moving guineas to a new coop

[Turkeyrun]

Hi,

right now we have three guineas in with our chickens. All share the same run that is not covered. This is nice in that it lets the guineas fly in and out as they please. The past few weeks a hawk as settled in the area and frequently dines in the chicken yard. We are going to have to cover the run. I have a second coop not currently in use that I am moving the guineas to. My plan is to pick them up at night when they are sleeping and putting them in the new coop. They run area they will have with that coop will not be covered.

My question is should I leave them locked in the new coop for a couple of days so they will know to return to that coop at night?

Thank you

 

[Country Chickens]

Hmm, that's tough. We tried once to move our older guinea to a new home that was maybe fifty yards from the main barn where he'd been. We kept him insde for a week or two. When we opened it up so he could use his new run, the first thing he did was fly home to the old place. I hate to say it, but if you want them to imprint the new place as home, you may have to keep them in for the full recommended three months. Is there any way you could modify your cover on the existing run to let guineas out morn and night?

So sorry to hear about the hawk! Best of luck with this. I'll be curious how it works out.

 

[PeepsCA]

Oh boy...
Guineas like routine (and hate change), and once they have an established routine they usually stick to it. IMO It will take 6 wks or longer for the Guineas to learn where their new home is, maybe even longer, but most definitely not just a few days/nights. They will always want to roost in their old home with the chickens, or end up roosting on top of the coop/newly covered run if they can no longer fly in (and end up owl or hawk bait).

If you can cover their new run also, keep them contained to the new run and coop for the full 6 weeks, making a routine of always herding them into the coop each night and locking them up safe each night, you may be able to eventually remove the top of the Guinea's new run and allow them to fly in and out on their own again to coop up in the new coop once they have learned where their new home is. (But IMO, chances are they will not accept their new home unless they are caught and placed there or herded in regularly to roost there each evening over and over and over for quite a while). You definitely have some work cut out for you on re-training them to accept a new coop as their new home.

The only other option besides catching them or herding them in to the new coop each night that comes to my mind is to let the Guineas in and out of the existing coop AM & PM every day and make that the new normal routine for them. That may be the easiest and less time consuming solution.

Good luck!

 

[berniezahm]

I have Jennette S. Ferguson's book "Gardening with Guineas" laying on the pull out tray my keyboard is on. She also says a minimum of 6 weeks for a guinea to accept a new location as home. Good Luck!

 

[Country Chickens]

My bad, she does say six weeks even for adults. Not sure where I heard three months--sorry!