Old wives tales about guineas and coops

[weimanator]

so what is a good kind of pen or coop for them. same as a chicken?

 

[PeepsCA]

Quote:
As big as you can afford to build, draft free with high roosts. 4 sq ft of floor space per bird is recommended, but more/bigger is always better.

ETA:
An attached, predator proof, covered run (covered meaning wire or some type of roofing on top), with at least 4sq ft per bird is also nice to have (again bigger is always better). An attached run is especially useful for training them to go in at night and for having a safe place for them to get a little exercise, sun and fresh air while they have to be confined due to weather or if you go away on vacation or something

 

[perchie.girl]

Mine are in an 18 by 12 coop. Dog kennel panels. I hope to raise the roof a little eventually.

I have seven six of which have never been out side of confinement. The seventh I adopted hes a little younger he came from a free range flock .... the last survivor from predators. They have lots of things to dodge through hop on and chase about. So far no extraordinary picking and harassment.

I also have two feeders and two waterers. And eventually want to round the corners so no one can really get trapped.

right now the perch is sitting on saw horses a leftover from when they were Littleuns. But I have plans for a kind of Trapeze arrangement for the adventurous plus a permanent high perch hung solidly from the rafters. LOL... My rafters are six feet high.

I don't want to free range just because of my predator issues. I lost 36 young adults this summer to predators. I know I will have to do it eventually but I am hoping to survive the winter and get the Run/Aviary built so that I can keep them in as long as possible. Progress is being made.

 

[Cindlady]

I got my 5 guineas as keets along with 4 Ameraucana chicks and (what I was told later) a Thia game fowl chick. They were raised together and were in an inside coop for about 8 weeks then were let out to a "flight pen". When they got almost the size of my chickens they were allowed to free range. The whole group would return to the coop at night. After another 6 weeks or so it was time to move them to "The big coop" with the rest of the chickens. The first couple of nights they were huddled by "their coop" and I had to heard them into the big coop. After the Ameraucanas caught on to in the big coop the guineas fallowed. Now and then one will fly into the neighbor's yard but they come back at roost time. The Ameraucanas have started to "hang" more with the chickens, however that Thia fowl has decided it's a guinea .... never leaves them!

All in all, I was told if you raise guineas keets with chicks they will learn to roost with the chickens. My experience has proven that.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
What is a Thia fowl?

 

[cgmccary]

All mine were raised to go in the coop and stayed cooped/ penned up until & past the age of the OP's Guineas. Early on, all would go back in every night. As for ranging out, I've noticed mine stay close to home as it gets cold but in summer with bugs all over, they range far and wide. Some places on my property they never go even though it is right there -- like by the pond or where my beehives are-- don't ask me why; yet, they will wander 300 yards the other direction and off in one set of woods and up one end of the road (but not the other) -- it is all very schizo. Sometimes, I think it is only where they can still see home but I am not sure of that.

Also, a few of them always go in the coop and roost but most always roost in the trees. A few will come in sometimes and then sometimes roost out. The only time ALL of them came back in to roost was after an owl got one of them -- the next several nights, they all came in, every one of them -- it is the only time i have seen them exercise their little brains. It can be pouring down rain and most of mine will still take to the trees.

Don't get me wrong, they know where home is & can't wait for me to open the coops so they can go in and see what the chickens have that they don't. The two oak trees where they roost are about 100 high & are right over the coops & there's no getting them in, whether an old southern wives' tale or not. Call my Guineas, SOUTHERN ONES. I now have a flock of 41 Guineas.

 

[Cindlady]

OK, it should have been "Thai Game Fowl..

Here's a link http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/Games/Thai/BRKThaiGame.html

Here is my guy? ... at 3mo. They were still in the flight run. I'm not sure if it's pure, but the guy I got it from hatched it from eggs from a guy that is breeding light colored Thai Fowl. In the first pic you can see some guineas.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Oh hes magnificent.... Looks like an eagle with LONG leggs. Are they scrappy?

 

[Cindlady]

perchie.girl :

Quote:
Oh hes magnificent.... Looks like an eagle with LONG leggs. Are they scrappy?

From what I understand they can be. However this s the only one I have it thinks it's a guinea! When the chickens it was raised with decide to go off with the other chickens, this one stays with the guineas. It could be because they have a wilder "mind set" like guineas. I call him/her "Storkey"​

 

[weimanator]

ive got 162 ac so they have plenty of room. do they like tall grass or what? my chickens avoid it unless im bushhoggin and then they follow me but thats about it.