Hi all! Three weeks ago today, we bought 6 3-week-old Pearl Guinea chicks, and unfortunately, did not notice a tiny space that they could get out of, and within 2 days, one chick was dead in the little pen and two were missing. My guess is that they had gotten out, and were running around the pen trying to get back in with the others, when our cats probably got them during the night. I immediately took the three surviving ones and put them in a 3' x 3' crate for a couple of weeks, and in the meantime, built a pen for them out of hog panels with chicken wire covering it, and covered it with boards for shade. I also put a little sheltered area in for them and a roost. It isn't the best, but it is plenty big for these little guys right now. (They get treats like melons, cucumbers, bread, fresh grass, etc., every day, along with any grasshoppers, crickets, etc I can catch, and also their regular feed). I built this pen in the chickens' 50' x 100' fence, to give the guineas and hens a chance to be around each other and get used to each other. I want to let the guineas be able to free range eventually, but don't want to let them out until they are older. When would be a good time to let them out with the hens? Two of my Buff Orpingtons seem to like to hang out around the guineas pen. I don't know if they think they are baby chicks or are just curious or a combination thereof! I know the guineas could easily fly over the chickens' pen, and want them to be able to get out in the yard, but am worried that at this age, they would just disappear and/or be killed. I liked the suggestion of putting white millet in their feed, and use a whistle or bell or something every time they get this treat, to teach them to come back to their enclosure at night. Any suggestions will be very much appreciated! I just want some guineas around the yard to take care of the ticks and other critters out there, and want them to be safe and enjoy themselves!
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