Guineas in the yard

[Thisbirdsabsurd]

Hi, just wondering what experiences people have had with their guineas. I'd like to get some to free range for tick control but I'm concerned about them getting picked off by predators. I hear they're not always cooperative about going in at night. I'm on 21 acres, unfenced, but I do have an additional pen and coop besides the one my chickens use.
Thoughts?

 

[Percheron chick]

I added keets to an established flock of chickens. The keets seemed to take a cue from certain hens and followed their lead. They started free ranging (would not wander more than about 10 feet from the coop) at about 10 weeks. They quickly discovered the roof of the barn and spent many hours just running up and down the roof. As they got older, they did start ranging farther away (twice as far as the chickens) and always in a pack. They always return to roost in the coop or in the rafters in the barn. I have lost 4 over 2 years but all of them have been right behind the barn (coyote during the day) or owl (roosting in the rafters at night. The benefit of having them in your situation will far outweigh any casualties.

I have also had hens raise keets and they have been slightly calmer and tamer than hatchery or momma raised ones.

 

[Thisbirdsabsurd]

Thanks so much. That helps a lot!

 

[Percheron chick]

I would just wait until you have a nice broody hen and give her 10 keets to raise. I have had my go to cochin finish hatching a large clutch of guinea eggs that the mommas abandoned. She only got 6/17 to hatch but they had probably been 4+ hours by themselves.