table, old pool ladder, ramps, upturned buckets, and sideways totes) the larger of the two buildings has built-in roosting bars as well. This area will be left for the guineas if they so choose to use it once the chickens and ducks are relocated.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

They will be completely free range with option to use the coop. They are being raised with my chickens and ducks so they know them and are social with each other, but overall they will be free range guineas. The chickens and ducks will be relocated to a larger coop/pen that can support the size of the flock. In the current pen the "run" is a large fenced in area with two buildings, several roosting objects (such as a picnic table, old pool ladder, ramps, upturned buckets, and sideways totes) the larger of the two buildings has built-in roosting bars as well. This area will be left for the guineas if they so choose to use it once the chickens and ducks are relocated.

It sounds like a nice big area for them. I guess the more time they have to get used to it, the better. I'm always anxious to have them out of the brooder ASAP, whatever kind of bird I have in there, but if you can leave them longer to mature and bond with the flock and still have enough space, I'd do that. I did six weeks, but 12 weeks doesn't sound unreasonable as long as the brooding space they have now is adequate. I did have one simply never return early on, whether it wandered away or a predator took it, I don't know. Occasionally even older birds can go too far if there's a disturbance, but mine always tried to come back, though not always on my timetable. Six months seems like a lot. Guineas aren't the smartest when it comes to gates and fences. They will try to go through a fence to get to what's on the other side when the gate to get there is right behind them. They want to go in a straight line to what they see. Training them early to use a gate and identify with a flock is smart. I think your plan to leave them in their space after the other birds move is a sound one.

 

[Willowspirit]

Where we used to board our horses in Norco, CA, there are many small acreage properties built like regular tract homes side by xide. The property across from the barn was theoretically home to a huge flock of guineas. Many days they would gather on the front lawn, then waddle across the street in a leisurely way making that noise they make. Then they'd move down that side of the street for a ways before crossing again and gabbling about. Eventually they would find a driveway gate open and go exploring in someone 's goat yard or the Preschool or maybe they 'd just head home. Who knows? It was their world.

 

[CountryFried]

We trained our guineas to a ringtone (Twinkle on iPhones), and if they hear it, they come running, haha. It's been really easy to get them back into the coop at night, plus they follow us any time we are outside. It was easy to train them and only took a few days. (They are also trained to the sound of me shaking the pitcher of scratch, but that sound doesn't travel as far as the ringtone)

What I did was approach them and started trying various ringtones until I found one that grabbed their attention. I played it a few times and then gave them scratch. I did that several times a day in various places around the yard. Within 3 days, they were running to me when they heard it. Now I can just go find them, clap my hands a few times, and they will follow me wherever I want. It's handy because we don't have a fence and they have discovered the front yard (and a 55mph roads). I only let them out to free-range when I'm home and can be listening for where they are. Otherwise, I guide them into the duck fence (6' chain link they haven't tried to escape yet) while I am not home and they fight with the geese in there.

 

[mkeawsh]

I whistle "This Old Man" song and they come running no matter how many acres they are away. I give them millet every time. They perch on a high beam in the barn at night but tonight they decided to perch almost to the top of the oak tree that is right in front of the chicken house. I have flashing red solar bulbs facing the sky and hung around my chicken house and the attached tractors. So, I never have had to worry about predators at night. It is the foxes, coyotes, owls, hawks etc during the day that are the challenge.