Ok Guinea lovers, help me look on the bright side?

[CrazyChickensEverwhere]

Quote:
The guinea response to fencing has been a fascinating aspect of our experience thus far. Having guineas on both sides of any given fence is a sight to behold. Neither group knows whether they're trapped IN or trapped OUT, but they pace back and forth squawking incessantly until there's resolution--even if it takes hours. We've gone through this with 6' privacy fencing, 6' chain link, 4' garden fencing, and a 2' high puppy run. In each instance, these uncatchable rulers of the air have completely forgotten that they can FLY. Wanna feel like a nut? Try to coerce them into flying OVER the fence. Just make sure each arm is wildly waving a tree branch, and then scream like a banshee. It might work if you keep at it long enough.

I don't know much about guineas, but I do have one recommendation: If you want to ensure poultry peace on the planet, get enough so they can form their own society. Otherwise, they may turn on your chickens when you least expect it.

someone told me that since my cousin is 400 yards away,if that and she got 2 too that they will join together, so if 4 good enough?

 

[Cadillac Jill]

I have 4 guineas (raised with our chickens from 3 weeks of age), and you can read about our recent troubles in the "Today my guineas decided that all my roosters must die" thread.

I understand that different people have different experiences, and yours could do just fine. However, I do wish that somebody had mentioned this potential problem before we'd gotten started. It would have been much easier to get 10 guineas in the first place than to try to pick up 6 more and get them all to meld together as a group and acclimate to our location.

We relocated and isolated our guineas for 3 weeks, hoping to break them of the association/obsession with our chickens. Within 5 minutes of our test release, they were back on the north side of our property, on the attack.

So now we're in the process of creating a guinea habitat in and around our garden, which will be completely enclosed with poultry netting. These birds that cost us less than $25 to purchase will probably end up costing us several hundred dollars to house. But what can I say? I love our little renegade guineas almost as much as I hate squash bugs.

 

[CrazyChickensEverwhere]

Well the guineas and chickens are not going to be together. Guineas are going to go somewhere safe on the property (dont know exactly yet) and the chickens are kept in there run

 

[cracking up]

Guinea math is worse than chicken math. I had six adults last year and hatched out over a hundred keets. We sold all but the last ten. You can always let them hatch out more next year if you decide you need them. I think four will be OK but six might be better. Scatter feeding stations around the property and they should stay busy with bugs and resting to eat without having to fight anyone for food.

 

[crtrlovr]

Quote:
The guinea response to fencing has been a fascinating aspect of our experience thus far. Having guineas on both sides of any given fence is a sight to behold. Neither group knows whether they're trapped IN or trapped OUT, but they pace back and forth squawking incessantly until there's resolution--even if it takes hours. We've gone through this with 6' privacy fencing, 6' chain link, 4' garden fencing, and a 2' high puppy run. In each instance, these uncatchable rulers of the air have completely forgotten that they can FLY. Wanna feel like a nut? Try to coerce them into flying OVER the fence. Just make sure each arm is wildly waving a tree branch, and then scream like a banshee. It might work if you keep at it long enough.

I don't know much about guineas, but I do have one recommendation: If you want to ensure poultry peace on the planet, get enough so they can form their own society. Otherwise, they may turn on your chickens when you least expect it.

OH, this is SO what guineas do!

as for the screaming, waving arms, and running, yep. BTDT!!!