Guinea flock + wire fence = perpetual Benny Hill chase scene...

[cowcreekgeek]

Landing boards on a fence do nothing to help keep the birds home, and chances are that the birds will still pace the fence anyway. They get panicked and a sudden onset of tunnel vision sets in focused only on where they want to go (not how to get there) the second they come face to face with wire obstructing their way.

5(b). See 3. Eat them.

Don't get me wrong -- still glad I've got my fifteen, and will probably have many more before I'm done. But, I'm guessin' it that long, skinny neck that prohibits oxygen from reachin' their itsy-bitsy fear-driven brains.

My theory of controlled exposure to the elements and advanced diets held true, in that I recovered the chick that got lose twenty hours after, following a damp night in the thirties. But, the guinea that got lose some time back? Didn't hesitate to wander entirely too far, and most probably fell victim to predation that very night ... still entirely my fault, for lettin' it get lose, and perhaps it just wasn't so fortunate as the chick, as it's tail feathers were somewhat tattered when I caught it. But, I suspect the guinea simply didn't learn/adapt as quickly as the chick did.

 

[JLeigh]

I really wish I'd had the time to establish a consistent coop-up routine, but even so, my garden's suffered too greatly from their foraging for me to perpetuate their free-range privileges.

Right now, I'm struggling to settle on the right run topper material. I don't trust most of the less expensive, lightweight plastic poultry netting to last beyond a year or two (if that)...UV in NM is downright BRUTAL on plastics. Hvy duty netting is super expensive, and again I'd be replacing it before too long. Galvanized netting will take forever and a day to stitch together into a canopy, but seems to be the best material for the job. Plastic coated would be awesome, but mucho $$$!

We didn't stitch our poultry wire together ALL the way down - we overlapped the wire edges about 8 inches then tied galvanized wire about every foot, zig zagging our way down paying attention to the open gap areas that are going to happen with poultry wire. We ran the wire down the pen top lengthwise. Then we put a $25.00 huge blue tarp over the top. My husband sort of "gabled" it using stuff we had around the house, which keeps the rain from collecting in the low spots. It's been my experience that doing anything on the cheap, which we try to do whenever possible because we ain't rolling in the cash, is always going to require more work. I think all in we spent about $100, which is sometimes hard to come by, I know.

I'll try to get pictures today. (I'm not a reliable picture-taker . My setup isn't pretty, but the rain doesn't collect and it keeps the sun/rain off the birds.

You're right about UV - don't waste your time with plastic. Use metal....anything...or pressure treated plywood...an old camper top...an old tent/s...old party tents....Anyone you know have an old barn that needs taking down?

But your garden matters, too. We fenced our small garden because of chickens, rabbits, raccoons, deer, grandchildren.....all those pesky critters .

 

[JLeigh]

Here are pictures of my humble coops and pens. The larger pen is for the guineas, the smaller for the chickens. The coops are the same size. 6 x 8. We built the guinea coop inside the run - - it was easier that way, and cheaper.

The two coops have one common wall with a chicken door so that the guineas can move into either pen while the chickens are free-ranging.

I also show the tarp over the wire and the "gable" system we used on the guinea coop below.



What the gable looks like from underneath running down the long way of the pen.



Below is the method we used to gable the tarp so rain wouldn't collect. It's PVC pipe and landscape timbers we had on hand. Ugly but very effective in keeping the rain from pooling on the tarp. Can't tell you how many times I was in the pen after a rain, pushing gallons and gallons and gallons of water off the tarp. I don't care what it looks like! You could paint the face of Tammy Faye Baker all over it, and I wouldn't care. This works. Yea.





The guinea coop is dark, but we're going to put in another window that will let in more light and air. It will be like a chicken door, but up high. It will be permanently covered with chicken wire to keep predators out, guineas in, and will have an up and down sliding wooden door. That way I can open it in good weather for fresh air and light, but make it wind proof when ice/storms/freezing temps hit. The window you see now is just some UV safe, heavy duty outdoor hard plastic sheeting glued to the outside wall. It doesn't open/close at all. Sealed to keep water out. Window cost $14.00.

We used large zip ties to keep the tarp secured to the wire and posts. We will likely have to replace the tarp in one or two years.

We had tarp overhang, so we positioned it so that the guineas can get morning sun. Afternoons and evenings, there is no direct sunlight.

We replaced an OLD (like, 30 years!) storm door from our back door with a spiffy new one, and took the old door out to the chicken coop. The windows slide up and down, and we covered the screen with poultry wire. I leave the windows open during the spring, summer and fall, and close 'em up for winter.

Both coops have ventilation under the roofs at the front and back - open year round. We covered those with poultry wire, because YES, raccoons will climb in, eat a couple of chickens, poop in the corner a few times, then climb back out. Don't learn the hard way like we did. If you say, "Oh, nothing is smart enough to climb in THAT way..." then that should be your red flag. By the way, ultimately, the raccoon lost.

Total cost of the chicken pen and the guinea coop: about $250.00.

Hope this isn't TMI.

