More than coops - need a list of what I need

[watchdogps]

New to chickens (actually I plan to get guineas and chickens), and I am looking for a simple list of what I need to start with them. From the coop to the food, and everything in between. Mine will be mostly free range, cooped at night. I want them mostly for bug control, some eggs, and I dont mind if they hatch some. I am NOT looking to raise birds though, no incubating etc.

 

[Huskeriowa]

... The 'list' is available if you do some legwork and search the forum. Everyone has a different situation. Good luck and use the search option as it will be your best education.

 

[bryan99705]

Sound like fun, what part of the world are you? Do you know the predators in your area? How many birds are you going to try? What's your free range area like, fenced, open, timber, etc? Are you doing electric fence for day and night security?
Seems designing and building a secure coop should be the top priority with lots of ventilation and possibly 2 sets of laying boxes. Also you may need to divide the coop and feed AM and PM as I don't know if guineas and chickens can share feed or if they will share roosts but both will need all day access to the coop to lay. The chickens are going to need a good layer mix, other wise your going to possibly have weak / thin shells.
As to running them together you should be just fine, most people do. Guineas are very alert watch animals and love to hunt snakes and bugs but you'll probably want a big breed rooster to do the fighting. Probably be smart to start a thread in the guinea section of the site for info and experience from their view point.

 

[watchdogps]

We are in Ohio, so we go from 90's in the summer to 20 in the winter (some below that but not often). We just found out we wont be getting the house we bid on after all, so it's back to the drawing board. I can tell you that anywhere we land will have some open field and some wooded. I have Anatolian Shepherds, so as long as the birds stay reasonably close, they will be protected. The dogs are good with poultry, so they will be welcome to be in the dogs fenced areas.