Inherited Guinea Hens

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TDFbound

In the Brooder
Jun 12, 2025
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Hello! My wife and I just started renting a house that has an existing flock of guinea hens. Years ago, they were raised with chickens and all learned to go into a coop at night. Even though the chickens were removed a couple years ago, the guineas have kept up the habit of returning to the coop, and have been teaching the new ones to do the same. Great.

However, one of the hens just hatched about ten new babies in a raised planter elsewhere in the yard, so now I need to know what to do for these little guys to help them out.
 
Hiya, and welcome to BYC! :frow

Other than providing them with some chick crumbles or all-flock which is good for all of them, the momma should take care of them. I'd only be worried about their safety sleeping at night outside of the coop. I'd consider moving mom and chicks to the coop. Probably easiest done at night.

We're glad you're here!
 
Debbie292d said:
Hiya, and welcome to BYC! :frow

Other than providing them with some chick crumbles or all-flock which is good for all of them, the momma should take care of them. I'd only be worried about their safety sleeping at night outside of the coop. I'd consider moving mom and chicks to the coop. Probably easiest done at night.

We're glad you're here!
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Do I need to put a water source in there with them? I don't want guinea hen raisins.
 
TDFbound said:
I don't want guinea hen raisins.
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Hilarious :lau

Is there a water source outside of the coop? Like, will you open the door to let them out? They don't drink at night so they'd be fine waiting until they got outside. If you're locking them in there for a few days then yup, better put one in there!
 
Debbie292d said:
Hilarious :lau

Is there a water source outside of the coop? Like, will you open the door to let them out? They don't drink at night so they'd be fine waiting until they got outside. If you're locking them in there for a few days then yup, better put one in there!
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Lol, so the coop is very large (maybe 300-400 square feet?) and has a large portion of the top that is open to the sky. There is a door to let them in and out, but they all just fly up and over into the coop area and find their roosting spot in a smaller covered area. With no chickens, the nesting boxes aren't being used, and no food or water has been provided to these guys for a year or more. Not sure where they are getting it, but I'm assuming there is a stream or pond off in the woods somewhere, as they frequently disappear into the forest. I just don't see these little guys being able to hop down from their nest for quite a while, and there's definitely no water in there with them. The planter was overgrown with tall weeds when we showed up, momma bird already sitting on eggs in there, so we just left it alone.
 
TDFbound said:
Lol, so the coop is very large (maybe 300-400 square feet?) and has a large portion of the top that is open to the sky. There is a door to let them in and out, but they all just fly up and over into the coop area and find their roosting spot in a smaller covered area. With no chickens, the nesting boxes aren't being used, and no food or water has been provided to these guys for a year or more. Not sure where they are getting it, but I'm assuming there is a stream or pond off in the woods somewhere, as they frequently disappear into the forest. I just don't see these little guys being able to hop down from their nest for quite a while, and there's definitely no water in there with them. The planter was overgrown with tall weeds when we showed up, momma bird already sitting on eggs in there, so we just left it alone.
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I'm shocked no varments come pick them off in a situation like this. Perhaps they do and you'd not even know though. I'd put them on the ground of the coop, a waterer and feeder so they "don't become raisins," and at least start out well. I would go buy the cheapest all-flock you can find as you know as soon as you put a feeder out for the wee ones, the big ones will chow down too.

If you rather just leave them where they are, you could put the feeder and waterer where mom can get them to it when they hatch.
 

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