California-Southern

[perchie.girl]

Kept me on my tip toes the whole time!

I can envision perfectly you laying on the mattress as a chicken walks in for you to throw a sock and them running out!

I wish I could have guineas! They sound like such tough little guys! I agree on the alien looking part, though I believe after a while they'll grow on you - right?!

And turkeys!! You're so lucky Deb! Wish I had all that space!

Thanks for the story and the laughs that came with it <3

LOL thanks. People either love Guineas or they dont.... doesn't seem to be an in between. I even like their looks.... But you Have to let them free range or they will terrorize your chickens.... They can fly a good thirty feet high and about twice as long.

When I would go out to feed in the morning they would have been out in the hills foraging for "Stuff" I live in amongst some huge boulders. You could hear them talking amonts them selves from a quarter mile away.... Soon as they would hear me holler Chick Chick Chick you could hear them Take off still talking and they would land on my roof then soar down to the back yard...

I fed at three separate stations so if there was a discussion on whos turn it was the others could go and eat.

deb

 

[sol2go]

LOL thanks. People either love Guineas or they dont.... doesn't seem to be an in between. I even like their looks.... But you Have to let them free range or they will terrorize your chickens.... They can fly a good thirty feet high and about twice as long.

When I would go out to feed in the morning they would have been out in the hills foraging for "Stuff" I live in amongst some huge boulders. You could hear them talking amonts them selves from a quarter mile away.... Soon as they would hear me holler Chick Chick Chick you could hear them Take off still talking and they would land on my roof then soar down to the back yard...

I fed at three separate stations so if there was a discussion on whos turn it was the others could go and eat.

deb

that's interesting, I expected Guineas would have to be contained, surprised that they become attached at all

@Exotica - excessive heat can be part of the problem when chicks are shipped.
There is some thought that they generally travel better in the first 48 hours; maybe your chicks just feathered in quickly?

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Guijneas dont really tame they have to be conditioned.... So every time I fed I would holler Chick Chick Chick.... Interesting thing too.. It called in all my poultry... You can condition them to a bell or a whistle too any distinctive noise.

But when you keep them contained you should keep them in a breed enclosure.... Coop and run of their own. I have eighteen acres and everyone around me has at least ten or twenty.... Lots of room out there.

deb

 

[Exotica]

Hi Exotica - are your chicks sexed as female?

Hello! Only the Cream Legbar's are ): Nothing else is guaranteed but I like taking risks!

From my experience at SHR, Missy (proprietor, before she had someone else do chicken transactions), would attempt to sex them for you if you want pullets. If they turned out male, she'd give you credit for a female. I wanted a SF pullet, but it turned out to be a cockerel, so she credited and gave me another chick.

Aww.. it's not like that anymore sadly.. Besides their auto-sexing breeds - everything else is luck! I would've loved for her to try to sex them for me!

Exotica - you've got yourself some cutie patooties!

Thank you so much!

that's interesting, I expected Guineas would have to be contained, surprised that they become attached at all

@Exotica - excessive heat can be part of the problem when chicks are shipped.
There is some thought that they generally travel better in the first 48 hours; maybe your chicks just feathered in quickly?

I doubt they are day old chicks! I believe they're maybe a week to two old since on their website it says chicks are 1-2 weeks old.
I was just concerned with the temp because it's been around the 70's down here lately and just thinking about them next to the air conditioning in a van scares me! Haha!
Edit: Upon doing research aka Googling, I've decided that they are around 4-5 days. I also texted Kaylee and will update with their age.

 

[Rayrayschicks]

I had  past tense....  Guinea fowl, Welsummers, Silkies, two Araucanas (both tailless), heritage Turkeys, and a barnyard mix with a strong EE influences.  Oh and  Buff Brahamas.    Back when I first found out about blue egg laying chickens I was fascinated and did a lot of research on them.  I am a researcher by nature...

Loved em all for their different qualities.  For what its worth I dont  speak about breeds and their natures without having hands on experience with them.

By far the Welsummers I would recommend.  They are heat and cold hearty (necessary here in the high desert) and fairly peaciful.  I had three roos and about twenty hens.  The Roos did their jobs peacifully keeping track of predatuors..  One roo took up the Alpha position...  and kept the other two in line with only a little discipline.

