Oh what have I done?!

[Country Chickens]

I'm glad they are happier and laughing at the thought of your hubby trying to track them down in the basement. Don't worry, I'm also laughing at our early (and ongoing?) guinea mishaps. But you know, despite being such crazy creatures the only fowl I enjoy on equal terms is our silkies, and those in a totally different way. Guineas tend to grow on you. That, or you go crazy!

Best of luck, and please do post pics!

 

[terrilhb]

I know something noone told you. You are definetly going to need PATIENCE.

But they are so worth it. I about pulled my hair out over them quite a few times.

But thanks to Peeps I have got it under control. Well most days. LOL Good luck and you will love them. They are so funny to watch.

 

[PeepsCA]

LOL

terri's SO right, we all forgot to remind you about needing patience!

 

[RedheadErin]

They are really sort of funny. They are very sweet when they see me and want food. They whistle and sing like songbirds. But as soon as I go near them, they freak out and cower in the corner of their cage.

Apparently they have already figured out that I aim the purveyor of food, as they do not react to my husband and son the same way. Three more weeks and they can go outside.

 

[BritinMO]

How funny you got them a play pen, I am off play pen shopping today in the consignment stores for my baby chicks! When are you planning on putting your guineas in the yard???

Our guineas are collectively called 'The Creeps'...........................as when I told my husband I was getting some 'keets' - he thought I said I was getting some creeps - and asked me what a creep was

The name stuck when I brought the keets home!

 

[PeepsCA]

LOL @ creeps!

 

[RedheadErin]

creeps seems appropriate.......!everybody is oing in the yard on April 4, if all goes well. Then the playpen can be cleaned and reassigned to the EE chicks that are coming from Farm n Fleet that day.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

If you plan on having a "rasp" (flock) of Guinea birds then you will need to spend some money on housing.
I have found that if you think that your flock will roost in the trees on your property, you have a problem in the making.
Predators will eventually take them and if bad weather comes, this will take them too.
Guinea Fowl are African birds. They like the warmth and dryness of that part of the world.
The typical Guinea one finds here in the USA has been raised to with stand a good deal
of weather extremes. But a wet Guinea on a cold night will cause much concern.
I have a "brooder" pen and a place to put new older birds.
I bought a 10x16 portable shed (renting them is good if you do not plan on giving them back)
and I have two pens and a smaller hard wired coop inside. The hard wired coop is held up off the floor.
This is were the keets go and they have a roost when they get big enought to get to it.
This does not take but a few weeks and they are ALL up on the roost.
The other two pens are made from framing and chicken wire.
They have windows in both and I have roosts all the way to the ceiling.
I can get up to 15 adult Guineas in the one larger one.
The other is much smaller and reserved for Guineas with problems or ones
that are getting picked on by the others.
I keep a few black tailed Japs in this one to keep a lone Guinea company.
The Japs never pose a problem and are a very peacefull little banty breed.

After a few months of having them start to "call". I get in the pen and catch the femals.
I band the females and then let them cool off for another few days.
I then take 5 birds at a time and put them in the main chicken/Guinea barn.
Here I have about 30 Guineas that go out and free range for the day and
then return to the barn at night. They love the comfort of the barn and I
have very high roosts for them.
Once they are in place I RARELY touch them, catch them or even pet them.
They are wild birds and they like it that way.
Catching a Guinea is a much different experience than that of a chicken.
You can really hurt a Guinea if you do not do it correctly.

Any way, after a week in the barn in a large cage, I let 2 go out and hope
they find their way back to the barn. They usaully take up with the older
ones and they find their "pals" still in the cage and usually return to this
and roost nearby.
After a few days the five are integrated into the rest of the flock.
I do sometimes lose a few out of the 15 to roosting in the trees.
I do not do this in cold weather. Sometimes I will get the tree
roosting birds in the barn after a few nights. Guineas do NOT
like to be alone and prefer to roam in a small to medium
group were they watch each others back.
II love my Guineas and would find the place really horribly
quiet without them. They make me laugh and I do have
quite a few that come to me with a call for bread. They
seem to drop their daily activities and come a running
for a tasty treat.

UPDATE: I have moved to a new and lovely farm. The Guineas all made the move and I have two that are on nests now.
The barn is open and has high rafters for the Guineas to roost.
I keep a low wattage light on at night just like I did before.
I have made a 9x20 pen out of one end of the barn.
I keep the roosters and hurt Guineas in this.
The Guineas have done well and roam around and do
find their way to the barn.

 

[elevan]

I have a love - hate relationship with my "goonie" birds. Best of luck to you!

 

[coleridgedane]

I refer to my rasps as motorcycle gangs.