Guinnea Mentality...

[peepsandquacks]

Ok, So I feed and water these little turds every day. I clean their brooder every day. I made sure they are safe every day. Yet they are fully convinced, with every feather on their body I am going to eat them. Every time I lift the cover, they scream like a bad godzilla movie and run to the corner, to climb on each other fighting to be even farther away then all the others.

Seriously?


And heres a question. If I WAS going to eat them....how would bunching into a big guinnea ball help them? Its like a bunch of fish swimming into a tight school when ever there is a net. Does this mean fish are smarter then guinneas?


/sigh. At least one of my ducks love me after all the sacrifice I have given to raise these birds.

 

[melroseladi]

LOL, don't even get me started on guinea mentality. All I can say is that I love my guineas and even though they have given me gray hair and given me fretful days and nights, their antics have given me hours and hours of laughter.

 

[TarheelBirdy]

Yep.....lol........at least chickens will come running to you. All we ask for is the slightest bit of recognition that we bring the FOOD. Is that too much to ask?

 

[perchie.girl]

Guineas while being somewhat domesticate are still very much linked to their wild nature. You just aren't going to get the same gratification from them as you do from Chickens. Even those people who have formed close relationships to their Guineas will say there will be only a few that will warm up to you out of the whole flock.

I just got my first keets in ten or twelve years. Cute little buggers. And right now they are relaxing in their brooder from their stressful journey. At best I hope to condition them to come to a bell or whistle at dinner time. And be able to watch and listen to their natural behaviors around the house. As well as enjoy their job of clearing my land of various undesirables and alerting me if people or predators are crossing the property and the occasional egg or two.

When I raised them before I found they got accustomed to my being around and doing for them after they were a little older.

 

[britt_irvine]

 

[robin416]

If your brooder has solid sides so that they can not see you coming they will continue to flip out every time you look over the top. Having a brooder with open sides makes it a bit less stressful for them when approaching.

This also gives you an idea of how finely tuned they are to predation. Much more so than our chickens.

 

[Sandara]

I am new to guineas, I have 57! Ordered 30, they sent 61!

They are just over 4 weeks now and all survived! Started training at 2 weeks with millit, they still freek out when I arrive in the garage at their huge brooder but when I call them most rush right over for their treat

I have had a couple fly out onto my shoulder! Just make sure you supply some grit, I got a small box at the grocery store for small birds. This has been a huge learning experience, so far so good!

 

[terrilhb]

My guineas do the same thing. They holler and scream everytime I go in there with them. I try and try. But PeepsCa said that is how they are. So as long as they come to the sound I use everytime I go by them I will be happy. They are so funny. They sure are not like chickens. I knew they would be different but not this different. I love them though,

 

[tomingreeneco]

When young, pick them up often and talk to them. Keep doing this and give them treats (pieces of lettuce, cut up tomatoes, thawed frozen corn and peas). Mine are not as friendly as the chickens and ducks but will run over and eat out of your hand most of the time. Unless they are chasing each other around the yard!

 

[PeepsCA]

Yep, they are skittish and wild by nature... if you end up with a calm, mellow bird that you can carry around in your arm like a football or a poodle all day or dress it up in baby clothes and push it around in a baby stroller

... then there's something wrong with it physically or genetically