Question about 6 week confinement for guineas

[terrielizabeth]

I have 4 guinea keets and 15 baby chicks and they all just moved out into their new coop! I have a fully enclosed chicken run for the chickens. During the 6 week confinement for the guineas, can they go into the run since it's fully enclosed, or is it truly 6 weeks of nothing but the coop?
Thanks!

 

[JLeigh]

I think they can go into the pen, too, if it's connected to the coop. That's what I do with mine, and I think it's preferable.

Be aware though, that at maturity, you'll probably have some aggression issues between the chickens and guineas, so be ready for that. I would build a separate coop for the chickens while you acclimate the guineas to the existing coop. Depending on the size of the pen, they might be able to share that, but I have separate pens and coops for the chickens & guineas.

 

[PeepsCA]

I think they can go into the pen, too, if it's connected to the coop. That's what I do with mine, and I think it's preferable.

Be aware though, that at maturity, you'll probably have some aggression issues between the chickens and guineas, so be ready for that. I would build a separate coop for the chickens while you acclimate the guineas to the existing coop. Depending on the size of the pen, they might be able to share that, but I have separate pens and coops for the chickens & guineas.

 

[Jimtherunner]

I had 11 guinea fowl and 11 chickens (2 Roos) housed and free ranged together...for one year. The guineas ganged up on the Roos this Spring when mating season began. I think they not only should be housed separately but also raised separately so the guineas just plain leave them alone. I rehomed the guinea fowl, and now all my chickens roam the property instead do hiding from place to place from the guinea fowl who only attacked the Roos but panicked the chickens non stop with their hyper activity. The guinea fowl were always in proximity to the chickens, and the chickens were nervous. I think if they had been raised separately, the guinea fowl would have just left them alone on my 35 acres. I miss my guinea fowl, and I am sad that I tried to raise them together. They are nothing like chickens. My .02.

 

[MiniHorses]

My chickens & guineas were all brought here as 3-7 day olds, so they were caged next to each other in my barn for about 3 weeks. Then I moved them to outside pens with their cages as the "coop" until they were about 3 months old. They were then put into their respective coops/sheds which were adjacent to the smaller pens. Those smaller pens are saved for other young stock, hen w/chicks, isolation -- being 4X8 and having made 3 of them, I can connect as needed. I had to buy material and make them, so wanted to be able to reuse!

Anyway, these birds prefer to have their "own" areas for the most part. The guinea are not penned and so are up at daybreak and begin their range work. The hens are released from their coop early each morning (although coop is large enough to keep in then if need be) and they can free range. I find the guineas like to chase the chickens if they are by the coop area at first of day, otherwise they flock with their own and move without too much issue until evening when it is feed and coop time. Ahhhhh, food rules!

I have learned when/where to scatter their evening treats to keep most aggression at bay......if any it has been minor. So, if owner prepared and animals "managed" they are tolerant of one another and learn when/where to roam. With breeding and nesting, the males are a lot more territorial but, we all adjust. In an adjacent field I have 4 mini mares who are 28-31 y/o and while they were friends w/guineas before, nesting has now make the males chase these gals away from the fence on that side. LOL funny to see them running from those "charging" birds. But, a little exercise is good!

Anyone with both chickens and guineas who finds they need to retrain one flock, know that the chickens are easier to work this with............the guineas have a different mindset which doesn't include a lot of flexibility if it wasn't THEIR idea. This is my first year with guineas but I am pretty animal observant and this became very clear, very fast! Reading expert posts here alerted me before getting them but, boy were they ever correct. Believe it.

 

[JLeigh]

My chickens & guineas were all brought here as 3-7 day olds, so they were caged next to each other in my barn for about 3 weeks. Then I moved them to outside pens with their cages as the "coop" until they were about 3 months old. They were then put into their respective coops/sheds which were adjacent to the smaller pens. Those smaller pens are saved for other young stock, hen w/chicks, isolation -- being 4X8 and having made 3 of them, I can connect as needed. I had to buy material and make them, so wanted to be able to reuse!

Anyway, these birds prefer to have their "own" areas for the most part. The guinea are not penned and so are up at daybreak and begin their range work. The hens are released from their coop early each morning (although coop is large enough to keep in then if need be) and they can free range. I find the guineas like to chase the chickens if they are by the coop area at first of day, otherwise they flock with their own and move without too much issue until evening when it is feed and coop time. Ahhhhh, food rules!

I have learned when/where to scatter their evening treats to keep most aggression at bay......if any it has been minor. So, if owner prepared and animals "managed" they are tolerant of one another and learn when/where to roam. With breeding and nesting, the males are a lot more territorial but, we all adjust. In an adjacent field I have 4 mini mares who are 28-31 y/o and while they were friends w/guineas before, nesting has now make the males chase these gals away from the fence on that side. LOL funny to see them running from those "charging" birds. But, a little exercise is good!

Anyone with both chickens and guineas who finds they need to retrain one flock, know that the chickens are easier to work this with............the guineas have a different mindset which doesn't include a lot of flexibility if it wasn't THEIR idea. This is my first year with guineas but I am pretty animal observant and this became very clear, very fast! Reading expert posts here alerted me before getting them but, boy were they ever correct. Believe it.

Excellent info.

 

[chicki-vicki]

chicki - vicki here - I'v been considering guineas - hear they are very good in the veg garden, after the bugs with little harm to plants - that sounds good to me, could use the help. I purchased a pre-fab coop sized for 4 to 6 chickens, thinking it could handel 3 guineas. Have elec and water right near the garden looks like a good spot to me. Thought I would set the prefab on a platform giving some covered space underneath then use this dog run I have on hand for the run. So am I understanding right they need to be confined to there own space for six weeks. I am assuming this is to train / associate them with their roost. Then will they come back in, allow themselves to rounded up, or is this what you hope for. I think I can manage this. My chickens and coop have been put on temp hold - and even when I do get my dream coop the two will be no where near each other for the most part - there will be plenty of ranging space when the chickens are let out. The guinea's will be established (and happy with there space) by the time I do get chickens. So they wont be raised together. Am I on the right train of thought here - is this do able - any helpful input will be gladly received.

 

[JLeigh]

Your plans sound great to me. Make sure the guineas get plenty of fresh air and sunlight while in coop confinement, and put it where your new coop will go. How old are your guineas, or do you have them yet? Consider getting at least 6 or 7 guineas though. They do MUCH better in larger flocks. Ten or more would be ideal, but we can't always manage that. I have six. Ten would be better because I think the males would get along better.

Almost everyone will agree with me on this point - Build your coop and runs bigger than you think you could ever want! Most people either love or hate guineas (I think I'm going to write a book: "Guineas and the Humans Who Love them", lol) and if you're one who loves them, you're gonna want more. If you hate them, you'll have lots of space for more chickens

.

Keeping chickens and guineas separate is a good idea too. Saves you and the flocks a lot of trouble and trauma down the line. They free-range together pretty well (for the most part) but cooping and penning together can be a big problem. It isn't a guarantee that they'll fight, but lots of posts here are asking what to do about flocks that don't get along.

I'm on my third (or fourth?) pen expansion. Well, my husband is since he does all the hard work. Wish we'd built it at least twice as big as we did the first time. My coops open into each other and can be closed off. I have two large pens currently and they open into each coop, but can be closed off, meaning I can organize the flocks however I want if I go out of town for a few days or just want to give them a change of scenery. Now we're expanding the covered pens and building an uncovered yard (six feet high) so that the guineas can have some time in it too.

Can you send a picture of the pre-fab coop? Good luck! And welcome to the dark side (or bright side, depending on how you look at it

).