Moving guineas

oldmanriver · #1 09/09/04, 11:38 AM

Can I move adult guineas to a new farm without them trying to return home??

Meg Z · #2 09/09/04, 12:14 PM

A lot of folks say you can't, but I have only had adult guineas, never keets, and have had no problem relocating them.

Pen them in their new location for a week or two, feeding them well. Hopefully, they'll be looking out over their new territory. When released, they stick around. I'm sure there are exceptions, but the worst problem I ever had was them insisting on roosting back in the pen at night. One batch I didn't think to go out and close the pen door at night, and lost 5 in one night to foxes. My fault. And after them being fed so well, having them underfoot begging later on after they're released.

Good luck with them.

Meg

EasyDay · #3 09/09/04, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meg Z

A lot of folks say you can't, but I have only had adult guineas, never keets, and have had no problem relocating them.

Pen them in their new location for a week or two, feeding them well. Hopefully, they'll be looking out over their new territory. When released, they stick around. I'm sure there are exceptions, but the worst problem I ever had was them insisting on roosting back in the pen at night. One batch I didn't think to go out and close the pen door at night, and lost 5 in one night to foxes. My fault. And after them being fed so well, having them underfoot begging later on after they're released.

Good luck with them.

Meg

I gave the same advice to my brother, who passed it on to his friend... "pen 'em up for the first 2-3 weeks and they'll stick around later on". His friend bought 24 at $2 each... penned them up for 2 weeks, then called my brother and said "you owe me $24! I let them out a week ago and haven't seen one bird since!" :haha:

My brother was quick to call me and tell me!

Oops! that was 12 @ $2 each! DUH... me and math

sancraft · #4 09/09/04, 01:02 PM

I bought 5 adult guineas. Brought them home and penned them up for 2-3 weeks. When I let them out, they always came back. I did lose one, but I think a dog got it. Then I moved them again. Kept them penned and when I let them out, they all came back. Again, I lost one, but I know a fox got it. I found tracks in the woods.

Cyngbaeld · #5 09/09/04, 01:14 PM

Two or three weeks should do it. I know you have to do the same with cats, especially if you don't move them very far. But I know people who SWORE they kept the cats in the house 2 or 3 wks and it still wandered off. But I had seen the animal outside during that time. So it always makes me wonder. Some folks, if you say 2 wks think 2 or 3 days is adequate.

EasyDay · #6 09/09/04, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EasyDay

I gave the same advice to my brother, who passed it on to his friend... "pen 'em up for the first 2-3 weeks and they'll stick around later on". His friend bought 24 at $2 each... penned them up for 2 weeks, then called my brother and said "you owe me $24! I let them out a week ago and haven't seen one bird since!" :haha:

My brother was quick to call me and tell me!

Oops! that was 12 @ $2 each! DUH... me and math

I have to admit that I have no idea what my brother's friends place is like. It's possible that he didn't make them feel the need to stay, or maybe they felt threatened by something. If the environment didn't seem right, I'd leave, too! In fact I have on occassion!

*shrug* Who knows what lurks in the brains of critters?

HarleysMom · #7 09/09/04, 02:13 PM

The best way I have found to relocate guineas is to pen them up for a few weeks at the new location. Then turn one loose. It will develop an attachment for the place without having any buddies to run off with. About 4 days later, turn another one loose. It will hang around with the first one who isn't interested in going anywhere else. Keep turning them loose one at a time with a few days in between each release. Eventually they will all be loose and staying around.

farmmaid · #8 09/09/04, 05:48 PM

Harleys Mom is right. Cage them all 3 weeks then let one out at a time, the rest will "call her back" wait another 3 days then let 2 out etc., no problems...Joan

MarleneS · #9 09/09/04, 06:08 PM

The book I have on guineas states that no matter what the age they should be left in the coop you want them to roost in for at least "6" weeks. If ya'll are having success with the two weeks let one out...wait a few days let another one out.etc...I'm sure going to do that with the next batch.

Marlene

perennial · #10 09/10/04, 08:42 AM

Just curious, what is a guineas?

brural (not yet, can you tell)

landlord · #11 09/10/04, 10:12 AM

My bro gave me 3 guineas and 2 banty roosters. Coons grabbed the roosters last winter and they also grabbed 2 guineas this spring and summer. My neighbor, with her menangerie, a dozen or more guineas, and they came through the bean field to my farm. It did take awhile for my guinea to acclimate to them. The next morning my lone guinea would head east a few hundred yard and call to the north (his call would echo off the silo) and sure enough the neighbors guineas would show up. My lone guinea finally acclimated to the neighbors and has found a new home. Beings we are dogless the coons do show up and probably have some fox and coyotes. Which have not bothered the sheep, however, Thank God!

landlord · #12 09/10/04, 10:15 AM

A guinea is a very prehistoric looking poultry with a swooped back. They also have a turkey sort of colored head. My guineas were gray but I hear they can be a different color. Mine roost in the trees when it is -20F. Some people say they are good eating.

EasyDay · #13 09/10/04, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by landlord

A guinea is a very prehistoric looking poultry with a swooped back. They also have a turkey sort of colored head. My guineas were gray but I hear they can be a different color. Mine roost in the trees when it is -20F. Some people say they are good eating.

I've heard they're good eating, too. Apparently they taste like pheasant, so are used as a pheasant substitute in some areas. This makes sense because I read they are a member of the pheasant family.

Little Quacker in OR · #14 09/10/04, 11:48 AM

brural, Guinea Fowl are from Africa. They are noisy and can be irritating and difficult to keep penned if predators are a problem. They are also superior insect eaters, good eating(maybe this depends on what a person is used to and how hungry one is?

, great foragers and come in some pretty colors being spotted or speckled. Here in the USA it's the "helmeted" species that are quite popular and they are being bred in more colors all of the time. They are a self sufficient bird that takes little care and very interesting to observe.

The noise drives some people nuts but then I like to hear ducks quack and some don't care for that noise either.

Put the term in GOOGLE and you'll get some nice sites with good pictures.

LQ

Cornhusker · #15 09/10/04, 02:46 PM

I always thought guineas tasted like grouse, but it's been a while.
I never tried to get an adult guinea moved, always had keets. We bought 15 a couple years back, 2 didn't get eaten by coyotes and owls. They bred last year, hatched some out in late fall and a snow storm killed all but one.
They hatched out another batch, 11 I think, and Hoping the weather holds till they are big and strong.
Guineas are fun to have around, but when they get in the shop (30x50 metal building) they can make an horrific noise.

MarleneS · #16 09/10/04, 04:42 PM

Since anyone who keeps guineas is likely to be having new batches each year it's probably not very useful to know that their first year is when the make the most noise. After that, they only make a racket when they are attempting to scare something off "their" land. Actually, they are a very good alarm system once you are around them enough to recognize which sounds need your attention and which don't.

Before I had guineas I did a google search - and most of the websites were for ordering dressed out guineas...and they were expensive. Us country bumpkins might be missing out on a gold mind with our noisy fowl.

Marlene