Integrating tame guinea into flock

[KirbyH]

I am trying to figure out how this bird, who tucks her head under my arm, is going to make it in the big world.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I am trying to figure out how this bird, who tucks her head under my arm, is going to make it in the big world.

Guinea politics are rough! Maybe she will be a rare house guinea??? If you could introduce her to one or a few guineas separately, that might help her to integrate into the larger group...

 

[KirbyH]

It seems my guinea is getting acquainted with the flock, albeit through the wire mesh of her cage. The aggressive behavior I saw a lot of in the beginning is much reduced and there are several birds who hang around and sun themselves in her vicinity. Now my question is: how do I release this bird who has no experience in the wild, very little chance to practice flying, has never spent a night outdoors especially in the cold? Do I open the door and wave bye bye? Do I let her out in the day and keeping an eye on her try to coax her back in? Do I let her out at dusk hoping she won’t stray far and then as darkness falls either she comes in on her own or I gather her up, assuming I can? Ideas?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

It seems my guinea is getting acquainted with the flock, albeit through the wire mesh of her cage. The aggressive behavior I saw a lot of in the beginning is much reduced and there are several birds who hang around and sun themselves in her vicinity. Now my question is: how do I release this bird who has no experience in the wild, very little chance to practice flying, has never spent a night outdoors especially in the cold? Do I open the door and wave bye bye? Do I let her out in the day and keeping an eye on her try to coax her back in? Do I let her out at dusk hoping she won’t stray far and then as darkness falls either she comes in on her own or I gather her up, assuming I can? Ideas?

I really don’t envy you figuring this out! I’d probably be trying to “play it by ear”. I’d say that the more opportunities to go slow, acclimate to the cold, get used to the flock, the better. Keep us posted!!!

 

[KirbyH]

I will keep people posted. Today I brought her in when it got cold and rainy and her friends were nowhere to be seen. She really hates being alone. When she came in it was impossible to keep her from sitting on my lap. She wanted company. This is hard because I cannot tell myself she is the semi wild bird she would have been if she had grown up with her own kind. She just isn’t and I cannot change it.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I will keep people posted. Today I brought her in when it got cold and rainy and her friends were nowhere to be seen. She really hates being alone. When she came in it was impossible to keep her from sitting on my lap. She wanted company. This is hard because I cannot tell myself she is the semi wild bird she would have been if she had grown up with her own kind. She just isn’t and I cannot change it.

That’s so sweet that you two are so bonded! It’s always easier to integrate multiple birds than it is to integrate one. Do you have a pen where you can keep her and one of the flock guineas for a few weeks?

 

[KirbyH]

I don’t have anything that is tall enough, has a roof, and weather protection, is predator proof where I could leave her with some others overnight. If I knew what I was doing, I suppose I u build something. I certainly haven’t seen any poultry shelter that meets the needs of these birds. So we are kinda resigning ourselves to having a large bird in our house until the weather is better and hope she follows the lead of the others. She really hates being alone.

 

[R2elk]

I don’t have anything that is tall enough, has a roof, and weather protection, is predator proof where I could leave her with some others overnight. If I knew what I was doing, I suppose I u build something. I certainly haven’t seen any poultry shelter that meets the needs of these birds. So we are kinda resigning ourselves to having a large bird in our house until the weather is better and hope she follows the lead of the others. She really hates being alone.

If you don't feel up to building a coop, look at sheds when they are on sale. You can convert a decent shed into a much better coop than anything they sell as coops.

Not everyone is capable of building their own coop but for those that can, you can build a far better coop than anything you can buy. In my case, I can build my own coop cheaper than I can buy one.

 

[Henry&Friends]

So we are kinda resigning ourselves to having a large bird in our house until the weather is better and hope she follows the lead of the others.

I had a guinea get attacked by a dog earlier this week, she’s chilling out in my bedroom closet with the light on during day and off at night... she STINKS. My closet stinks and my bedroom stinks. How do you deal with the smell?

As for integrating her, I would just let her out with the flock and watch what happens. Hopefully she will follow them around, if not I would keep doing the mesh cage, like you are, and try releasing her like once a week.

 

[KirbyH]

I had a guinea get attacked by a dog earlier this week, she’s chilling out in my bedroom closet with the light on during day and off at night... she STINKS. My closet stinks and my bedroom stinks. How do you deal with the smell?

As for integrating her, I would just let her out with the flock and watch what happens. Hopefully she will follow them around, if not I would keep doing the mesh cage, like you are, and try releasing her like once a week.

This bird smells nice, she smells like fresh air unless she farts which she does on occasIon and even then it isn’t bad. Of course she is eating turkey starter and millet so maybe if she were eating only bugs, she might smell different. Also I clean her cage daily and that means replacing the wood chips and food. I’ve had all kinds of birds, parrots, songbirds and she is as easy to have inside as any of them except for her size and desire to fly. It’s too cold to release her, she’d die.