How to get Guineas to go in to the coop at night?

[PeepsCA]

Peeps, how do you supervise them? Just follow them (mostly) and sort of herd them where you want them to go? Here's what I'm getting at...

I'd love to be able to let mine free-range even if it's just for an hour a day, or two or three hours on the weekends. Anything is better than nothing, right? I'm wondering if that would train them to stay on my property, UNsupervised, over time. I know it would take a LOT of time to do that, but man would I love to let my flock free-range. What a time investment that would be though.

Is that even realistic for me to consider? I can't supervise every day for an hour or two "until....". That's just not in my scheduling ability. And they'll certainly go to the neighbors property, because that's the way my luck runs, if I'm not out there watching and "redirecting".

It's still realistic, it'll just take you longer to get them to the point where they can free range un-supervised. But you may have to go as long as a whole season with only letting them out for short periods when you can watch them/correct them from going where you don't want them to go. Just be sure that whenever you do let them out that you instantly correct them as soon as they go where they aren't supposed to go. Be consistent, not wishy washy about the rules and boundaries.

Like I said, it may take you a whole season, so don't give up after a couple of frustrating wks or even if you make some progress with them and then they back slide some. If my birds have a really horrible "stay home day", then they don't go out the next day, and maybe even not the next day, lol. Don't really know if they learn much from that, or just the constant correction is what teaches them... but it keeps me sane, lol. Only so many crazy days a week for me!

It does take some work tho, I don't just work with my birds a few times and then leave them to their own devises... it's an ongoing training/conditioning process for quite a while, and some days out of the blue after being so good for so long they go stupid on me and I have to chase several of them back in the pasture. So even after they are what I considered trained/conditioned, they occasionally still need reminders. They are like bratty kids, or hyper puppies, sometimes lol

I'm lucky enough to have fenced and cross fenced land (my wallet isn't tho!), so the visual boundary of the fence line definitely helps keep them home/train them to stay on my land, but even with my older flocks I only let them out when I am home and can keep an eye on/ear out for them getting over the fences, or into trouble. And I always make sure to call them to me off and on for treats and a quick head count thru the day while I have them out. Keeping them guessing when the treats are coming is a very useful tool for keeping them close to home.

 

[JimWWhite]

I let our 24 BSL's and 5 guineas out just about every day right at dusk and they have almost an hour of free-range time and they do pretty good at it. Last year with the old flock of RSL's we had I started letting them out earlier in the afternoon after they all layed. Then one Sunday I heard a commotion out back and when I went out most of the chickens were in the coop. The others were no where to be seen. Then I saw on the ground immediately behind the run a hawk on the ground and I knew it had a chicken. I went back in and got my gun just to scare it off because I don't believe in killing birds of prey, even to protect my own. When I fired I of course missed it and it flew off. When I got to the carcass of the hen the hawk had completely devoured the head. Scratch one hen.

The other gals were scattered all over the place. A bunch had run down in the woods into the thicket of brambles and thorns. Nothing was going to get them except maybe a coyote or fox. But I couldn't find the others. I thought maybe they went the other way or up in the front yard. I even went looking down in the back woods about 200 yards back. Missing at least eight hens. So I go back up to the house and when I step up on the stairs leading up to the back door I heard a cackle below. I looked and there were eight hens wedged, and I mean wedged tight under the steps. I like to have never gotten them out they were in such a panic. That's the main reason I got the guineas for this flock. I need a rooster but My Darling Wife won't let me get one. Meanie...

And now we have Lucy the Wonder Dog and she's just about learned not to mess with the chickens and she does a pretty good job of watching over them. Hopefully she'll fill the role of a rooster, at least as a protector.

Oh, and finally we've started getting eggs just the other day. Four the first day and six for the past two days! Yippee!!!

 

[JLeigh]

That's a great idea Jim - letting them out close to dusk. That way they'll be motivated to go back into the coop on their own, which will make it easier for me to get them inside.

Now I have to decide just how much time I want to devote to this, and how cold do I want it to be when I do it. I may wait until spring when they're all older. But I'm going to give it a try.

Peeps, I knew it would take many months to accomplish it. And I'll never put any money on the predictability of a guinea - except for the noise.

 

[cowcreekgeek]

That's a great idea Jim - letting them out close to dusk. That way they'll be motivated to go back into the coop on their own, which will make it easier for me to get them inside.

Now I have to decide just how much time I want to devote to this, and how cold do I want it to be when I do it. I may wait until spring when they're all older. But I'm going to give it a try.

Peeps, I knew it would take many months to accomplish it. And I'll never put any money on the predictability of a guinea - except for the noise.

I've been usin' the end of the day, and the cold, to my advantage ... even when their crops are stuffed, they don't seem to wanna argue as much over comin' in when it's freezing temperatures outside. And ...


That oughta be printed onto t-shirts, along w/ PeepsCA's phrase ...

 

[cowcreekgeek]

I let our 24 BSL's and 5 guineas out just about every day right at dusk and they have almost an hour of free-range time and they do pretty good at it. Last year with the old flock of RSL's we had I started letting them out earlier in the afternoon after they all layed. Then one Sunday I heard a commotion out back and when I went out most of the chickens were in the coop. The others were no where to be seen. Then I saw on the ground immediately behind the run a hawk on the ground and I knew it had a chicken. I went back in and got my gun just to scare it off because I don't believe in killing birds of prey, even to protect my own. When I fired I of course missed it and it flew off. When I got to the carcass of the hen the hawk had completely devoured the head. Scratch one hen.

