We have 7 guinea - got them at 3 days old and they are 4 months old now. They've been free range since they were about 7 weeks old. We also have chickens (6 girls, 2 boys) that we got when the guinea were about 6 or 7 weeks old. They share the same coop and chicken run - but the guinea rarely ever go in the coop anymore. At night the guinea roost on top of the chicken run.
Three nights ago none of the guinea were roosting and were no where to be found... The next night we heard they were near the road, but we searched and couldn't find them. The next day we searched again... Today is day FOUR of them being gone - and we found out that a neighbor had caught them and had them in a 10 x 10 dog kennel (with a top) with about 40 chickens. We just went over and took them all back and put them in our chicken run - with the top closed in so they can't get out.
I'm not sure what to do now... They have always wandered around during the day - into the woods on both sides of our house... There's about an acre of land between us and the neighbor that caught them - it's vacant land that no one lives on.
I'm just worried that the guinea will leave again if I let them out - BUT the whole point in getting them was so that they could free range and eat all of the bugs.
As for "why" they left...
I think one of the roosters does bug them a bit - but during the day the guinea tend to stay in one area and the chickens in another so I'm not sure if that's why...
My son was in charge of feeding them and I do wonder if he wasn't feeding them as much as he was told to...
Maybe there aren't as many bugs since they've eaten a lot and they found a lot more in the vacant property?
I'm open to idea... I'd like to keep them - and would like to let them free range - but I don't want to deal with them going so far that they get lost or someone takes them...
Three nights ago none of the guinea were roosting and were no where to be found... The next night we heard they were near the road, but we searched and couldn't find them. The next day we searched again... Today is day FOUR of them being gone - and we found out that a neighbor had caught them and had them in a 10 x 10 dog kennel (with a top) with about 40 chickens. We just went over and took them all back and put them in our chicken run - with the top closed in so they can't get out.
I'm not sure what to do now... They have always wandered around during the day - into the woods on both sides of our house... There's about an acre of land between us and the neighbor that caught them - it's vacant land that no one lives on.
I'm just worried that the guinea will leave again if I let them out - BUT the whole point in getting them was so that they could free range and eat all of the bugs.
As for "why" they left...
I think one of the roosters does bug them a bit - but during the day the guinea tend to stay in one area and the chickens in another so I'm not sure if that's why...
My son was in charge of feeding them and I do wonder if he wasn't feeding them as much as he was told to...
Maybe there aren't as many bugs since they've eaten a lot and they found a lot more in the vacant property?
I'm open to idea... I'd like to keep them - and would like to let them free range - but I don't want to deal with them going so far that they get lost or someone takes them...
