Moved Guineas

[Twin Mom]

The coop is finally finished,

so we moved the guineas into the holding pen, and put the chickens that they have been rooming with in the brooder into the coop this evening.

Let's just say I have turned the guineas world upside down. (or so they think) They are six weeks old today, and had not "said" a whole lot. Now they are calling like crazy, and keep trying to get to the chickens. I really hope they settle down for the night and don't hurt themselves. I was planning on keeping them in the holding pen for six weeks, but if they are so attached to the chickens, do I need to for that long?

Any advice is very welcome!!!

 

[thechickenchick]

I am new to Guineas so I am not sure. I think I would. However I kept mine penned up the 6 weeks and they have not gone back in there sense! They stay right around the house/shop/grain bins etc. They are always pretty close, and if you can't see them, you can HEAR them

I am concerned what will happen come winter. Right now they roost on the fence in the front yard, but they won't survive a Montana winter without heat.

 

[featherz]

I am going to do this soon - move the chickens out to the coop, but I'll be moving about half the guineas in there with them - the other half will stay in the brooder (which is huge and will become their 'coop'). Should be interesting.

They are only 4 weeks old so I am hopeful they haven't bonded too much yet! My thought is to move the pearls in with the chickens, as they are the most close in color to my chickens (EE/Australorp/SLW) and have the lavender and white in the separate coop.

Fun fun.

 

[MuranoFarms]

I'm hoping to build a separate building just for the guineas. More like a 3 sided shelter (roof also). I have no idea how I'm going to get them to quit going back to the coop when it happens though! lol At first there were only a few, now I have more guineas then chickens, so they really need the room!

Let us know how it's working out for you!

 

[flgardengirl]

DH is working on our guinea coop and pen now too. It will be a tractor so we can move them around. Guineas sure do like to dig up the grass and dirt bathe at every chance. We are always moving thier temporary pen because they trash it in just a few day...way worse than the chickens do lol.

 

[featherz]

I am moving my chicks out of the guinea pen today into their own coop, but about 5 guineas will go with them. We shall see how it goes!

 

[featherz]

Hahhaa.. Well, it didn't go well. I moved the chickens into the coop and was PLANNING to move some of the guineas in with them but OMG you would have thought I took their baby bankie away.

They made SUCH a racket and WOULD.NOT.STOP. After an hour or so of ALARM ALARM ALARM from the keets (we didn't even try to grab a guinea), we finally gave up and moved ALL of the guineas into the coop with the chickens. Our coop will only hold about 15-18 chickens and now we have 6 chickens and 17 guineas in there, but they are all under four weeks old so they'll be ok for now I guess. We'll add extra roost bars and I am sure we'll lose a few silly guineas who won't want to live there. Minute they were all reunited the ALARM ALARM ALARM stopped. Now they are all happy. I guess four week olders get attached quickly!

Maybe they will hate each other when they grow older.

One good thing came of it - now I get the uber brooder for my chicks hatching next week. muahahaha.

 

[Twin Mom]

Well it's been a little over a week and the guineas still act like we have taken their blankets away. I have figured out we have at least one pearl and one pied female. They start calling every time all the chickens go into the yard. I have noticed that one chicken (seems like a rotation) usually stays in the coop, and keeps the guineas some what calm. I think the chickens are tried of the racket.

Now only five more weeks to go!!!

 

[Shiloh Acres]

Quote:
LOL I can just picture the chicken meeting, demanding SOMETHING must be done, developing perhaps a lottery system by which shifts to keet-sit are assigned. Better than pulling out all their feathers from the noise. LOL!