When can i let my guinea fowl free range

[Pennae]

I have 8 guinea fowl and i was wondering when i can let them out free ranging, they're about, 4 of them are 4 months and 4 are about 1-2 months old and i want them to go in the house at night, i have other chickens that go in at night but im not shore about the guineas.
please reply

 

[silkiecuddles]

I think the 4-month olds are old enough to go out. Maybe not the younger ones yet. Guineas are very adventurous, so keep an eye on them. A lot of guineas get hit in the road. They should go back in the coop at night

 

[Foxs Fowl Farm]

Hello. I am going through this forum and saw your question. I am always a bit longwinded but I like to help if I can, giving my experience and what I have learned and hope it helps others.

I have one years worth of experience with guineas, started as eggs then hatched keets. I am just now hatching and selling their first seasons eggs. Very exciting to bring these birds to our area. Great "watchdogs" of the flocks.

I agree with the prior post, your 4 month olds are ready, as long as you started them as keets on your property. Home base is important to establish. If you brought them in as older birds, releasing them to range during the day depends on length you've had them.

If these were my birds I would be letting them out, so long as I raised them from hatch or soon after. That's me, that's my environment. Just to elaborate, this is with 5 dogs-3 pit bulls, a Havanese and a Papipoo- that go between inside and out all day long, geese, chickens, ducks, horses, sheep and turkeys. We live on 1.25 acres with close neighbors of same property size to the north, east and west. Larger 5 acre properties to the south and a moderately traveled dirt road in an area that has small homestead, livestock properties. We are not in city limits. But, there are threats and predators. Hawks, owls, coyotes, cars, motorbikes, ATV's....

I don't know what kind of environment you have around you...

My 9 started as keets I incubated from purchased eggs. I placed them outside with chicks and ducklings, all hatched and raised together, once they were out of the heat lamp stage. They knew where home was. The keets stayed together. They are fast little things too. They just piddled around the yard and came back to the brooder coop at dusk. As they got older, things changed.

You may notice yours flock together or separate. Different ages usually flock separate. I only know this because my parents have them in another state. We discuss their habits. They establish a routine and you pretty much know where they are. They sound off quite loudly...lol. Routine is their day.

Mine did choose to not want to be housed in a coop. They roost on a block fence with the protection of a tree above them. A couple roost on a branch. They are wild. I tried to coop and they didn't want any part of it. They flew up into the neighbors tree and waited until I left to return to home roost.

Don't choose a day to launch them when the weather is temperamental and too much chaos is going on. They do spook and fly. I wouldn't expect them to fly far, but it could be enough to worry you if it is first outings. I wouldn't be to worried about them going too far. They are just learning their new ground. They don't want to be anyones "groceries" so they are very wary of anything new. These aren't stupid birds, but they are a wild bird that has different needs and much different temperaments than any other I have raised.

If you are really worried, maybe try to let them graze toward dusk and the coop up time for the rest of your birds. Use a special treat to lure them out to explore and back into the coop. This will give them an opportunity to expand their territory, a little each day until YOU are comfortable.

I raise my birds, many different breeds, as naturally as I can. I have learned I can't control these birds. They haven't left home base and I haven't lost any to predators, air or ground. My parents have close to 30 acres and they have had loss. The birds range all over and have even gone onto the heavily travelled roads. Not quite sure why as mine do not, though I don't have as many as they do either. We have neighbors on either side of us and they like one particular property. It is not the 5 acre ones either. It's identical to our size where they find the most "groceries" for themselves....I will say the nesting part will be a bit trickier. I have to track them down. That's another issue entirely. Don't worry too much, reduce any unnecessary stress on yourself as to what is out of your control... Enjoy them.

I am happy to help further if you have any other questions.

Good luck.

 

[Pennae]

thanks everyone, were on a farm and theres no roads near so yeh, and the little ones just follow the big one

 

[Foxs Fowl Farm]

I am still reading about different ideas from different hobbyists...

I did find some info that suggested only letting one, to a few, to half of flock out at a time. Singles don't like to be alone. They will return to the calls of the flock.

So that is another idea to try.

I will check in to see how the flock is doing. Keep us posted as to what has worked.

 

[Pennae]

yep the flock is doing fine they just follow the other chickens

i let my two hens out before the guineas and they for the first couple days just hung around the guinea cage and then i let the guineas out and they hung with the hens.

