Just had a MAJOR fail. Feeling sad. Need some advice.

[Tre3hugger]

So I just had a terrible experience. I have had my 9 Guineas locked in their night time coop for the last five weeks. The last few days I have been leaving the door open and hoping they would start free ranging. It took 3 days but tonight at like 5pm they finally ventured outside all at once. After about 3 hours, at 8 oclock they were all still pretty close to the coop. I went to try and herd them into the coop as it was getting darker and they scattered!! I was only able to get one back into the coop!!! Him I physically caught and put in there.My 8 others scattered into 3 groups and went in opposite directions! 2 months of work and prep and the first night, gone!! So what do I do now?? Do you think there is a chance they'll come back? I rang their food bell and shook the bag but they were too spooked. It's pitch black now. I am hoping the one I caught will be like a homing beacon for them. Maybe they will come back in the morning? But even if they do come back how do I get them back in the coop? I would herd them right to the door and they would veer off.

If anyone has any ideas or kind words I would sure appreciate it. I'm super sad.

@R2elk @Mixed flock enthusiast maybe you guys have an idea?

 

[R2elk]

So I just had a terrible experience. I have had my 9 Guineas locked in their night time coop for the last five weeks. The last few days I have been leaving the door open and hoping they would start free ranging. It took 3 days but tonight at like 5pm they finally ventured outside all at once. After about 3 hours, at 8 oclock they were all still pretty close to the coop. I went to try and herd them into the coop as it was getting darker and they scattered!! I was only able to get one back into the coop!!! Him I physically caught and put in there.My 8 others scattered into 3 groups and went in opposite directions! 2 months of work and prep and the first night, gone!! So what do I do now?? Do you think there is a chance they'll come back? I rang their food bell and shook the bag but they were too spooked. It's pitch black now. I am hoping the one I caught will be like a homing beacon for them. Maybe they will come back in the morning? But even if they do come back how do I get them back in the coop? I would herd them right to the door and they would veer off.

If anyone has any ideas or kind words I would sure appreciate it. I'm super sad.

@R2elk @Mixed flock enthusiast maybe you guys have an idea?

Sorry about this, but you have to start training them early. Never wait until nearly dark to try to put them in. If it is getting late, be sure to have a light on inside the coop.

When I first started training mine to be herded into the coop, I would let them out for a little while and be right there with them. I started with two long sticks to extend my arms. I approached slowly while keeping them centered in the vee that the sticks formed. At no time did I run at them or try to approach too close. When they got close enough to the coop, they went in.

If they panicked, I would back off and try again. Now they are so accustomed to it and know what is going on that I just use one stick and tap it on the ground to get them moving.

If you are fortunate, their calls will tell you where they are in the morning. Approach slowly and from the opposite direction that you want them to go.

Good luck.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Sorry about this, but you have to start training them early. Never wait until nearly dark to try to put them in. If it is getting late, be sure to have a light on inside the coop.

When I first started training mine to be herded into the coop, I would let them out for a little while and be right there with them. I started with two long sticks to extend my arms. I approached slowly while keeping them centered in the vee that the sticks formed. At no time did I run at them or try to approach too close. When they got close enough to the coop, they went in.

If they panicked, I would back off and try again. Now they are so accustomed to it and know what is going on that I just use one stick and tap it on the ground to get them moving.

If you are fortunate, their calls will tell you where they are in the morning. Approach slowly and from the opposite direction that you want them to go.

Good luck.

I appreciate your response. Guess We will see what tomorrow brings. Should be an interesting day.

 

[sunnie7]

I had several similar nights like that in the beginning when I used to coop mine at night. Some scattered In trees some on top of the coop roof some on my garage gutters.....The ones I couldn’t get back in didn’t go far though! If you see them around in the morning get some feed and feed them a little by the coop and then start awhile before dark and try to use feed to get them in! That’s what worked for mine then they eventually just started going in on their own but I would only feed them in the evening in the coop.

 

[Tre3hugger]

I had several similar nights like that in the beginning when I used to coop mine at night. Some scattered In trees some on top of the coop roof some on my garage gutters.....The ones I couldn’t get back in didn’t go far though! If you see them around in the morning get some feed and feed them a little by the coop and then start awhile before dark and try to use feed to get them in! That’s what worked for mine then they eventually just started going in on their own but I would only feed them in the evening in the coop.

