Letting Guineas out for the first time!

[BubbaMcKayHee]

So today is the big day. I'm planning on letting out my 8 week olds into the yard for the first time this evening. Their coop is behind a big building and they have a big open field between their coop and the woods and a small pond as well. There is a creek not far into the woods so we have some pretty good natural boundaries for them. Hopefully, fingers crossed, they will roam around the field and then retire to their coop at bedtime. I'm excited but nervous. Please wish me luck!

 

[snyd08]

watch them IMO. when i let mine out for the first time everything spooked them and i had to continue to guide them back to the coop. they would loose one and get lost from the coop when they were only around the corner from it..they feel secure when they see the coop in site. so for the first few days make sure they have the coop in their plain sight the entire time or they may just get lost. good luck. im sure everything will go over just fine.

 

[PeepsCA]

You're definitely gonna need the luck... Guineas have to be taught/worked with to return to the coop, (called in/herded in every evening b4 dark and fed a treat), or more than likely as the sun is going down they'll choose to roost in the trees or up on top of a shed out in the open, (or they can even just bed down in the grass) just waiting for owls to swoop down and grab a free meal or other night time predators to come nab them. With a pond and woods near you, I can't imagine your predator population being very low...

Guineas like routine, so if you really want them to eventually come in on their own, a routine of going in needs to be established for a SEVERAL weeks before they will start choosing to go in on their own. If they are turned out alone, especially with no other poultry to follow and learn from then chances are they will not return to the coop all on their own without some prior training on your part.

IMO 8wk olds are easy predator bait... day or night. 12wks old is when I start the training routine with mine, they have a little more gray matter upstairs (and survival instinct) at that point (and even then it's sometimes too soon).

Best of luck

 

[BubbaMcKayHee]

Everything went great! They were only out for about an hour and didn't stray more than 15 or 20 feet from the coop. I sat very close by in a chair, like a nervous parent. When it got time for them to head in, I got out my meal worm treats and they followed me right back in the coop. I hope they continue to behave this well.
Thanks for the suggestions and well wishes.
P.S. My wife took a short video on her fone, but I'm not sure how to post it or if it's even possible. If it is and someone wants to send me a PM on how to do so it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[PeepsCA]

Excellent work! I sit with my babies a lot too during their training lol

Now just keep up with that same routine and you'll have them trained in no time! HOORAY for freezdried meal worms

I think for posting videos everyone usually uploads them to their own youtube account first and then they just post the URL link to the video here on the forum. I've been too lazy and too busy to figure out yet, lol