 

[jwilhite]

Our guineas seemed to benefit from practicing going in and out of the coop. We let our guineas out at 4 weeks old (which is supposedly too young to let them out), but we only let them out for about 30 minutes at a time; then we would herd them back into the coop again. We had a grasshopper infestation in our garden, and those little keets just went on a feeding frenzy and gobbled them all up in about a week's time, and we only let them run around in the garden about 30-60 minutes each day.

Eventually, they got pretty good at going in and out of our movable guinea coop. When we finally let them out all day (at six weeks old), they didn't have any problems coming back to the coop again. At first they would stay pretty close to the coop; then as they got older they would venture out farther. For a while we would herd them back into the coop a couple of times a day just to make sure they knew the drill, but we only did that a few weeks. Herding young guineas is pretty simple because they flock together so well.

It was kind of scary when they eventually started flying off where we couldn't see them, but they always came back home at night and all I had to do was close the door in the evenings.

 

[Christeen Mullins]

I brought home a male adult guinea for my adult girls. The girls free range during the day and go in the chicken coop at dinner time. I have been keeping the male in with the hens all the time. The question is how long should I wait till I let the big guy out to free range with the girls?

 

[sillyfab]

Hello. I am going through this forum and saw your question. I am always a bit longwinded but I like to help if I can, giving my experience and what I have learned and hope it helps others.

I have one years worth of experience with guineas, started as eggs then hatched keets. I am just now hatching and selling their first seasons eggs. Very exciting to bring these birds to our area. Great "watchdogs" of the flocks.

I agree with the prior post, your 4 month olds are ready, as long as you started them as keets on your property. Home base is important to establish. If you brought them in as older birds, releasing them to range during the day depends on length you've had them.

If these were my birds I would be letting them out, so long as I raised them from hatch or soon after. That's me, that's my environment. Just to elaborate, this is with 5 dogs-3 pit bulls, a Havanese and a Papipoo- that go between inside and out all day long, geese, chickens, ducks, horses, sheep and turkeys. We live on 1.25 acres with close neighbors of same property size to the north, east and west. Larger 5 acre properties to the south and a moderately traveled dirt road in an area that has small homestead, livestock properties. We are not in city limits. But, there are threats and predators. Hawks, owls, coyotes, cars, motorbikes, ATV's....

I don't know what kind of environment you have around you...

My 9 started as keets I incubated from purchased eggs. I placed them outside with chicks and ducklings, all hatched and raised together, once they were out of the heat lamp stage. They knew where home was. The keets stayed together. They are fast little things too. They just piddled around the yard and came back to the brooder coop at dusk. As they got older, things changed.

You may notice yours flock together or separate. Different ages usually flock separate. I only know this because my parents have them in another state. We discuss their habits. They establish a routine and you pretty much know where they are. They sound off quite loudly...lol. Routine is their day.

Mine did choose to not want to be housed in a coop. They roost on a block fence with the protection of a tree above them. A couple roost on a branch. They are wild. I tried to coop and they didn't want any part of it. They flew up into the neighbors tree and waited until I left to return to home roost.

Don't choose a day to launch them when the weather is temperamental and too much chaos is going on. They do spook and fly. I wouldn't expect them to fly far, but it could be enough to worry you if it is first outings. I wouldn't be to worried about them going too far. They are just learning their new ground. They don't want to be anyones "groceries" so they are very wary of anything new. These aren't stupid birds, but they are a wild bird that has different needs and much different temperaments than any other I have raised.

If you are really worried, maybe try to let them graze toward dusk and the coop up time for the rest of your birds. Use a special treat to lure them out to explore and back into the coop. This will give them an opportunity to expand their territory, a little each day until YOU are comfortable.

I raise my birds, many different breeds, as naturally as I can. I have learned I can't control these birds. They haven't left home base and I haven't lost any to predators, air or ground. My parents have close to 30 acres and they have had loss. The birds range all over and have even gone onto the heavily travelled roads. Not quite sure why as mine do not, though I don't have as many as they do either. We have neighbors on either side of us and they like one particular property. It is not the 5 acre ones either. It's identical to our size where they find the most "groceries" for themselves....I will say the nesting part will be a bit trickier. I have to track them down. That's another issue entirely. Don't worry too much, reduce any unnecessary stress on yourself as to what is out of your control... Enjoy them.

I am happy to help further if you have any other questions.

Good luck.

This was very helpful to me thank for posting for this..