The EEs  were a mixed bag Large Fowl and Bantam and some in between.  MOst of my broodies were EEs or EE crosses.  While they were doing their job my flock was always filled with peeps and cheeps and big and little and tweenagers...  With that group I also had three roos and about thirty hens...  The roos Were Waylin Willie and Bubba.  Came from a farm that had too many.  Waylin had a MIGHTY Doodle doo.  Willie had a lilting song and his head dopped down to the side when he finished.  Bubba ...  that first few months I never heard him sing.  He would just stand there like a lump and watch.

One day I was down with asthma didnt have a bedfram only a matress on the floor.  the nebulizer by the bed on the floor where the plug was...  I had my bedroom door open to enjoy chicken TV...  Every once and a while a hen would get curous and step in... Awwwk Awwk?  Awk?   looking around Id throw a sock and she would run out...  Believe me laugther is an evil thing when you can't breathe... 

Then I hear a BLOOD Curtling scream... Uh Oh.  Here comes Willie with Waylin in persuit....  Must have broke the rules...    Bwhaahahah cough cough...  Then I heard a beautiful lilting call it was like half rooster and half Quail...  I had to get up for that one.  I peeked around the corner of the door and there was bubba  Singing his heart out...  Bubba got renamed Elvis after that.

Lets see the Guineas are a raucous loud PACK and sound like a squeeky hinge with bees in it....  and they are the ALIENS of the barnyard.  and so daggum silly.   One day I went out in a pink bathrobe and they just about turned themselves inside out screaming at me.... calling ME the alien....  they dont do change well.  but they do a great job as a walking burglar or predator alarm.  I personally have seen five of my guineas ESCORT a coyote off the property buzzing and screetching at him and charging and offereing to peck him...  The coyote kept on moving and turning back  as if to say "This aint Right !! "

The turkeys too were a hoot.  I got them  just because...  Beautiful chocolate and black feathers on the male and there were splashes of gold on him too.  I called him MR T.  his wife was pretty too but kept busy doing turkey things.  MR T. would fluf up and show off his feathers and creep up to me like snidely whiplash....  Id turn around and say "What are you doing|?"  he would deflate and immediately and peck at the ground.... 

I didnt know they could fly till one night I was at my computer in the living room...  door to the patio was open and there was some pipe out there at one time supplied the green house.  The room is protected so I ahd a bunch of boxes in there.  the pipe is a good fifteen feet off the floor.  I suddenly heard some scrambling and huge flapping sound and a THUD.  I flipped on the light to see MR T. turn himself back upright and shake the dust off his feathers.  Mrs T was still perched on the pipe and looking down...  It took him about three good flaps to get back up there....

For those who make round perches for their poultry... this is one of the reasons why not.  when they fall asleep the don't balance so well.

The auracanas I didnt have very long...  I lost em all to coyote pack getting in the yard.  It was a cascade failure on many levels.  I am over it.... it was about four years ago.  So I wont be doing poultry again till I can do my new poultry house and a secure run for them.  And live there as well.

deb "who writes a book now and then"

Wow thank you so much for sharing all that with me, I really enjoyed reading it.... You've had some wonderful / funny chickens and turkeys. Your experience with poultry is very impressive. I wish I could have more hens, and a rooster... But unfortunately I have a feeling our neighbours won't like it and most probably will complain. We live in the suburbs and no one has any chickens here except for us,... I hope my girls won't be too loud when they get big.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:

I lost em all to coyote pack getting in the yard. It was a cascade failure on many levels. I am over it.... it was about four years ago. So I wont be doing poultry again till I can do my new poultry house and a secure run for them. And live there as well.

deb "who writes a book now and then"

Wow thank you so much for sharing all that with me, I really enjoyed reading it.... You've had some wonderful / funny chickens and turkeys. Your experience with poultry is very impressive. I wish I could have more hens, and a rooster... But unfortunately I have a feeling our neighbours won't like it and most probably will complain. We live in the suburbs and no one has any chickens here except for us,... I hope my girls won't be too loud when they get big.

I am a story teller but i only embellish for interest.

I have had chickens for about twenty years total and I will tell you first and foremost I am lacking in many things... I have never experienced a case of coccidosis or worms or parasites above mites. Heck i didnt even know that chickens got worms till I got on line here. I have never had a mysterious illness or major wounds.... No wound that couldn't be treated with Sugar as a blood stopper or Blue coat to keep the others from pecking.

My dad used to say... twenty years of experience is wayy different than one years worth twenty times.

With your hens the only thing your neighbors will hear is the egg song in the morning or afternoon... When the hens announce they have laid an egg. Usually they will all join in. Thankfully they dont lay eggs at night.