The other gals were scattered all over the place. A bunch had run down in the woods into the thicket of brambles and thorns. Nothing was going to get them except maybe a coyote or fox. But I couldn't find the others. I thought maybe they went the other way or up in the front yard. I even went looking down in the back woods about 200 yards back. Missing at least eight hens. So I go back up to the house and when I step up on the stairs leading up to the back door I heard a cackle below. I looked and there were eight hens wedged, and I mean wedged tight under the steps. I like to have never gotten them out they were in such a panic. That's the main reason I got the guineas for this flock. I need a rooster but My Darling Wife won't let me get one. Meanie...

And now we have Lucy the Wonder Dog and she's just about learned not to mess with the chickens and she does a pretty good job of watching over them. Hopefully she'll fill the role of a rooster, at least as a protector.

Oh, and finally we've started getting eggs just the other day. Four the first day and six for the past two days! Yippee!!!

Hate that you lost one ... and, that it's comin' back, 'til it's failed to get another a few times. Mom pointed something out to me, of my brother's losing literally every single hen to what she believed to be the same hawk every time ... She was standing right near the hawk, screaming and flailing her arms, and at the chickens, that still went right up the same creekline that hadn't protected them the last time, only to witness yet another loss. The rooster? He was the sole survivor, and had very few tail feathers left.

Those eight hens? They're the ones that I'd lean toward building any free-ranging flock from ... my theory *was* to keep the guineas as my guardian, and only those chickens that seemed to hide most quickly/well on the outside, and all others in protected areas when not supervised. But, the hawks can be seen in our skies more often than planes ... maybe someday, but not any time soon.

Oh ... and, if your rooster were to be anything like the last one here? You'd surely be thankful that your wife said, "No." <-- over the rooster, that is ~'-)

 

[chicksooner]

I started with feeding scratch to everyone right around dusk for a while then I progressed to letting everyone out for an hour or two. Then go out at right before they need to go in the coop and give them scratch. They never went far from the coop. Now they get let out almost all day and beat me to the coop at night. I think the trick is to be on a routine with them and then they learn pretty quick. I have just shy of an acre fenced for our yard and they generally stay in my yard. Occasionally one will fly over the fence and then raise a ruckus because it is separated from the others. It amazes me that they can fly over the fence but can never figure out how to get back so they need a little extra coaxing. Oh I shake the treat container as I walk to the coop/run and everyone comes running. If I am slow getting their they are already waiting for me but most of the time I look like the pied piper leading the flock.

 

[ms4runr]

That's a shame about not being able to free range your Guineas... even just short periods of supervised free ranging makes for much happier birds, so hopefully you'll get something worked out. Supposedly free ranging a big Tom (Turkey) with a flock of Guineas (and/or chickens) helps deter the hawks. I have Toms free ranging with some of my Guineas, but I don't have a significant enough hawk issue to have been able to prove or disprove that theory (yet)... but my Toms are always watching the sky and hissing or letting off an effective warning call when they see anything above. Sometimes all I see is a tiny tiny dot way way up in the sky, but the Toms (and the Turkey Hens) are instantly honed in on whatever is up there (even if it's a jet 10,000+ ft up lol). The Guineas usually chime in with their screeching alarm call a split second later and everyone scatters for tree cover.

The breeder that sold me my guineas said to leave the peeps in their pen for 3 mos. and I did. They started not returning to roost and 2 mos later circumstances necessitated locking them up another 3 weeks. That habitated them to return until a new batch several months later. It could be thatas the mother was killed and the adolescents grew the remaining 2 males were not able to 'control'' them as one of them would stay out when I tried to put them up. I tried penning them at their 4pm natural feeding time, but as winter approaced I worry more about critters so I cut their wings and penned them in a new large run. My experience is that they are very vulnerable at dawn when most critters hunt. That is the main problem. I have not found them to be smart about fleeing. My plan now is to wait until the next batch is hatched and then start allowing them to go out with the mother who will be habituated to the pen. They eat a lot less feed when they are allowed to roam, and I enjoy watching them. They also get their warning system better in tune to what is happening around the grounds.

 

[reinvestment]

I doubt if in the teens would be too cold for any animal. They grow extra down, fur or whatever. Even in summer they have extra layers to keep cool, like an umbrella. My hus was a vet. He said do not shave animals to keep them cool in summer, it takes away their "umbrella" that is a natural shade for them. You could keep another covered area with a flood light (100-150 watts) for warmth and they will find it if they get cold. Of course after reading about their noise at night with lights on, that might be a problem. I don't have any yet but was hoping to get some for predator control. Noise is a good one.

 

[ms4runr]

When you yell, it'd be a good idea to also begin clinking progressively harder on something that rings out, and calling a bit less over time. When we only use our vioces, it makes it really hard on neighbors/friends/family to fill in for us when we need 'em to ~'-)

I just rattle the bucket of feed. They come running if they hear it.

 

[ms4runr]

I doubt if in the teens would be too cold for any animal. They grow extra down, fur or whatever. Even in summer they have extra layers to keep cool, like an umbrella. My hus was a vet. He said do not shave animals to keep them cool in summer, it takes away their "umbrella" that is a natural shade for them. You could keep another covered area with a flood light (100-150 watts) for warmth and they will find it if they get cold. Of course after reading about their noise at night with lights on, that might be a problem. I don't have any yet but was hoping to get some for predator control. Noise is a good one.

My guineas and chickens all huddle together on the same perch on cold nights. It's long enough to fit all 9 them. I understand birds can handle very cold temps, well below zero, if out of the wind.