Old wives tales about guineas and coops

[blessedchick]

I have 7 lavendars that have a beautiful coop where they are fed fresh food (and treats, of course!) on a daily basis. Do they roost in there? Heavens no! They insist upon roosting on the back of my glider under my kitchen window every night. I really don't mind (I enjoy wishing them a good night each evening and a good morning before dawn) but last night they perched placidly while freezing rain beat down on their backs. Should I be concerned? I couldn't coax them to follow me to their coop, so they lasted out the night in that awful weather - coated with a fine layer of snow in the morning! No one is shivering, but I don't want them to be uncomfortable/sick. Is this okay or should I go back to trying to train them to the coop (which they used for about 2 months, no prob)?

Oh, also...they wander over to the neighbor's fenceline everyday (about 100 feet from their house) but they faithfully return each early afternoon

 

[1MrsMagoo]

My guineas are half from the feed store and half born here. They free range all day and dutifully report to the coop at dusk: Mostly before the chickens. Every once in a while one of my hens goes to the goat enclosure and gets stuck in their paddock (she flies really well, but the thought to fly over the fence just never occurs to her

): I have to capture her and take her to the coop door. They claim the highest roost in the hen-house and no chicken in its right mind even thinks about using it...well except my Barnevelder rooster who they think is their dad (he adopted and raised the youngest ones so has a free pass to guinea world). They were kept in the coop in a juvenile area after they were fully feathered until they were large enough to go outside and then allowed to mix in with the older birds. Maybe that is why they know it's home?

You do have to watch your hens in late spring/early summer and for birds with wanderlust. If the hen decides to make a secret nest somewhere, then one day she and possibly her mate will not come home at night. Sometimes you can find their nest and move or protect it...sometimes you can't. I had two hens sit a nest this year: I found the first and she successfully hatched 18 keets. The second I only found her empty nest after searching for over a week: It was well hidden, but something else found her first. She was a peculiar bird and hid the nest for even her mate till right before the keets would be ready to hatch: Sneaky bird that one.

Also, if you get a high ranking bird that decides it wants to roam, they will ALL follow it. Mine never left our 7 acres until my French Guinea decided he needed more space: He went to all our neighbors every day. Sadly a barn owl took him from the horse paddock fence in broad daylight this summer. Since his demise however, the rest of the guineas have not left the property one time. Guess they aren't brave enough without their fearless leader. This would tend to suggest that if you removed the "ring-leader" before the wandering became too ingrained in all your birds they may not leave anymore.

So, I guess it depends a lot on the individual birds.

 

[Imma Okie]

I am brand new and just stumbled over this thread, so I am making this my first post outside of an intro. I started with 6 jumbo guineas. I let them free range all day and I would put them up in the 'guinea house' at night. Sadly, 2 were killed on my property by dogs that escaped my neighbor's make shift dog shelter. The 2 hens and 2 cocks left would put themselves up at night. All I needed to do was close the door. A few months later, I was given 2 pearl hens that were never put up at night. They have to be herded in before dusk; otherwise they will be up a tree. My jumbo guineas tried to roost in a tree once. At about 11:30 PM I heard the hens calling. I went out and they were headed for the lighted porch. Since they are so heavy, they roosted low. A small opossum climbed the tree and spooked them down. Those 4 guineas to this day will put themselves up or wait by the door for me so I can walk them in. The 2 small hens would much rather roost up a tree. I guess it depends on how they are trained.
Side note: All of the guineas stay within earshot of the house. I raised the jumbos from keets and trained them to come when I blow a whistle or ring a cowbell. The 2 small hens just stay with the others.
I am now raising 6 more keets.
They are so much fun to have around!

 

[perchie.girl]

Imma Okie

This is interesting about the Jumbos I think I have some Jumbo crosses they are HUGE.... lol. And the dominant one is a Jumbo female. I cant let mine out yet but you give me hope in a land here that has more predators than you can count.

1MrsMagoo I am hoping when it comes time to free range my situation will be the same as yours come next spring when i start raising chickens. I am hoping to Raise some Sumatras as well as a batch of Guineas together. Sumatras are wilder in nature than every day chickens and VERY good fliers. I am hoping they will integrate with the guineas for free range time.

 

[Imma Okie]

perchie.girl :

Imma Okie

This is interesting about the Jumbos I think I have some Jumbo crosses they are HUGE.... lol. And the dominant one is a Jumbo female. I cant let mine out yet but you give me hope in a land here that has more predators than you can count.

Thank you for the welcome!
I am sorry about your bad luck with predators! I don't think my jumbos would make it through a night unscathed outside of their guinea house.
PeepCA has excellent advice! I trained my guineasto come to a whistle or cowbell by using millet and milo.
I wish you the best of luck.​

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Thank you for the welcome!
I am sorry about your bad luck with predators! I don't think my jumbos would make it through a night unscathed outside of their guinea house.
PeepCA has excellent advice! I trained my guineasto come to a whistle or cowbell by using millet and milo.
I wish you the best of luck.

LOL I got mine from PeepsCA and have followed her comments through out BYC. Takin notes and makin adjustments. Here We are the only poultry available for predators within about a hundred miles of desert in one direction. I lost thirty six of my precocious youngsters before i could shut off access. (one would get closed down and they would find another) So Now.... I want to wait till the spring and be assured whos laying eggs and have the next generation in the growout pens before ever trusting an expediaiton to the real world.

 

[PeepsCA]

Glad to read you've finally got the predator probs under control deb!

And Thanks Imma Okie

... Basically I just talk a lot

and have lots of Guinea experiences to share with others (good and bad, lol). I'm always glad to help if I can tho, since Guineas aren't exactly the most easiest birds to deal with most of the time