Thank you! Fingers crossed for morning.

 

[Homesteadermomma6382]

They are probably hiding and you will find them waiting for food in the morning. Dont know how many panic attacks ive had over not finding one of my birds at night just to find out that they spent the night in a new tree!!

 

[sunnie7]

Thank you! Fingers crossed for morning.

Guineas are difficult!!! I’ve finally just accepted that and if you plan to free range you just have to accept that it will never go as planned and you will have losses.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

So I just had a terrible experience. I have had my 9 Guineas locked in their night time coop for the last five weeks. The last few days I have been leaving the door open and hoping they would start free ranging. It took 3 days but tonight at like 5pm they finally ventured outside all at once. After about 3 hours, at 8 oclock they were all still pretty close to the coop. I went to try and herd them into the coop as it was getting darker and they scattered!! I was only able to get one back into the coop!!! Him I physically caught and put in there.My 8 others scattered into 3 groups and went in opposite directions! 2 months of work and prep and the first night, gone!! So what do I do now?? Do you think there is a chance they'll come back? I rang their food bell and shook the bag but they were too spooked. It's pitch black now. I am hoping the one I caught will be like a homing beacon for them. Maybe they will come back in the morning? But even if they do come back how do I get them back in the coop? I would herd them right to the door and they would veer off.

If anyone has any ideas or kind words I would sure appreciate it. I'm super sad.

@R2elk @Mixed flock enthusiast maybe you guys have an idea?

Oh how stressful!!! In your shoes, I would be a nervous wreck tonight, but stay calm and don’t beat yourself up; your predators probably won’t find them right away if they took to the trees (I’ve trained ours well enough that if they don’t get in, they roost on the ground by the coop door - talk about sitting ducks!). You have two problems: 1) get them all back in the coop, 2) revise your coop training.

For 1: Can you get your lone guinea into a cage in the coop (with food and water etc) so he can be your bait guinea without escaping? Tomorrow morning, leave him inside, open the door, put treats, food, etc in coop, then wait outside for your guineas to return for their flockmate, food, safety. Depending on how flighty they are, this may need to be a staged enterprise where you catch a few, put into cage, open door, catch some more, etc. Might be all at once or over a few days. If this doesn’t work for some of them, then you have the more difficult trying to net from tree roost approach, so try this first.

For 2: I do also herd mine, but I’m probably nowhere near as good as r2Elk at it, so I don’t really rely on my herding skills. Those are skills best practiced in low stress, low stakes moments... I now have a semi-real fence around their coop, but before that, I made a temporary fence for training. I just used cheap plastic deer fence, push in plastic fence posts, a few landscaping pins to hold the bottom of the fence to the ground, and zip ties. I made a small fenced area around the door (automatic coop door) that I wanted them to learn to use. This doesn’t have to be big, it’s just for training. Simple plastic fencing with more fencing over the top so they don’t fly out. About an hour before dark, I open the coop door and supervise. It took a few days for them to come out; mealworms help. I supervise this because it’s a crappy temporary fence. Once they come out, then as it gets dusk-ish, I encourage them to go in by saying “Time for bed” over and over, then very gently moving my herding stick so that their most direct route away is through the coop door. Careful with the herding pressure - too much and they scatter through the fence! Easy, gentle, slow, small motions until they learn what you’re asking for. Keep this up until they go in, then close the door, no fuss. I repeat multiple times, for about two weeks or until you think it’s a habit. Then open a big section of fence (so it looks familiar), and let them out an hr or two before dusk. I try to keep remaining fence in a funnel shape so I can gently herd stragglers into the funnel - much easier than herding into a coopdoor. Lights in the coop also help, but for me, it’s been the guinea’s love of routine that sinks the deal. Best of luck getting your guineas back!!!

 

[Kiki]

Thank you! Fingers crossed for morning.

 

[birdlover2]

Try and lure them back with your one caught guinea, and also a live trap with food may work. Don't just put food out in the open, because it could lure them to a place they'll be vulnerable to predators. I suggest using a live trap if you have one, or maybe put food in the coop.