Guinea Hens

[extrememainer]

at this one restaurant I went to there was a guinea hen in the parking lot wondering around. I asked the lady in the restaurant if she owned the fowl and she said that it had wandered there about a week ago. I read somewhere that you have to keep Guinea Hens indoors for 6 months so they won't run away. Is this true?

 

[sourland]

I'm not sure that 6 months is the magic number, but it is a fact that Guinea fowl tend to wander. Many years ago a male showed up here and took up residence. Vito was my wake up clock for 2 years until a fox caught him.

 

[extrememainer]

I'm sorry

 

[R2elk]

at this one restaurant I went to there was a guinea hen in the parking lot wondering around. I asked the lady in the restaurant if she owned the fowl and she said that it had wandered there about a week ago. I read somewhere that you have to keep Guinea Hens indoors for 6 months so they won't run away. Is this true?

Keets raised in one place will learn that place is home. Since I raise my keets in a brooder, I normally keep them in a separate pen before I start the process of introducing them to the adults.

Adult guineas brought into a new place normally need to be penned up for about 6 weeks before they will properly acclimate to a new home. You don't have to keep them indoors but you do need to keep them contained.

This is the time of year that lone guinea fowl tend to show up in places that you would not normally expect them. The reason is that guineas that are being free ranged tend to set their nests in places that make them vulnerable to predators. The lone guineas are typically male guineas that have lost their mate or even their flock to predators and start wandering around looking for companionship.

 

[PrettySpeckleds]

We were gifted a guinea hen along with 4 chickens. I believe she was raised with 5 chickens so she has always been part of a flock. When we brought this flock home we enclosed them in a roofed pen for several days. After than they free ranged together. We then introduced them to our bigger flock. The guinea hen will leave the pen but not for long since she doesn't want to abandon "her" flock. She lives with 2 roosters and 17 chickens and she patrols the pen and keeps everyone in line. . .including the roos!

 

[justin shrew]

it is typically rare to see a lone guineahen hanging by its self,unless it is broody.
but a male can be.