My 5 3 month old Guineas 1st day in the big coop & a question.......

[Mourningdove]

I just finished moving my guineas to the big chicken coop today. I have a chicken wire fence dividing the 2 sections so they can see each other. Those guineas are now huddled in the corner freaked out at all the chickens. The guineas are in a completely covered area with a ladder roost inside the coop, they can go in and out of the coop into a covered fenced in area, I added alot more hay to the ground for added warmth. They did eventually come outside in the snow to investigate the new digs, the funny thing is they were eating the snow and my chickens won't get out in it. Well tonight they were still outside but huddled on the ground in a corner, I feared they would freeze to death if they weren't moved. I hurded them back into the coop and squatted down shining the flashlight on the roost talking softly to them. They each got up on the roost and after a bit finally settled down together. Now my question is will I have to go outside tomorrow night and do this again? Or will they know automatically where to roost?

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Unfortunately if this is their first night...you will probably have to do it again tomorrow and continue until they get used to it. My suggestion to you is to keep them up for a couple of days and then let them out. they might not go back in then, but if they don't....it's not because they don't know where they belong. Guineas and chickens can be stubborn at times. Good Luck.

 

[flyingdragon]

I moved mine in with the chicks when they were six weeks old. They took to the roosts like they were built exclusively for them. Always the top tiers until my chicks said, "I don't think so!" and asserted their dominance (temporary though, I am told). Each evening they are the first too roost and the go for the top perches. I've read that you graduallly introduce them to the outside starting with about 30 minutes before dusk and increase the time weekly.

 

[chseeads]

When I moved mine into the big chickenhouse they were freaked out about it at first too. It only took a time or two of me putting them up on the roost for them to get the hang of it though.