I Let My Guineas Out Today ***UPDATE***

[dangerouschicken]

I had to cull Crippy

She was wasting away to nothing, just lost the will to live. The others were walking all over her.

The same day I put them out free range again, I lost 2 more guineas that night to skunks. Ripped their heads off and left the bodies behind.

The remaining male is back in with the chickens again. We will send him to the processor with our turkeys. He'll be the right age to butcher and I'll be officially done with guineas.

 

[petitesphinx]

Awwwe..I'm sorry!

 

[NurseNettie]

Oh darn-- and here I was thinking that I might get me a few next spring..... maybe not..... I guess I'll have to get a few banty's to go with the big flock

 

[BeardedChick]

Bummer! Sorry guineas were not so much fun.

 

[the1much]

i got a guinea with a bum leg,,, he got it caught in the fence 1 day,,,he's always the last in the "parade" but he hops along like nothings wrong.

 

[thepetpaw]

How old were your guineas....I have some and not sure how old they should be before I let them granduate out of the brooder....?

 

[the1much]

i probably NOT the person to ask bout brooders,,, i keep mine in for a week,, then i take them out during the day and inside at night for another week,,, then,, their on their own,, hehe,, i've had a few hundred guineas and have had 2 die on me,,, but they were in bad shape when i got them ( at 2 days old).
BUT im also in pretty warm weather here,, if i was home,, i would double the time at least.But i think the general concesus is for 2 or 3 months,,,I THINK.

 

[m_herrington]

Quote:
I kept mine in the brooder in the house for 2 1/2 weeks and they are now outside in the chicken coop in their own cage and 4 weeks old. They have a heat lamp, and they are doing fine. It has been in the 50s at night here recently if that helps any.

 

[feathersgalore]

I keep my guineas in a brooder until they are six weeks old. The size just keeps increasing as they grow. Then they go back into a nursery (a sectioned off section of my coop) for 6 more weeks. This way they learn what home is. Guineas take a lot longer than chickens to learn anything.

 

[Chirpy]

This is my first year with Guineas, mine are 4 months old. I kept mine locked up with my chicks until they were about 2 1/2 months old. Then I started free ranging all of them together. Thus far the Guineas stay with the chickens during the day and come back to roost with them every night. I'm guessing that they may eventually change their lifestyle but I love how it's going thus far.

I will add that my Guineas will fly out of the six foot run in the mornings and then run up and down the fence line trying to get back inside with the chickens! Silly birds. I usually don't let the chickens out to free range until after lunch.