Guinea Fowl spooked and not drinking

[adambeal]

I got 6 guinea keets about 3 months ago they were a few weeks old at the time. They lived in a grow out coop we have doing very well got pretty big and drank from a white bucket with nipple waterers on it all that time. 2 days ago we let them out for the first time. Well not only did they decide not to go back to their "coop" they now live in the woods in our yard. I have been putting food out there in the morning and I "think" they have been eating but I hung their water bucket in the yard about 10 feet from the wood line and I don't think they have gone to get a drink in 2 days. They seem healthy and moving around a lot in the woods maybe a few feet in the yard but no observable drinking. I have chickens too and they hit the water bucket all the time with the guineas watching them but the guineas still won't come out and drink even when the chickens are locked in their run. Anyone ever observed this before? Should I try an open water bowl? There are no other waters sources around will they just die rather than drink?

The answer is probably just let them get brave or die I guess or could they be so dumb they forgot what they drank from for months now that they are in shock from being out of the coop.

 

[GuineaFowling]

I would suggest an open water drinking bowl. Put it just near the wood line so they see it and come have a drink. When first introducing them out of the coop its best to let 2 out at a time so they stay near the coop where the rest of the flock is instead of running off. This happened once when I was growing up but with wild roosters. They got loose in the field and wouldnt come back. What my dad did was set up those giant fishing nets and chased the birds into the netted area. And then it was all about trying to catch them. They couldnt escape because of the nets (these roosters knew how to fly pretty high so the nets where posted about 10 feet up, though guineas will probably fly right over that). How close can you get to the guineas without them running? Maybe you could through a net on them but chances are you'll spook the others and they'll run farther into the woods.

I hope you get those guineas back!
Good Luck.

 

[adambeal]

ok thank you so much for the info we are new at Guineas. I will put them out some water and try to come up with a plan for re-capture.