First I apologize for a long post... I was feeling pretty confident raising guineas until they hit adolescence.
I got my guineas when they were 3 weeks old, I have transitioned them to a coop. They were in the coop until they were about 12 weeks old. I started free ranging them and after the first night, they cooped up with no problem. I could call them, they followed me every where and were very easy to get cooped up even in the middle of the day.
They are about 20 weeks old now, for the last couple of weeks they have been difficult to get cooped up. For whatever reason they seemed afraid of the coop. Once I got them inside, they were fine. I had to move my guineas to a new coop due to me getting chickens. I kept them in the new coop for 7 days. They did not coop up by themselves last night. They were laying in grass by the coop. Tonight, they went to roost in the tree. I managed to get 4 of the 5 in the coop tonight. I am hoping to get the 5th one put up tomorrow when she comes out of the trees.
So after saying all that, what can I do to retrain my guineas to go into the coop on their own at dusk? They seem confused with it getting darker sooner. I can get them near the coop but they refuse to go in.
I dont want to leave them out at night, but I can chase them for an hour to get them put up. Its traumic to me and to them.
I got my guineas when they were 3 weeks old, I have transitioned them to a coop. They were in the coop until they were about 12 weeks old. I started free ranging them and after the first night, they cooped up with no problem. I could call them, they followed me every where and were very easy to get cooped up even in the middle of the day.
They are about 20 weeks old now, for the last couple of weeks they have been difficult to get cooped up. For whatever reason they seemed afraid of the coop. Once I got them inside, they were fine. I had to move my guineas to a new coop due to me getting chickens. I kept them in the new coop for 7 days. They did not coop up by themselves last night. They were laying in grass by the coop. Tonight, they went to roost in the tree. I managed to get 4 of the 5 in the coop tonight. I am hoping to get the 5th one put up tomorrow when she comes out of the trees.
So after saying all that, what can I do to retrain my guineas to go into the coop on their own at dusk? They seem confused with it getting darker sooner. I can get them near the coop but they refuse to go in.
I dont want to leave them out at night, but I can chase them for an hour to get them put up. Its traumic to me and to them.
