Guinea fowl found our chickens

[BigRed2493]

Hi,

So our ten chickens have a completely enclosed run connected to their coop to keep them safe from predators.

Today, a lone guinea fowl discovered them, we believe it's a male from the call but could be mistaken. He has been sitting and exploring next to the run. He only leaves when we go outside, but then returns. The chickens were very scared of him at first, but have calmed down since this morning.

My question is, would he be best in or out of the run? I am not aware of any neighbors keeping poultry, and I would hate for him to get eaten by a bobcat or coyote. However, I know they will roost in trees and eat bugs, which are more available outside of the run.

Is there a commercial food he could eat if put with the h hens? Or would it be a bad idea to put a guinea fowl in an enclosed space with the chickens?

Has he bonded with our flock? Or will he most likely leave if left alone?

Thank you

 

[R2elk]

Hi,

So our ten chickens have a completely enclosed run connected to their coop to keep them safe from predators.

Today, a lone guinea fowl discovered them, we believe it's a male from the call but could be mistaken. He has been sitting and exploring next to the run. He only leaves when we go outside, but then returns. The chickens were very scared of him at first, but have calmed down since this morning.

My question is, would he be best in or out of the run? I am not aware of any neighbors keeping poultry, and I would hate for him to get eaten by a bobcat or coyote. However, I know they will roost in trees and eat bugs, which are more available outside of the run.

Is there a commercial food he could eat if put with the h hens? Or would it be a bad idea to put a guinea fowl in an enclosed space with the chickens?

Has he bonded with our flock? Or will he most likely leave if left alone?

Thank you

If it was up to me, I would let the guinea alone and not put him in the pen with the chickens. Whenever bringing in any new to you poultry, you should always quarantine them first to make sure they are not bringing any disease or undesired pests (lice) with them. It is highly unlikely that this guinea will allow you to capture it which is required so you can give it a close inspection and locate it in a quarantine pen.

Adult guineas can eat the same food as adult chickens.

 

[GlennLee]

I think there are several reasons not to mix him in with your chickens at this time. As previously mentioned, it would be best to quarantine first. Also, they can be a bit more aggressive. I have one male that mixes fine with my Rhode Island Reds, but will chase after my English Orpingtons and another male that is very aggressive toward both. They will keep things stirred up if nothing else. However, I do have some friends that haven't had any problems with a mixed flock - it just doesn't go smoothly for me.

He or she probably looking to attach to another flock. We've had several in the neighborhood that wander around and sit looking at a reflection in the bumper of a car all day. It will probably roost in a tree at night and would eat and drink if you provided it. Of course, predators will be an issue. It's difficult for loners to survive and difficult to catch them. If you have a lot of people to help SLOWLY corral and move to a secure area or people to help pin in an area to net it, that could work, but they are very quick to run or fly and difficult to catch.

I'm not sure of your set up, but if there was a way to carve out part of your run inside the entrance you could probably get it to enter the run. I wouldn't want you to put your chickens at risk. Guineas make it very difficult to help them. They're my wild child(ren). Good luck!

 

[BigRed2493]

Thank you for the replies.

Unexpected update: So I went to sleep simply hoping he would be alright. I woke up this morning and was told he's in the run.

Apparently, my parents simply opened the door and he sprinted into the enclosure.

The chickens are cautious but do not seem afraid. Turns out, he's got a limp. He sits a lot and just watches the hens.

At this point, if there is anything he brought in, would my chickens be exposed? Should I grab a hen and look for a lice?

My mother put an ad on local website for our neighborhood to see if anyone is looking for him. If not, they do not mind him staying.

 

[GlennLee]

Well, you may not even see lice, mites or other parasites. I guess if I were in your situation, I would try to get it quarantined in an area (if possible) and would apply a broad spectrum dewormer that kills mites and lice as well. I say "if possible" because there have been times when I've reconstructed the entire inside of the coop to accommodate new birds and they end up finding a way to mix anyway! Best laid plans.
When I bring in new birds and they are old enough (12 or more weeks) I apply 3 rounds of Eprinomectin (Eprinex pour on) as a precaution. It is a bit pricey, but will cover most of the things you may be worried about. I share a small bottle with my neighbor, so maybe there is someone nearby you could do that with? It's usually used on livestock, so we had to modify the dosage for birds. I apply it at night, once a week over a 3 week period while they are roosting - in between the wings where there is bare skin with a syringe used as a dropper (no needle). I can let you know the amount if you decide to go this route. I have it written down somewhere.

http://eprinexkillsit.com/

It's good that the bird is safe with you and it sounds like it's lucky to have found a new home with people who care. Since it came in the way that it did, it may blend well with your chickens. Send some pics if you can and join in on the Guinea Talk thread.

FYI - the feet on a guinea are very vulnerable. I find that I do more first aide on feet and faces (male turf wars) than anything else. Welcome to the world of "being owned by guineas!"