Guinea house on stilts?

[CBinSantaCruz]

Hello,
A friend of mine gave me some eggs and it looks like they are hatching. Now I need a place to put them.
I would like to free range them and give them a place to come back to at night. My biggest problem is my schedule. I work odd hours and cannot be home every night at sunset to lock them up or up at sunrise to let them out. So I was thinking of building a home on stilts that they could fly up to at sunset. Here is one I found on the internet...


http://www.guineafowl.com/fritsfarm/guineas/housing/


Scroll about half way down.

Has anyone done anything like this and will you share your pictures?

Predators in my area are coons and rats and stray dogs and house cats. Hoping a coon won't be bale to get up there especially if I put it on just one center stilt.

It is either that or I buy a solar gate opener, or I just let them go and let them take their chances.

Essentially what I am looking for is a coop idea that will let the guineas out when they want to go out and let them in when they want to come in. But it will keep predators out long enough for them to put up a good fight.

Thank you!
CB

 

[PeepsCA]

The Guineas will have to be conditioned/taught to fly up into an elevated coop and most likely won't figure that out on their own even if they are raised in it from 6 wks old, then confined to the coop for another 6 wks. Chances are they will end up sleeping on the ground under it (at least for a few nights, until something gets them). Guineas take some work to condition/train to coop up each night.... and more than likely if you are not there to make sure they are cooped up each night, they will choose the trees instead, where coons and owls can get them. Never underestimate a coon's ability to get to poultry when they are hungry and have young to feed.