Guineas won't leave backyard!

[serenityNH]

Hello.

I have the opposite problem of most guinea owners, I can't get them to leave my backyard. I want them to free range over my property, eat ticks and in the spring eat my garden bugs but all they do is sit next to my chickens and turkeys and eat feed all day. They pick on my chickens something wicked and they treat my tom turkey like he is king, grooming him and following him everywhere. I let them out of the coop to 'free range' with my chickens when they were 9 weeks old, they are 8 months old now and they have never ventured past my backyard. Will this change when they are older or do I have the only guinea hens on earth that won't leave?

Any advice appreciated.
Angie

 

[itsthelaw37801]

No that is unusual for that age. My second batch (not my adults) are going to be six months old and they venture everywhere. But they have my adults to lead them. I wouldn't push them to go because once they start, they don't always stay on your property. And my guineas bully our cat. And she's a pretty tough cat. How many do you have? Also you can take a long stick (I use a pvc pipe) or a rake or broom and lead them to where you want. Just know when you get them out of their comfort zone, there is no going back.

I love mine. We didn't have any ticks this last summer. We got them because we let our chickens free-range so we can't spray for bugs around our dogs. But I just love to watch them - they are funny.

 

[1876 Farm]

I agree with itsthelaw37801, don't push them, because they may keep wandering further and further until they never return. My 1st 2 batches of Guineas kept wandering further and further until they were gone, especially as fall approaches and there are less and less bugs to find in the yard. Also, with them staying close to your house, you will have less lose from predators.

I started with 50 guineas this spring (about 40 of them newly hatched in June/July), when ever they wandered out into our field, they return at least 1 less. We are sitting at 12 right now, hoping that at least 1 female survives until spring, when she will start laying eggs... So I can hatch more.

 

[itsthelaw37801]

We live in the woods, but keep our guineas in a kennel. They are trained to come home every night. However, we lose a lot of females when they start laying eggs. I guess the coyotes get them. We are considering tagging the females legs and not letting them out when they lay eggs. Suggestions?

 

[ludwing]

lol,Hi" im a guinea owner for 15 years"

raising guinea isn't easy like raising chickens, guineas are more wild than chickens and never truly tamed.
if hens frerange and lay outside in hidden spots, you should know that you will lost your girls to foxes. guineas are forangers and like to wander, sometimes they wander far and far and never return.
tagging guinea legs might not make any change, but that they may stop laying sometimes because of stress. G.fowls don't tolerate of being disturbed and will abandon their eggs if feel no protection in the privacy. people lock guineas to lay in coops, if you can notic that guineas who lay in coops like to scatter their eggs around and are less interested of goiung broody because of feeling no privacy.( when locking guineas to lay in the coop provide some covers for them to hide,like attaching boards on the coop walls, or in large yards enclosed, grss's and small bushes can help) why do you need to provide covers? because guineas like privacy hidden spots, and will go broody in small clutches of 15 to 18 eggs while scattering birds go aroung 30 to 60 eggs.
lol hop you will find the answer"""""""