Guinea Keets Coming Soon...Have Arrived!

[DeAnzaJig]

Thanks for that bit of info Blueshadow ! It makes me feel better if I have to abandon the nipples for something different.

 

[DeAnzaJig]

The guineas and chick are 8 weeks old!

I had been gone for a week on our family vacation and my dad would stop by to feed and water and check in on everyone. As soon as we pulled into the driveway, the kids ran down to see how our flock was doing, with me right behind!

Everyone looked good. There was a lot more buck-wheating and noise when we got to the coop. The birds looked larger and their heads and necks are starting to lose their fuzz. They are getting rough purple colored skin in place of the feathers. Their wattles are also starting to grow out.

I was able to get several to eat millet out of my hand and my daughter fed them grass. While feeding them, I observed Snow White letting out some buck-wheats, so my daughter was happy she is a girl.

They had eaten through the bag of starter/grower I had purchased before we left and my dad had to buy another bag and more grit. I will need to buy another bag to get through the next week and a half.

The coop didn't smell awful, nor was it filled with flies. Feathers and fuzz were collecting in the corner under the roosts.

I took some pics inside and outside the coop, but the outside ones had better lighting.

 

[DeAnzaJig]

Wow! The guineas and Big Fat Chick are now 10.5 weeks old. They only have one more week of confinement left!

Their wattles are getting thicker, and most of the feathers are gone from their heads, and boy are they expanding their lung capacity. Those birds can sure belt out their buck-wheats and chi-chi 's. It's almost deafening, while I squat down to hand feed millet, to listen to 13 guineas at their level. Good thing I am a loud talker, so I appreciate their volume. I can see why people who don't have land or guinea loving neighbors should try a different fowl.

They seem to have accepted BF Chick. He sleeps with them on the top roost.

My daughter doesn't enjoy feeding the guineas seed by hand as they can really give your hand a pinch while grabbing for the grains. So now she just gives them strands of grass.

The coop doesn't stink or have many flies...maybe 2 or 3? No success on getting them to use the nipples for water, so tomorrow I will pick up a more traditional waterer.

 

[DeAnzaJig]

Today is the big day! The guineas' door was opened and they were free to explore their training yard!

I have to admit I opened the door last night, about 1.5 hrs before sunset and gave them a preview. After 15 minutes 8 of them and Big Fat Chick were in the yard. When it was getting dark, I went into the coop and got out the millet. BFC and 3 guineas came in the door and the other three stayed out. After about 10 minutes, I went into the yard and told them to go to bed. 1 GF jumped into the coop, but I had to pick up the other 2 and send them through the door before latching it for the night. Success!

So far the guineas have been in and out. Eating grass and hopefully bugs. Right now there is a group of 8 outside. They continue to make a lot of noise.

I plan to keep the training yard up for a week and then set them free on the rest of the property during the day.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

How big are your coop and run?

 

[DeAnzaJig]

My coop is 8x8 and the run is 8 x 20.

 

[DeAnzaJig]

I was so excited last night!

The birds had been out in the training yard all day and we had to leave for a birthday party at 3 pm. I had been wondering if the birds would be in the coop when we got home at 8 pm....and they were! I went out to shut the bird door and everyone was roosting away.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Awesome! I hope my birds behave that well.

 

[DeAnzaJig]

I have a lot of confidence that they will!

 

[DeAnzaJig]

The Guineas are now 12 weeks old!

They are are super loud. One of the lavs is very chatty. The rest of the flock could be head down searching the grass, but her head is up and she is buck-wheating away. They start squawking around 6:30 am and don't let up until around 8 pm when they go to sleep. Now it's weird if I don't hear anything and I have to look out the window to see what's going on.

The lavenders' heads are getting a blue-ish metallic tint and everyone has a nice set of wattles coming in.

I am still using the training pen, and they go in and out of the coop during the day.

On Sat morning I opened the bird door and they all ran out to the pen. An hour later I looked out and no one was in the pen! They were all squawking loudy from the coop. A couple hours later, still no guineas outside and my husband began to mow the lawn. That day, none of the guineas came out. I was starting to worry they had spent too much time locked in the coop (the recommended 6 weeks), but the next day I opened the bird door and they came back out. I think because it has been so hot and sunny they head inside for some shade. Since the pen is just temporary there are no shady spots. When it becomes permanent, for days I need to keep them locked up, the area under the coop will be available.

Tomorrow evening my dad is coming to move the training pen so the birds will be able to access the whole yard. That will be exciting!