Guineas in a tractor?

[LA~Poulet]

Will our (now 4 weeks old aprox.) learn to come back to the moving tractor the same way they would learn to come to a coop? I'm wondering because I've seen so many posts about their ""intelligence"" and eventually when we let them range on our property I want them to be able to have a secure place to come back to.

Is building a stationary coop necessary (please say no, I really like the cleanliness of our tractors)? I thought about painting 'their' tractor something bright or recognizable... Maybe a colorful bulls eye pattern?

 

[aaronzclark]

Well I think it would but the thing with tractors is if you move it around a lot they might not find their way back even if it's a cross the yard

 

[greathorse]

I don't know for sure how your guineas will respond to your moving a tractor around, but I can give you my guess. Two nights ago I heard a tremendous racket down at the barn. The guineas roost in a pen down there. After they go to roost which is usually just after dark (there is always a bit of ruckus) I go down and shut them in. The other night they were standing just outside the door all worked up because the door was only half open. I went down opened the door all the way they went in and that was that.

I am afraid they will be all beweildered if you move the tractor six inches. On the other hand they may not notice. They are a conundrum

 

[Munchies]

Guineas don't like change... they eventually accept it but don't like change.

I have relatively VERY TAME guinea fowl, if I move a roost to clean it they squawk at it until I put it back where it belongs. If I leave the grass rake in their yard, I find them attacking it.

I build some new nesting boxes, they will go weeks unused, then I find the hay inside shaped like a nest but no eggs, a week later, I find the first egg. By another week, I find a hen sitting in it.

They do adapt just way to slowly, IMO, to use a tractor as their coop.

Let us know if it works for you....

 

[LA~Poulet]

Oh yikes, that doesn't sound very promising as far as for them learning to come to roost in a tractor. I guess DH will have to start on a stationary coop after all.

Thanks for the input!

 

[LA~Poulet]

Update on my guineas-they are doing well, and the past few days I've let them out in the afternoon and if they decide they are brave enough to come out of the tractor (big scary outdoors and all) they have no problem finding their way back in with a little bit of a push... they are pal-ing around with the chickens and followed our little cockerel back in like good birds

One had issues with going through the door for a few days but he got over himself, lol.

I'm not moving the tractor very far, just 10 feet or so each time, and they seem to understand that it is 'home'.

 

[New adventure]

Thanks for the update; I'm thinking of trying a tractor for my guineas too.

 

[LA~Poulet]

I think it really helped that they pal around with my cockerel who is blind in one eye... he is on low end of the totem pole, but apparently thinks he's above the guineas and they tend to follow his every step. I think watching the chickens go in and out the door when encouraged or when the sun starts to set, helped them find their way and realize how to get back 'home'.

Sometimes there is a little confusion if they don't round the corner, but they figure it out with a little bit of encouragement.