And while I love roos they are not important to a small well protected flock.

deb

 

[Exotica]

LOL thanks. People either love Guineas or they dont.... doesn't seem to be an in between. I even like their looks.... But you Have to let them free range or they will terrorize your chickens.... They can fly a good thirty feet high and about twice as long.

When I would go out to feed in the morning they would have been out in the hills foraging for "Stuff" I live in amongst some huge boulders. You could hear them talking amonts them selves from a quarter mile away.... Soon as they would hear me holler Chick Chick Chick you could hear them Take off still talking and they would land on my roof then soar down to the back yard...

I fed at three separate stations so if there was a discussion on whos turn it was the others could go and eat.

deb

I missed them somehow!

I wouldn't be able to keep Guineas unfortunately.. my 6 foot fencing would not be adequate!

They also seem to be very loud! Not sure how my neighbors would take to that..
But I love how protective they are! I've heard some people say that they will attack snakes! Is tat true?

Are they wild or will they at least come and eat from a human's hand or at least near a human?

Have you ever seen something so ugly that it just became cute? That's how I feel about them!

Would you ever keep peafowl?!

 

[Sylvester017]

I had past tense.... Guinea fowl, Welsummers, Silkies, two Araucanas (both tailless), heritage Turkeys, and a barnyard mix with a strong EE influences. Oh and Buff Brahamas. Back when I first found out about blue egg laying chickens I was fascinated and did a lot of research on them. I am a researcher by nature...

The EEs were a mixed bag Large Fowl and Bantam and some in between. MOst of my broodies were EEs or EE crosses. While they were doing their job my flock was always filled with peeps and cheeps and big and little and tweenagers... With that group I also had three roos and about thirty hens... The roos Were Waylin Willie and Bubba. Came from a farm that had too many. Waylin had a MIGHTY Doodle doo. Willie had a lilting song and his head dopped down to the side when he finished. Bubba ... that first few months I never heard him sing. He would just stand there like a lump and watch.

The auracanas I didnt have very long... I lost em all to coyote pack getting in the yard. It was a cascade failure on many levels. I am over it.... it was about four years ago. So I wont be doing poultry again till I can do my new poultry house and a secure run for them. And live there as well.

Hi Deb - how long did you have the tail-less Araucanas? How good was production from them after age Two ? I'm getting conflicting feedback about their productivity - some say not so good and others say better than Ameraucanas and EEs. My Amer was a great layer as a pullet but only gave us 3 eggs this year so I am researching the Araucana because it seems like a gentle and small breed but I don't know much about their production. Blue-egg Cream Legbars are too big and assertive for my backyard flock so I elimated them. Thanks for your input.

 

[fowlman01]

I am a story teller but i only embellish for interest.

I have had chickens for about twenty years total and I will tell you first and foremost I am lacking in many things... I have never experienced a case of coccidosis or worms or parasites above mites. Heck i didnt even know that chickens got worms till I got on line here. I have never had a mysterious illness or major wounds.... No wound that couldn't be treated with Sugar as a blood stopper or Blue coat to keep the others from pecking.

My dad used to say... twenty years of experience is wayy different than one years worth twenty times.

With your hens the only thing your neighbors will hear is the egg song in the morning or afternoon... When the hens announce they have laid an egg. Usually they will all join in. Thankfully they dont lay eggs at night.

And while I love roos they are not important to a small well protected flock.

deb

Well you seem to know that raising chickens is really pretty easy. Lots of people make chicken raising much more difficult than it really is. I feed everything here the same food including all the waterfowl. I don't medicate or vaccinate or feed supplements. The birds I keep here live on average 8-12 years and if I sell or give them away they have no problems. Good breeding solves a lot of problems.

Here is an example of an average bird here.



Walt

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
That I would agree... They are far By far noisier than chickens and when you have Guinea Hens double that. Hens make a distinctive noise.... that sounds like Buck Wheat.... They say id constantly over and over and over and over and over again..... Though they do quiet down after their first year but not enough to be "Neighbor safe" LOL.

They will come to eat but I never had one eat out of my hand... They are just not chickens they dont have chickony behavior While they do scratch in the dirt their digging isnt as BIG as chicken scratching. They are runners and chasers and bug eaters... Guinea Fowl have not been domesticated as long as chickens have, so they retiain most of their natural instincts... With chickens one rooster will claim several hens as his own how ever many he can protect Guinea Fowl if given a choice will pair off... behavior wise its probably best to keep a 50 50 flock....

While I love Peafowl I love them at a distance... THEY are noisy at night... And Very very good fliers too.

deb