 

[PeepsCA]

Niiiiiiiiiiice! What lucky Guineas, that's a lot of elbow room for them! (Pen and Coop). My winters here aren't nearly as wicked as yours but my birds can still only wish for a coop that warm and cozy, lol. Love the sign painted in the coop too

 

[cowcreekgeek]

I'm thinking a covered run is the only longterm solution. My run is a ~30' trapezoid: 10' at top, ~20 at the bottom. For netting support I plan to attach 1.5" PVC tube hoops spanning opposite posts.

Any suggestions regarding netting...cheapest source, minimum size/strength, materials...?

Saw in another post that you mentioned UV concerns in your area … electrical conduit contains UV inhibitors, and may actually be cheaper than CVPC.

If the posts are tight/substantial enough, you could stretch guy wire (often on clearance @ radio shacks) back 'n forth, ideally weaving it through your netting. If they aren't? You could add a few boards across between them.

Ohe more thing … if you wanna use that cheaper plastic w/o UV inhibitors? Just paint it w/ something that is, or even something that isn't -- even a cheap latex would extend the life of the plastics considerably.

 

[JLeigh]

Thanks, Peeps, my flock calls it home .

 

[Love my Guineas]

I have 12 who do the same fly over the fence game and then turn stupid and cannot fly back. The first few times it was funny, but that grew old quickly. They are attracted to the neighbor's cows on the other side of the fence for some strange reason. Also, I have had to throw them over after dark and amazingly they run right up the hill and into the barn. The best solution I came up with was to only let them out to free range when I get home from work and to encourage them to stay near the barn or house with calling them back every half hour or so and when they come running I give them a very small amount of millet. (they still eat from my hands - about 8 months old) This way they are only out for a few hours in the evening and have less tendency to get as far as the fence line, and the bonus is they come when I call them, now. They go back into the barn to roost when I am feeding the horse each evening (and I turn on their red light as a signal to come in.) They also get a treat for coming in and then I lock them up for the night. They live in a 12' x 12' x 15' stall of the horse barn and have a window that opens into a 12' x 24' x 8' green coated chain link fenced area with green plastic fencing for a roof. So they have sufficient room for the hours I am gone and I know they are safe. We have had an issue with coyotes who ate my beautiful cat and a fox who got 15 of my neighbors chickens this summer. Any ideas how to rid my area of these or do I need to buy a gun and learn to shoot?
live in central VA - new member
Love my Guineas!

 

[PeepsCA]

Calling the Guineas on and off for treats works great for me too. Sounds like you have established a great routine with them, congrats to you

I always have my dogs (all males) walk the perimeter fence with me, marking as they go. Every few days and especially after it rains. Male (human) urine also can deter coyotes and foxes. Supposedly bars of soap hung on the fences works and also collected hair trimmings (from a hair salon) sprinkled along the fence line will help too.

Foxes can be trapped, but of course learning how to shoot would always be to your advantage. Sorry for the loss of your cat, that's horrible

The only good coyote around here is a dead one .

 

[cowcreekgeek]

I have 12 who do the same fly over the fence game and then turn stupid and cannot fly back. The first few times it was funny, but that grew old quickly. They are attracted to the neighbor's cows on the other side of the fence for some strange reason. Also, I have had to throw them over after dark and amazingly they run right up the hill and into the barn. The best solution I came up with was to only let them out to free range when I get home from work and to encourage them to stay near the barn or house with calling them back every half hour or so and when they come running I give them a very small amount of millet. (they still eat from my hands - about 8 months old) This way they are only out for a few hours in the evening and have less tendency to get as far as the fence line, and the bonus is they come when I call them, now. They go back into the barn to roost when I am feeding the horse each evening (and I turn on their red light as a signal to come in.) They also get a treat for coming in and then I lock them up for the night. They live in a 12' x 12' x 15' stall of the horse barn and have a window that opens into a 12' x 24' x 8' green coated chain link fenced area with green plastic fencing for a roof. So they have sufficient room for the hours I am gone and I know they are safe. We have had an issue with coyotes who ate my beautiful cat and a fox who got 15 of my neighbors chickens this summer. Any ideas how to rid my area of these or do I need to buy a gun and learn to shoot?
live in central VA - new member
Love my Guineas!

Short of selfishly hoping your neighbors buy more chickens, you're gonna have to deal w/ 'em. You could use a live trap on the fox, but there's gonna be a few more than just one. But, the coyotes? They called out my slightly stupid, but no longer ignorant, dog for dinner. He survived, and no longer howls back at 'em when they come near. And, now? They show up whenever they see my burning brush, 'cause they've clearly learned that fire means humans which means food scraps will be carelessly left behind. Set up UV in a distant, but ranged location, and used any phone that you can see your remote control's led through as your 'night vision scope' and kill every single one of 'em you can. Please.

And, did I just read, "...learn to shoot," from somebody that lives in Virginia? That just don't sound right ~'-)

Sorry for makin' light of the neighbor's flock ... and, that you lost your pet.