The Old Folks Home

[drumstick diva]

SCG are you sure it was your guinea? Maybe they are roaming the streets in your town.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I have to admit that before I even got off the side road my road is off of I had to:

1. Stop for a flock of wild turkeys crossing the road
2. Guinea Hen
3. Swerve to not hit a rabbit

Pretty sure it was my guinea. Until yesterday I had not spotted any guinea hen (or guinea pig) in my town. There's a flock the next town up from me (about 15 miles or so) but I haven't seen them in a year. They used to be in the road all the time (probably why I don't see them anymore).

 

[Wisher1000]

They used to be in the road all the time (probably why I don't see them anymore).

This is one of the reason I let mine go. They have a uncontrollable urge to migrate to the road. They stand in the middle of the road and wait for a car. As it approaches, they begin to scream at it. I always knew what was going on when I heard the breaks lock up on a big truck out on the road in front of my property. I also knew what had happened when I would pull onto the road and notice guinea feathers on both sides of the road for a half a mile up the road.

 

[Bunnylady]

Quote: The guy who owned the farm next door to a nursery where I once worked had a flock of guineas; I experienced this scenario repeatedly (saw the feathers fly a few times when other people did, too).

 

[Wisher1000]

Evening, Bunny! Have you ever grown or heard of Scaevola? I think I'm in love......

 

[Bunnylady]

I've heard of it, and seen it around, but never grown it.

 

[bamadude]

I have about 8 acres of dewberries ripe.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

This is one of the reason I let mine go. They have a uncontrollable urge to migrate to the road. They stand in the middle of the road and wait for a car. As it approaches, they begin to scream at it. I always knew what was going on when I heard the breaks lock up on a big truck out on the road in front of my property. I also knew what had happened when I would pull onto the road and notice guinea feathers on both sides of the road for a half a mile up the road.

I wonder what is so attractive about the road? I am fairly "safe" here - I live on far end of a dead end dirt road (there's 2 houses after me) but the fact that that guinea was already a mile away is pretty impressive.

 

[Wisher1000]

They fly well, maybe it flew. I wonder where it started from. They imprint on the place they were raised, I bet it was sold or given away and is trying to get home. The trouble is, they are not homing pigeons - they just wander till they find what they are looking for, or not.

When you get adults, you have to keep them penned for several months so they feel at home before you let them out and even then, they may leave. It works better if you have resident guineas to anchor them. I raised mine in a cardboard brooder in the garage and moved the box to the coop for a couple of weeks before I let them out. They would cram themselves into that box at night until they were grown and it got too hot for them to stand it. Then they roosted on top of it until it broke down. They still tried to sleep on or near it until it was just flat cardboard on the floor of the coop! The good news was that they came in to roost in the rafters above that cardboard and could be locked up at night.



They imprint on the objects and beings in their environment, as well. EVERYTHING either belongs, or it doesn't. That is why they make good "watchdogs." Any new person, dog, car, UPS package, blowing plastic bag, etc. will be surrounded, screamed at, and generally harassed until it either leaves or stays long enough to be accepted. That takes hours.

They are silly birds. They are definitely not chickens.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

You're starting to make me curious about getting guineas, now. I love the hilarious bird-brain stories.

It took me 6 months to get all the turkeys to learn where "home" was but at least they didn't fly away in the process.