How to catch a guinea

[threelilkids]

I have 3 guinea that are staying down my street. 1 pair and a female, the female in the pair is sitting on eggs. I have been trying to catch my guinea for awhile now so now when they see me they are gone. I put a trap out with feed but they are on to me, LOL. The eggs from my paired female started to hatch but the keets were not staying alive, so I grabbed her and put all other eggs in an incubator. Now my female just goes back and forth in the coop. I don't think my male knows where she is, he called to her this morning. I would like to put them together but I can't catch him or the other female. Can anyone give me some ideas to get them? Thanks

 

[casportpony]

Maybe @KsKingBee can offer some advice.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I have 3 guinea that are staying down my street. 1 pair and a female, the female in the pair is sitting on eggs. I have been trying to catch my guinea for awhile now so now when they see me they are gone. I put a trap out with feed but they are on to me, LOL. The eggs from my paired female started to hatch but the keets were not staying alive, so I grabbed her and put all other eggs in an incubator. Now my female just goes back and forth in the coop. I don't think my male knows where she is, he called to her this morning. I would like to put them together but I can't catch him or the other female. Can anyone give me some ideas to get them? Thanks

Wow! Well, good job catching the one hen! I bet the others won’t go too far from her... Where are the couple roosting?

 

[threelilkids]

3 houses down in a oak tee

 

[threelilkids]

I thought the one I got would call to her mate but she did not, he called for her the next morning but I think now he must think something got and killed her as he is not calling for her anymore.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

3 houses down in a oak tee

Can you catch them from the roost? Maybe push them off with a pole and then net them? I know someone who caught her wayward guineas that way when they flew the coop! Another idea would be to herd them into somewhere, like a shed or garage?

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

my 5 c worth:

The only way I know to catch a lose Guinea is with a net, just after dark - and you get only one chance! They tend to get calmer and got to sleep at night and they cannot see in the dark. Be careful about that: if you chase them into an obstacle, they could fly up in a panic and break their neck. They tend to panic at night because they cannot see.

It is also very important to get a net that has holes small enough so they cannot stick their head through the net ***or you could break their neck. ***

I got a fishing net at Walmart in the sports equipment department - the biggest one I could find, that is with as big a mouth opening as I could find, but with a fine mesh as the netting material - do not get netting material that has big openings! They had both kinds there when I was looking and I got the wrong one first.

Then I would make myself aware of the exact location of the Guinea before it gets dark. Usually on the branch of a tree or the roof. After dark, I would get on a ladder or just reach up with the net to slip the net over the Guinea's head and body and then pull them towards my body and with a twist of the wrist close the opening of the net and catch the Guinea in side, careful not to hurt them. The opening will be turned 90 degrees from the capture position and the net will cover/close the opening and the Guinea will dangle in the loop of the net below the opening and not able to escape.

If you miss, the Guinea is going to fly up in fright to a higher location and usually out of reach for that night.

The fact that they tend to fly up in panic when they feel attacked is something to consider also, to avoid hurting them and to anticipate an effective capture in the net.

I usually try to carry them in the net with the opening covered by the net and then carefully set them on the ground and untwist my wrist to open the opening back up and let them walk out. Some light is needed here for them to see where they are and how to get out. Sometimes I have to help get the helmet out of a net opening but I try to avoid having to reach for them because it scares them so.

Also be aware that the other Guineas in the pen are going to panic when you come in with this huge net. There needs to be enough space to somehow get in and let the capture out while the others can hide in a corner somewhere.

Not sure any of this helps.

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

oh, you said oak tree - hope it is a very young one and not so awfully high!

 

[EarlJ]

Last year I lost my guineas in a corn field behind the house. I had *no idea* where they were in there. Having seen the way they are when separated though, I got on my phone and played video of Guinea calls on YouTube.

They responded right away, and Marco Polo'd their way toward me. Once they were out of the field, they were not hard to herd back to the coop. Well... not that hard.

If yours will respond like that, it's certainly easier than trying to catch them outright. In the time I've had mine, I've caught one once, and it was... ahem... not thrilled to be held.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

my 5 c worth:

The only way I know to catch a lose Guinea is with a net, just after dark - and you get only one chance! They tend to get calmer and got to sleep at night and they cannot see in the dark. Be careful about that: if you chase them into an obstacle, they could fly up in a panic and break their neck. They tend to panic at night because they cannot see.

It is also very important to get a net that has holes small enough so they cannot stick their head through the net ***or you could break their neck. ***

I got a fishing net at Walmart in the sports equipment department - the biggest one I could find, that is with as big a mouth opening as I could find, but with a fine mesh as the netting material - do not get netting material that has big openings! They had both kinds there when I was looking and I got the wrong one first.

Then I would make myself aware of the exact location of the Guinea before it gets dark. Usually on the branch of a tree or the roof. After dark, I would get on a ladder or just reach up with the net to slip the net over the Guinea's head and body and then pull them towards my body and with a twist of the wrist close the opening of the net and catch the Guinea in side, careful not to hurt them. The opening will be turned 90 degrees from the capture position and the net will cover/close the opening and the Guinea will dangle in the loop of the net below the opening and not able to escape.

If you miss, the Guinea is going to fly up in fright to a higher location and usually out of reach for that night.

The fact that they tend to fly up in panic when they feel attacked is something to consider also, to avoid hurting them and to anticipate an effective capture in the net.

I usually try to carry them in the net with the opening covered by the net and then carefully set them on the ground and untwist my wrist to open the opening back up and let them walk out. Some light is needed here for them to see where they are and how to get out. Sometimes I have to help get the helmet out of a net opening but I try to avoid having to reach for them because it scares them so.

Also be aware that the other Guineas in the pen are going to panic when you come in with this huge net. There needs to be enough space to somehow get in and let the capture out while the others can hide in a corner somewhere.

Not sure any of this helps.View attachment 2160023

Bennie, did you just create this drawing for this post? If so, I’m tickled and also awed by your commitment to helping fellow guinea owners! I must say that the calm expression of the netted guinea seems somewhat at odds with the panicked, freaky guineas I’ve found inside my net!