Do guinea keets every become less terrified?

Having never reared guineas, I don't know what to expect. My keets are about eight weeks old and if they so much as hear me approaching they start body slamming themselves into the sides of the coop in sheer terror, squawking up a storm. It's really been off putting to be honest. Five days ago I built a fully enclosed run so they can safely go outside, and unsurprisingly they can go out but can't figure out how to go back in. Catching them at night has been terrible and even after I put them inside they scream and bang into the walls for 30 minutes or more before calming down. Does that ever stop!?

humblehillsfarm said:

Having never reared guineas, I don't know what to expect. My keets are about eight weeks old and if they so much as hear me approaching they start body slamming themselves into the sides of the coop in sheer terror, squawking up a storm. It's really been off putting to be honest. Five days ago I built a fully enclosed run so they can safely go outside, and unsurprisingly they can go out but can't figure out how to go back in. Catching them at night has been terrible and even after I put them inside they scream and bang into the walls for 30 minutes or more before calming down. Does that ever stop!?

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Sit and talk to them but do not approach them. You can try treats to lure them closer. You have to be patient and allow them to approach you on their own terms.

Instead of catching them to put them away at night, make sure it is still daylight and that the coop isn't dark and slowly herd them in. It will be much less traumatic to them.

It is critical that the coop is not dark when you put them in. They have a natural fear of dark places.

R2elk said:

Sit and talk to them but do not approach them. You can try treats to lure them closer. You have to be patient and allow them to approach you on their own terms.

Instead of catching them to put them away at night, make sure it is still daylight and that the coop isn't dark and slowly herd them in. It will be much less traumatic to them.

It is critical that the coop is not dark when you put them in. They have a natural fear of dark places.

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They have a ramp, so they tend to go under instead of up when I am near them. While it is certainly not dark in the coop, it is much brighter inside than out. I have been putting them up around five or six so they can eat, where the chickens have gone in around 7:30 or 8. I'll try to spend more time with them but it's peak harvest season so I've been neglecting all of my animals compared to the time I normally spend with them.

Can guineas eventually figure out ramps?

And another question, since you mentioned treats, with chickens, chicks never seem too interested in treats until they learn from the mature flock. I threw in some tomato seeds for the guineas for the first time two days ago and it doesn't appear that they touched any of them. Any ideas for enticing treats?

humblehillsfarm said:

They have a ramp, so they tend to go under instead of up when I am near them. While it is certainly not dark in the coop, it is much brighter inside than out. I have been putting them up around five or six so they can eat, where the chickens have gone in around 7:30 or 8. I'll try to spend more time with them but it's peak harvest season so I've been neglecting all of my animals compared to the time I normally spend with them.

Can guineas eventually figure out ramps?

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I would seal off the sides of the ramp to prevent them from getting under it.

Yes, guineas can train to a ramp, but they need some help. Can you post some pics of your setup, especially the ramp/run interface? In order to train them to go in at night, they need to learn to do it themselves. Have you tried mealworms for treats? White millet?

humblehillsfarm said:

And another question, since you mentioned treats, with chickens, chicks never seem too interested in treats until they learn from the mature flock. I threw in some tomato seeds for the guineas for the first time two days ago and it doesn't appear that they touched any of them. Any ideas for enticing treats?

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The most often recommended treat for guineas is white millet. Even then they have to be introduced to it and given time to try it so they can learn that it is guinea crack. My guineas learned about BOSS from the droppings under the bird feeder.

Some people use meal worms. Live ones that are moving will probably get their attention sooner than the dead ones. Use treats sparingly.

Mixed flock enthusiast said:

Yes, guineas can train to a ramp, but they need some help. Can you post some pics of your setup, especially the ramp/run interface? In order to train them to go in at night, they need to learn to do it themselves. Have you tried mealworms for treats? White millet?

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I have not tried mealworms but I have some. I don't have any millet, although I have some flax seed in the mean time. I can put them out in feed containers for them to try. I am worried that by me catching them I have already traumatized them!! Normally I am well researched before taking on new animals, but these were thrown on me unexpectedly.

I do not have current pictures. I will have to take pictures when I get home. The ramp is somewhat steeper than normal, but the chickens used it just fine.

humblehillsfarm said:

I have not tried mealworms but I have some. I don't have any millet, although I have some flax seed in the mean time. I can put them out in feed containers for them to try. I am worried that by me catching them I have already traumatized them!! Normally I am well researched before taking on new animals, but these were thrown on me unexpectedly.

I do not have current pictures. I will have to take pictures when I get home. The ramp is somewhat steeper than normal, but the chickens used it just fine.

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Be very careful feeding flax seeds to anything they are 50% fat.

humblehillsfarm said:

I have not tried mealworms but I have some. I don't have any millet, although I have some flax seed in the mean time. I can put them out in feed containers for them to try. I am worried that by me catching them I have already traumatized them!! Normally I am well researched before taking on new animals, but these were thrown on me unexpectedly.

I do not have current pictures. I will have to take pictures when I get home. The ramp is somewhat steeper than normal, but the chickens used it just fine.

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Mine adore dried mealworms, soldier fly larvae, etc, but it does take guineas some time to get used to any new foods. So, as R2elk suggested, I think you need to train the guineas to herd then block off the areas around where you are trying to herd them… like a cattle chute? I’ve used temporary plastic fencing with plastic push in posts to make a funnel into where I’m trying to train them to coop. You will need your fencing to go along the sides of your ramp as their natural inclination will be to run under/over/run off the sides of the ramp instead of climbing it.

As for fearfulness, guineas are pretty high strung, which is part of why they can evade predators (maybe, lots of caveats there). If you have just gotten them, moved them, and are regularly touching them, they are going to be pretty freaked out. You need them to get into the coop themselves, and you need to associate yourself as a yummy treat dispenser/gentle herder, but I think you should split those into two goals.

if you’ve herded livestock before, you can think of your guineas as wild horse - you need very little pressure to get them to move. Since they are terrified of you, you may need to just stand around for awhile with your stick etc to get them used to the idea that you’re not about to grab them. Then slowly move around your pen and get them used to the idea that they can move away from you but you are not actually persuing them. When you have a little time, take a chair or bucket into the pen and sit on it for awhile ignoring the guineas, then leave. If you can get them eating the mealworms, then you can take your visiting time and make it treat time. The guineas will slowly realize that you aren’t the predator that they are hard wired to look and escape from.

https://guineas.com/articles/training

Let us know how it goes!