One of the common questions we get from new guinea-keepers is “How do I get my guineas to stop spending all day on my deck?”
Your guineas hang out on your deck for the same reasons you do: It’s a great place to spend time! There are perches (deck rails, to you), a nice, big mirror in which to admire themselves (you probably think of it as the sliding glass door), maybe a swing, a lovely cross-breeze, shade on a hot summer day. Not to mention, this seems to be where the Food Goddess emerges every day. It’s almost as if you’d built it especially for them!
If you don’t like your flock hanging out on the deck, consider building a “guinea park,” especially tailored to them, that they would like even more. A guinea park has the added advantages of providing entertainment and stimulating foraging activity during the cold months, when they’re not kept busy foraging.
Guineas like a variety of places to sit up off the ground and observe their surroundings. A ladder, or ladder-style roosts, maybe made of tree branches, gives several birds the opportunity to satisfy their urge to keep an eye on things. A homemade dead-branch tee-pee makes a fun hiding spot. Pallets stacked or propped up on each other are an inexpensive way to give them a variety of things they can climb and perch on. Old, free furniture finds such as wooden chairs or shelving units also work well.
Guineas dust-bathe at least once a day. Build them a dusting box, filled with sand, peat moss, or loose dirt. (Never use play-sand; use construction/masonry/river bank sand). If possible, locate it such that it’s shaded when it’s hot and sunny during cold months. One advantage of this setup is that you can wet down the sand when it’s excessively hot outside, giving the guineas a way to cool off. Similarly, misters or sprinklers running on the hottest summer days will do a lot to help them stay cool. Install the sprinklers or misters ahead of time. Guineas are notoriously cautious of new things. Having them in place before their needed will give the guineas less reason to freak out when you start running them.
If there’s no available shade, consider installing some shade cloth overhead, and be sure there’s water in or near their playground.
Hanging treats of suet/seed blocks, cucumbers, zucchini, or cabbages are a great source of entertainment (for both you and the birds!) and provide some extra nutrition during the winter when insects and greens are scarce. For the cucumber or zucchini, peel away some of the skin to give the birds a place to get started. Fruit skewers are another way to provide nutritious treats, presented in a novel way. We recommend against using string to suspend the veggies, because of the risk of the birds ingesting the string. Wire, floral wire, zip ties, or a wire coat hanger would be better. Be sure to remove leftovers before they become moldy.
Another boredom-busting treat activity for guineas can be created using an empty plastic water bottle. Punch several holes in the bottle, big enough for their pelleted feed to drop out. Fill the bottle halfway, and let the guineas chase the bottle around the yard.
Bales of hay can stimulate foraging activity during the down months, as well as provide your guineas a place to play King of the Hill. Alfalfa hay has the added advantage of providing a little extra nutrition. Sprinkle some dried mealworms across the hay bale to further entice the birds to explore it.
As you gathered from the comments about your patio sliding glass door, guineas love to admire themselves in something shiny. A cheap mirror from a dollar store would serve the purpose.
Guineas love a swing! Use your imagination to come up with one or more swinging options. A tire or small log suspended from a tree, or a swing that you’ve constructed yourself, or even an actual playground-type swing – whether it’s made for one guinea or for half a dozen, you’ll soon see them rocking themselves contentedly.
Dispense treats such as dried mealworms in the guinea park, randomly. Not every day, not at the same time each day. Switch things up so that they don’t become used to a routine. You want to keep them interested, entertained, and anticipating.
All of these have the advantage of helping keep your flock entertained and active. They will be less likely to engage in destructive behaviors such as feather-pulling and climbing onto your cars. And, maybe more importantly, not hanging out on your deck!
