New Guinea Fowl Mom

[Birdmomma75]

Hello, I am looking for suggestions for training my new feathered children. They are currently 4 weeks old and are extremely skiddish. How do I make them comfortable with people?

 

[perchie.girl]

First of all Welcome to bYC from San Diego and the high desert.

Unfortunately their nature is to be skittish. Especially when they are young. When I say young I mean the first year... After they go through their first spring they mellow out a bit.

They haven't been domesticated as long as Chickens have. That's not to say you wont come across one individual that breaks the rules...

Your best bet is to condition them to expect treats or feed with the sound of a bell or whistle or call... I called chick chick chick for my chickens when it was dinner time and the guineas learned that pretty well.

Useful when You hear them about an acre a way muttering to themselves in the underbrush. Holler Chick Chick Chick.... and they would fly up over the house land on the top to make sure I wasn't lying and fly into the back yard for their treats...

But even after they are over a year you still have to net them in order to get closer... unwrap a horse hair off a foot, Doctor a wound, ....

deb

Oh I forgot to ask How many do you have?

 

[Birdmomma75]

First of all Welcome to bYC from San Diego and the high desert.

Unfortunately their nature is to be skittish. Especially when they are young. When I say young I mean the first year... After they go through their first spring they mellow out a bit.

They haven't been domesticated as long as Chickens have. That's not to say you wont come across one individual that breaks the rules...

Your best bet is to condition them to expect treats or feed with the sound of a bell or whistle or call... I called chick chick chick for my chickens when it was dinner time and the guineas learned that pretty well.

Useful when You hear them about an acre a way muttering to themselves in the underbrush. Holler Chick Chick Chick.... and they would fly up over the house land on the top to make sure I wasn't lying and fly into the back yard for their treats...

But even after they are over a year you still have to net them in order to get closer... unwrap a horse hair off a foot, Doctor a wound, ....

deb

Oh I forgot to ask How many do you have?

Hi Deb:
That is great advice, thank you. We had 14 but 6 were given to a friend for his farm. Now we have 8, mixed lilac and pearl. How old do you recommend they be to be put outside?

 

[perchie.girl]

Once they are feathered out.... your info doesnt say what part of the world you are in...

But once they are feathered out I put them in the coop with a mirror and food and water... Their own partition so the chickens can come and go... But keep them in there at least a couple of weeks... I did six... So they can see the chickens come and go....

Then when its time for them to go out open the door.... Dont expect them to go out far or at all the first day. Very suspicious of "new things".

Dont expect them to be able to get back if they fly over the fence you may hve to go out and herd them to an open gate... They will figure it out eventually...


Good luck.. Oh and the reason I asked how many is they do best in larger groups than two or three.

deb

 

[Birdmomma75]

We live in Maryland, mainly the Eastern Shore is where they will be moved to at some point. I wish we had chickens to help train them but we don't the 8 of them are the first feathered baby's we have owned. Unfortunately the breeder we purchased them from was not very helpful and didn't provide us with guidance. Everything we have been doing has come from me reading and asking questions. They are almost completely feathered so I will be able to move them to the back yard in a coop I have for them.
I agree they are very suspicious of new things. They freak out all the time..lol... Without the chickens helping train them how would you suggest I start training them? They will be free range when they are trained. I was thinking that I could let them out of the enclosure to the fenced area and bring them back to the enclosure each night with a cow bell and treats. They are so dag gone funny, I find myself laughing at them all the time with the way they react to strange or fast moving objects. They are supposed to be the watch dog of the birds and they seem to run as far as they can away...
Any other suggestions?
Dale

 

[perchie.girl]

We live in Maryland, mainly the Eastern Shore is where they will be moved to at some point. I wish we had chickens to help train them but we don't the 8 of them are the first feathered baby's we have owned. Unfortunately the breeder we purchased them from was not very helpful and didn't provide us with guidance. Everything we have been doing has come from me reading and asking questions. They are almost completely feathered so I will be able to move them to the back yard in a coop I have for them.
I agree they are very suspicious of new things. They freak out all the time..lol... Without the chickens helping train them how would you suggest I start training them? They will be free range when they are trained. I was thinking that I could let them out of the enclosure to the fenced area and bring them back to the enclosure each night with a cow bell and treats. They are so dag gone funny, I find myself laughing at them all the time with the way they react to strange or fast moving objects. They are supposed to be the watch dog of the birds and they seem to run as far as they can away...
Any other suggestions?
Dale

good game plan Put a mirror in their coop too... they love to admire themselves.

deb