Where to put access door for Guinea Fowl?

[jimjan]

I'm contemplating getting Jumbo Guinea Fowl and have been figuring out coop ideas. I'm planning on getting the 8' ×8' metal cage from Tractor supply and building an elevated coop inside for them to sleep in. I was thinking maybe I should put the access door for the cage up high, so they would have to fly up to the port maybe land on a shelf outside and then hop on in. Help with predators? Versus putting the access hole on the ground?. Also plan on outfitting with an automatic door so I can make sure they are locked up at night. What are your thoughts on the access port up high?

 

[perchie.girl]

Welcome to BYC from San Diego High Desert.

Its Very good that you are planning before getting Pop door implies that they follow the rules.... Best thing is to Condition them to come in when its meal time... A call or whistle and feed. White millet is like crak to them but so is Scratch and or Wild bird seed. I used "Treet... Treet... Treet" and they would come flying out of the boulders Fussing at me "its about time"....

And of course the chickens were Johnny on the spot... "Hurry before the Guineas get here" Id lock em all up at about four or five.

How Many Guineas are you getting.
8 by 8 by how tall?

For what its worth at best 64 Square feet is good for about 6 chickens ... as a run Guineas need more space...

Recommended flock size minimum is at least five... More is better. Ten Guineas is great But when you buy from a Hatchery the minimums for Keets are usually around 25.

When I first got into guineas I adopted five adults. My coop size was sixteen by twelve by six feet tall. Dog Kennel panels. The roof was kind of a top hat arrangement lifting the center up another three or four feet. The top was then covered with Heavy duty Tarp...

Our climate is very much like the natural climate where Guineas Originate. So I didn't build a "Coop" space for them. We do get snow so the tarps got expanded to cover prevailing winds and Blowing snow.

circumstance has me with out poultry for now. But when I rebuild I Hope to raise Guineas for sale locally and for my table... Jumbos are on my want list.

Hope R2elk chimes in hes a wealth of information. I have learned a boat load from him.

Take a look at Guineas 101 as well.

deb

 

[jimjan]

Thanks for that. The cage is 8×8×6. I could build one from scratch with hog panel but just have too many projects going on this year. We're in VA so gets kinda cold here in the winter. I really only wanted the run as protection around the coop. So figured it would be big enough for 12 birds since they won't have to live in there...definitely will be free range birds. Definitely give them the crack at night so they come running. They'll be on a 3 acre fenced area, but obviously I know they can forage further if they hop over the five foot fence. But you think the access door up high is a good idea? My chickens live in a 10×12 coop with a run 15*28' and dont free range. Too many foxes out here. Hawks and Falcons daily hovering.

 

[perchie.girl]

Door up high would help to keep the chickens out... Definately do a landing board.

May take a while I have seen guineas trying to get into the kennels I have and not be able to figure out how to go around the open door....

While Trying to figure that one out... I found out Line of sight is important...

deb

 

[southwind00]

I've only had guineas 10 months now but the coop I built has a door on the bottom and one on top. They use the one on top pretty much exclusively in the evening when they go in but during the day if its raining hard half of them might use the lower entrance. Of course with guineas I'm learning nothing is certain. On my next iteration of a coop( first being just a proof of concept ) I'll have auto doors on both.

 

[R2elk]

I built my coop as an 8'x12' with 8' walls. The ceiling joists are open so the guineas use them as their roosts.
Guinea coop is on left.

I have since added a small door to the right of the main door in the run. It is at ground level and I manually open it every morning and manually close it every evening after I herd the guineas in for the night.

People need to understand that guineas are not chickens and do not have the same requirements that chickens can tolerate. Guineas do best in tall, large coops that have high roosts for them. They do not do well in the tiny prefabricated coops that are designed for chickens.

Other links to check out.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-guinea-coop.611685/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...op-edit-lots-of-pictures-more-as-i-go.439953/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/building-our-coop-pictures-update-post-40.289176/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-guineas-hate-their-coop.439918/#post-5481922

 

[perchie.girl]

Ooh Nice....

deb