Taming crazy Guinea's!!

[cheepcheep3]

So I got three guineas about two weeks ago. Every time I put my hand in the cage to get their food or water they go crazy! They run and hide in a corner and if you try and make any contact with them they do the same thing. And they scream at the top of their little lungs whenever I pick them up. So I was just wondering what I could do to make them more used to people and to not be so crazy when a hand is in there cage! Thanks!

 

[JLeigh]

Not a lot cheep, unless you want to spend a LOT of time with them each day. It's their instinct to hide and/or flee because guineas are prey animals, and not too bright, which makes them tough to tame. Taming chickens is much easier. With time and some patience, and lots of treats, they'll get to where they no longer fear you so completely. They'll get used to your presence and possibly even eat out of your hand if you work at it, but that's likely to happen when they're older. I've never had a friendly keet, lol. It's been known to happen, but I never had the time to devote each day to taming a keet.

 

[cheepcheep3]

Yeah I got some meal worms and have been trying to get them to eat out of my hand. One will pick it out of my hand if I hold it between my fingers but the other two just wait until it falls on the ground before they devour it lol I just don't want them to be so crazy when they are older!

 

[Iheartchickens7]

I trained my guineas with white millet. I put it into a container and shook it before giving it to them each time. At first I just sprinkled some on a paper towel and eventually they started eating it out of my hand.
They are a year old now and no matter where they are in the yard if I shake my millet can they come running. It was the best thing that I did with mine. Made it much easier to get them inside at night or to get them into their pen if I need to contain them.
During my research I kept seeing that they will never be tame like a chicken so I accepted this fact prior to getting them and didn't push them. Mine would literally faint and fall over they were so scared when they were keets. Now they will come running over for treats and yank on my jeans to get attention, but I can't grab and hold them. They still eat out of my hand though and LOVE their millet.
Good luck with them!