My first Coop for Guineas but need help with what I am missing.

[mhanna]

So I am nearing my completion of my first built Guinea enclosure. This is what I have so far but need to finish this weekend as my 3 Guineas are about 7 weeks old now and are getting huge! I have been feeding them 28% protein and they are at least a foot tall now.

I trenched the perimeter about 8 inches and poured some concrete to help keep critters from digging under it. The middle is going to be joined with boards so that will be not open like it is now. The wire is stapled in with 2 inch staples all around the top and it stands about 6 1/2 feet tall.

My main question is what should I use for the rough? I blew most of my budget on the wire mesh and was thinking the long run I could use some of the corrugated plastic for cover plus thats where the nesting area is going to be.


Food and water is going to be in the 6*8 square part near the door.

 

[PeepsCA]

Excellent job, lucky Guineas!

Roosts! Guineas definitely LOVE roosts, in the shelter and out in the run. You can just use branches, and from the the looks of your land you don't have to buy any roosts! Different diameters and different heights are best IMO, but eventually they will all want to be up as high as they can get, so sure you install plenty that are up high... just not too high that they will hurt themselves getting down.

The of the run top still needs some type if wire too, because they will fly out in no time... and for a roof for now, since it's summer, once you get wire on it just a tarp will work and give them plenty of shade, with plenty of ventilation... then in the meantine you can save up a little and buy the tin roofing you wanted to use.

Great work, when you are done you can come build me one too, k? LOL

 

[JLeigh]

I covered our run with inexpensive chicken wire, stapled securely, and then put a large, heavy duty tarp on top of the wire. Slope the tarp so that rain water doesn't collect in it. Learned that the hard way. . The tarp keeps out rain, sun and prevents flying predators from seeing the birds and getting stuck in the chicken wire if they decide to fly in for lunch or dinner. A predator can get through a tarp with no trouble at all, but has a harder time getting through chicken wire, which is why we use both.

We also put an old large sign and some 4 x 8 plywood on one side of the roof to help with rain, and we're going to use some old doors as "walls" on the outside of the run - just further protection from elements. It won't be beautiful, but it's not like the birds care, and it will be inexpensive and do the job.

What are you securing the screen door with? We have two hook and eye latches on our door (top and bottom), but the lower one has a security feature (I guess for little kids) where you have to slide back a mechanism before you can lock or unlock it. They're uber cheap. Have you covered your screen door with wire? Regular screening fabric won't keep a predator out. But you may have already planned for that.

Sorry if you've already thought about all this.

We left ONE weakness in the coop roof - about a four inch venting area - and we stood back and said, "There's NO way a raccoon is going to be smart enough to climb up and in through there" and of course, that's exactly where he came in and took the first chicken. And he was smart enough to climb out of the run/coop the same way he climbed in, too. It's now secured, but we're down one lovely chicken. Poor thing. We've learned not to underestimate a hungry predator.

You've got a nice looking run. Good luck with outfitting it and getting it going.

 

[mhanna]

Thanks PeepsCA and Jleigh.

Yeh the screen door was a cheap $20 addition and I am going to use the same small square wire to secure that up. You are right that regular mesh would be just an open door to anything.


Jleigh - with the roof "chicken wire" are you talking about just the standard hexagon wire and then a tarp on top? I was thinking about using that but didnt know if many people found that a a racoon working at it all night would eventually get in there.

 

[JLeigh]

Yes, the standard chicken wire. If you can swing it, definitely use the better wire. I don't know how much it would cost compared to a single layer of smaller weave, but you can double-layer the hexagonal wire to make it stronger.

 

[StevenW.]

Great Job!