 

[Howardboyd]

Hello. I am going through this forum and saw your question. I am always a bit longwinded but I like to help if I can, giving my experience and what I have learned and hope it helps others.

I have one years worth of experience with guineas, started as eggs then hatched keets. I am just now hatching and selling their first seasons eggs. Very exciting to bring these birds to our area. Great "watchdogs" of the flocks.

I agree with the prior post, your 4 month olds are ready, as long as you started them as keets on your property. Home base is important to establish. If you brought them in as older birds, releasing them to range during the day depends on length you've had them.

If these were my birds I would be letting them out, so long as I raised them from hatch or soon after. That's me, that's my environment. Just to elaborate, this is with 5 dogs-3 pit bulls, a Havanese and a Papipoo- that go between inside and out all day long, geese, chickens, ducks, horses, sheep and turkeys. We live on 1.25 acres with close neighbors of same property size to the north, east and west. Larger 5 acre properties to the south and a moderately traveled dirt road in an area that has small homestead, livestock properties. We are not in city limits. But, there are threats and predators. Hawks, owls, coyotes, cars, motorbikes, ATV's....

I don't know what kind of environment you have around you...

My 9 started as keets I incubated from purchased eggs. I placed them outside with chicks and ducklings, all hatched and raised together, once they were out of the heat lamp stage. They knew where home was. The keets stayed together. They are fast little things too. They just piddled around the yard and came back to the brooder coop at dusk. As they got older, things changed.

You may notice yours flock together or separate. Different ages usually flock separate. I only know this because my parents have them in another state. We discuss their habits. They establish a routine and you pretty much know where they are. They sound off quite loudly...lol. Routine is their day.

Mine did choose to not want to be housed in a coop. They roost on a block fence with the protection of a tree above them. A couple roost on a branch. They are wild. I tried to coop and they didn't want any part of it. They flew up into the neighbors tree and waited until I left to return to home roost.

Don't choose a day to launch them when the weather is temperamental and too much chaos is going on. They do spook and fly. I wouldn't expect them to fly far, but it could be enough to worry you if it is first outings. I wouldn't be to worried about them going too far. They are just learning their new ground. They don't want to be anyones "groceries" so they are very wary of anything new. These aren't stupid birds, but they are a wild bird that has different needs and much different temperaments than any other I have raised.

If you are really worried, maybe try to let them graze toward dusk and the coop up time for the rest of your birds. Use a special treat to lure them out to explore and back into the coop. This will give them an opportunity to expand their territory, a little each day until YOU are comfortable.

I raise my birds, many different breeds, as naturally as I can. I have learned I can't control these birds. They haven't left home base and I haven't lost any to predators, air or ground. My parents have close to 30 acres and they have had loss. The birds range all over and have even gone onto the heavily travelled roads. Not quite sure why as mine do not, though I don't have as many as they do either. We have neighbors on either side of us and they like one particular property. It is not the 5 acre ones either. It's identical to our size where they find the most "groceries" for themselves....I will say the nesting part will be a bit trickier. I have to track them down. That's another issue entirely. Don't worry too much, reduce any unnecessary stress on yourself as to what is out of your control... Enjoy them.

I am happy to help further if you have any other questions.

Good luck.

Very good advice ,we have had guineas for many years also .I have six babies right now maybe 6 weeks old from there momma hatching them ,She goes right into a special coop for this all on her own to lay her eggs .I provide food and water right next to her so she has no reason to leave the nest .We have eleven adults who stay on our five acres that we raised also .Ive found that providing enough scratch and lots of water and we also have 16 horses they feed off the soaked horse pellets .we live way out up against a mountain in Arizona so we do have coyotes but the dogs mark our borders and they don’t come in to our ranch .There very annoying I will say at times .I have them tapping on my slider in the early morning when I’m trying to have my coffee as there letting me know they want there breakfast.They do kill rattle snakes and eat the fly larvy so that’s the main reason we have them .I also have giant pine trees that we have grown from seed and timers that water them at noon so they sit and wait for them to turn on as they love playing in the water especially when it’s hot .We will have guineas,rabbits chipmunks birds roadrunners all hanging out eating the feed I put down everyday all getting along .To bad humans couldn’t take note how animals get along .Our Rottweiler and five other dogs will walk right next to them and nobody bothers each other .Thanks for your Info ,it was helpful as I was thinking about letting our babies out but I think I will wait another three four weeks .Just the momma seems like she’s over it ,like let me out of here these kids are making me nuts .