One adult and 10 keets

[Kmac1]

Hi I'm new to guineas and new to this site. I started with 14 keets early this spring, at 10 weeks I let them out and kept a close eye on them and before long they were getting in the tree next to their coop and would not go in on their own, so I would flush them from the tree and herd them in the pen and after that they would go back in on their own. at 12-13 weeks I left them in the tree because it was way late when I got home to put them in. That night a big bad storm blew in and the next morning I found 2 huddled under some grasses next to the house, the others were gone and have not been seen since. I suspect that the storm blew them or frightened them into the wheat field next to my property which is only 50 yards behind my house. the remaining 2 stayed next to the house from then on and would come up to the patio door late evening around sun down and peck at the glass as if to say hi and would hang out there for about and hour then go off to roost. Then one night while they were at the patio door an owl swooped down and tried to get one, luckily it missed and I scared it off. The guinea pair were scared to death but unharmed so I went to bed. The next morning I got up early to check on them and could only find one and evidence where the owl came back during the night and got one. I think the sole survivor is a female and she would come to the patio like before and hang out, then the owl come back and attacked her and missed but made feathers fly and then flew off. But now she sill not come out from hiding, she stays in the tall grasses at the end of my house and will not forage or anything, so I feed and water her there. Last week I brought home 10 more week old keets and have them penned up out by the barn. I know the female is lonely and scared so what will happen if I catch her and put her in the pen with the now 2 week old keets? Will she try to kill them, accept them like a mother hen or what. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[R2elk]

Hi I'm new to guineas and new to this site. I started with 14 keets early this spring, at 10 weeks I let them out and kept a close eye on them and before long they were getting in the tree next to their coop and would not go in on their own, so I would flush them from the tree and herd them in the pen and after that they would go back in on their own. at 12-13 weeks I left them in the tree because it was way late when I got home to put them in. That night a big bad storm blew in and the next morning I found 2 huddled under some grasses next to the house, the others were gone and have not been seen since. I suspect that the storm blew them or frightened them into the wheat field next to my property which is only 50 yards behind my house. the remaining 2 stayed next to the house from then on and would come up to the patio door late evening around sun down and peck at the glass as if to say hi and would hang out there for about and hour then go off to roost. Then one night while they were at the patio door an owl swooped down and tried to get one, luckily it missed and I scared it off. The guinea pair were scared to death but unharmed so I went to bed. The next morning I got up early to check on them and could only find one and evidence where the owl came back during the night and got one. I think the sole survivor is a female and she would come to the patio like before and hang out, then the owl come back and attacked her and missed but made feathers fly and then flew off. But now she sill not come out from hiding, she stays in the tall grasses at the end of my house and will not forage or anything, so I feed and water her there. Last week I brought home 10 more week old keets and have them penned up out by the barn. I know the female is lonely and scared so what will happen if I catch her and put her in the pen with the now 2 week old keets? Will she try to kill them, accept them like a mother hen or what. Any help would be appreciated.

You said that you had a coop for the original guineas. Pen the keets inside that coop. Catch the hen and put her in the coop with the caged keets. Observe them on a daily basis, when the hen is not trying to get at them through the cage, you can let them all together in the coop. Feed and water in the coop so that they all learn that the coop is home. Once the keets are old enough to be let out, do it for short periods of time at first and gradually lengthening the time they are out.

You can train them to come for treats which you only give them in the coop or you can teach them to be herded into the coop. Always end their day with them shut in the coop for the night. Never let them spend the night outside in a tree.

Your local owls now know that you have a ready treat for them and will always come back in search of guineas at night. The only way you can keep guineas without losing them to predators is to make sure they are in a secure coop for the night.

I lost my entire first flock of guineas to Great Horned Owls. I never allow my guineas to spend the night outside and have not lost a single guinea to predators since keeping them in a secure coop for the night.

Good luck.

 

[Kmac1]

Thanks your reply was exactly what I needed to know. I will have to partition the coop as it is one open area now. Thanks for your advice. Willie Brown