questions about roosting

[chloebetsychicks]

We have 6 juvenile guineas and 10 juvenile chickens. The chickens won't let the guineas roost in the coop with them so we have been using a pen with some roosts and a roof. Every night we sorta herd the guineas in there and they seem ok with it. Recently they have started flying on top of the coop and making a big ruckus at roosting time. We hosed them off (!) and herded them home. Tonight we could not get them out of the magnolia tree next to the coop so we just left them there. My question is: Do you think its unsafe for them to roost like this? My concern is predators, probably raccoons and owls.

 

[shelleyd2008]

They are surely more susceptable to predators being in the trees, but my guineas roosted in the trees for a few months last fall and were fine. If you can get them into the pen that you want them to roost in, you should lock them in for a few weeks. That should make them take the hint that this is 'home'.

 

[damselfish]

There could definitely be predator problems. But there can be predator problems in a pen too, if it's not strong and tight enough...

If your pen is pretty safe, here's my suggestion. Go buy some inexpensive bird seed (millet and sunflower seed mix). That's about $7 for a 25-lb bag here.

Treat the guineas with this right in front of the pen. Then toss some in the back of the pen where they can see it, and watch them walk in after it. Close the door. Done.

Some of our guineas coop now, and some don't. But when they were young and a little more snack-sized, we enticed them into that coop any way we could. If I really, really want them to go somewhere, the bird seed gets them there every time.

P.S. I seem to recall that they didn't decide they loved birdseed until they were a few months old. Not sure how old yours are...

Oh, and

 

[artsyrobin]

ours decided to roost on the raftors attached to the house, and i began giving them sunflower seed every evening, they love the stuff, so if you can establish a treat every evening that would be a good habit, they will begin to trust you and come running when they see you

 

[chloebetsychicks]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm not sure what would be best for them. I don't think their pen is that secure, its only chicken wire. Maybe they would be just as safe in the trees. They will go in the pen but you have to herd them, I think the birdseed is a good idea, I'm going to try it this evening. I just wish they would roost in the coop with the chickens!

 

[artsyrobin]

post and let us know if they go for the seed- about 3 days ago ours decided the trees were more appealing to roost in, not sure what they'll do with winter- we get occasional snow here, and sure wish i had a coop for them to get out of the weatherb

 

[chloebetsychicks]

I just let them be in the trees for a while and then we finished an enclosed pen and they roosted in the pen and outside. Tonight for the first time they went in with the chickens and roosted in the coop! YAY! Very little coaxing is needed to get them in the pen, even after free ranging all summer. They love the scratch grain I got at Southern States. I can even call them with some rattling around in a plastic feed cup I use! Seem even easier to train than chickens! Now, if I can just get those hens to use their beautiful nesting box...Thanks for the advice, y'all!

 

[kcardella]

Yeah! It's good they are going in the coop. Scratch grains always works for me. The very few times mine have not gone into the coop at night, it's about a 50/50 chance something will get them. I have lost at 4 this way. Even though they start out roosting high, when something startles them, they fly to the ground and run.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

my coop is wired with chicken wire and it is the first coop I ever had that nothing has ever broken into.
I know I'm kinda hardheaded and mean, but I'd have to say,"too bad for the chickens....make them get used to the rest of the members of the flock."

 

[fishman65]

I bought 20 guinea to start. I kept them in a pen for the first month. Never let them out. when i started free ranging them some would come back and spend the night in the coop and some would not. Needless to say i now have ONE guinea left out of the twenty i started with. pen them up every night or learn how to look for guinea carcasses. I now have over 30 guineas that i have hatched in my incubator and they always roost in my pen. No exceptions!!!