Guinea talk.

[MartinsPoultry]

My one sassy blue keeter, one of two but this one is clingy to me.

 

[GlennLee]

Wow! Congrats to @MartinsPoultry and @Dmontgomery on the incredible hatches! Very precious to get on and see all of those pics of keets. How lucky are we to be a part of this? There's nothing like a keet or chick to keep the heart light and joyful...

Good to be back on again after a break. My focus was on caring for our ailing dog who we had to put down a month ago. Of course, the house was so empty without her, we ended up adopting another "pound puppy".

The guinea flock is down to a manageable 14 and I have a hen sitting on eggs in the barn, due for hatching in another week. I think she only has about 6 eggs and I'm not even sure if any of them are hers, but she's being a trooper about sitting and will be a great mama. There may be a chicken egg or two in there as well, but I don't think they are fertile since our Red English Oprington rooster was dinner for a fox at least 3 weeks prior. I had to finally move the Rhode Island Reds out of the nesting area because they insisted on continuing to lay their eggs almost on top of her head! Crazy birds...

Enjoy all those keeters! @Dmontgomery you asked what else is needed for keets - I usually provide some chick grit (sand works too) at about 2 weeks. You can start introducing grass and insects then too. Have fun! I love filling a wire ball with the grass or clover and watching them peck at it.

Have a great Monday, everyone!

 

[Dmontgomery]

It’s good to see @GlennLee back. So sorry about your beloved dog. We lost one of our Bassetts a couple months ago. But it was another opportunity to explain the cycle of life to the grandkids, baby chicks hatched out the same week.
I figure by week 2 the keets are going to be free ranging with their parents, so they will pick up plenty of grit in the yard. I’ve got 4 hens in the coop sitting on eggs due to hatch soon. I imagine she is going to be brutal to any new moms with baby chicks. So she and the keets will have to get out during the day.
All 14 have survived the week. Gertrude keeps jumping over the board blocking them in the coop area, hoping the keets will follow her. This morning they were able to dig their way out under the board.

I dropped the board down and herded everyone back inside. I kinda wish her and Gary would abandon them so I could put them in the brooder. She is causing havoc with the hens who try to go in and lay during the day. And roosting up for all the chickens in the evening is a nightmare.

Will Gary and Gertrude continue to stay to themselves after the keets are weaned, or will there be one big flock of 16 guineas roaming the yard?

One good thing about having Gertrude confined is that she was able to alert me to a snake in the coop yesterday. It was a water/rat snake about 4’ long. Fortunately it had not gotten any eggs before we found it.

 

[Dmontgomery]

Probably the only photo I will ever be able to get clearly showing all 14 keets with Gertrude. Dang they are quick!

I let them out to free range this afternoon for the first time. Gary did a great job of bringing up the rear to herd any stragglers along.

She took them all back in by 6:30. Thanks to everybody for all the support and advice.

 

[HMurph]

Hello All! I am new to guineas and just wanted to introduce myself. I have been reading the post and have gotten some great advice from all of you, but haven't posted myself yet.

I currently have 8 keets that are about 8 weeks old. Soon they will be moving into their 'big kid' coop. They are the only birds that I have, but they are starting to get crowded in their ground coop. I also have 2 dogs. The guineas will actually let my heeler stand in the coop and lick them. But my husky keeps trying to chase and snap at them so I am slightly worried about when we decide to let them free range.

I am hoping to get some advice about what all to have on hand for 'guinea first aid'. I think one guinea has been pecked enough to open a wound. It seems fine and has scabbed. I tried to catch him to look at it closer and he was not a fan! I know things like this will happen more so I would like to get some advice to be prepared for minor injuries that may occur.

This is my Husky trying to stalk the guineas in their ground coop!

Here they are searching for mealworms!

And here is them a couple of weeks ago before they were put outside. They got a little free time in the bathroom.

Thank you all and I hope to keep up with more of the good advice!

 

[MartinsPoultry]

Huskeys have a high prey drive, my suggestion would be a shock training collar. When you cath them snipping at the guineas give a shock, my doberman learned with a few shocks to keep her mouth shut around the birds.


As for first aid, Blu-Cote, gauze pads, first aid tape. And anything else you might find useful.
I keep pennisillan on hand with needles and a syringe, as a just in case someone gets sick and needs a quick fix.

 

[guineapeeps]

Hello All! I am new to guineas and just wanted to introduce myself. I have been reading the post and have gotten some great advice from all of you, but haven't posted myself yet.

I currently have 8 keets that are about 8 weeks old. Soon they will be moving into their 'big kid' coop. They are the only birds that I have, but they are starting to get crowded in their ground coop. I also have 2 dogs. The guineas will actually let my heeler stand in the coop and lick them. But my husky keeps trying to chase and snap at them so I am slightly worried about when we decide to let them free range.

I am hoping to get some advice about what all to have on hand for 'guinea first aid'. I think one guinea has been pecked enough to open a wound. It seems fine and has scabbed. I tried to catch him to look at it closer and he was not a fan! I know things like this will happen more so I would like to get some advice to be prepared for minor injuries that may occur.

This is my Husky trying to stalk the guineas in their ground coop!
View attachment 1426873

Here they are searching for mealworms!View attachment 1426877

And here is them a couple of weeks ago before they were put outside. They got a little free time in the bathroom.
View attachment 1426879

Thank you all and I hope to keep up with more of the good advice!

I live the variety of colors you’ve got in your little flock!

 

[HMurph]

I live the variety of colors you’ve got in your little flock!

Thank you. I just went in and they were the last 8 they had!

 

[guinealeghorn]

Hi everyone! I haven't been able to post lately, been busy with school and chickens, but something crazy is happening here. One of my guinea hens went broody on a nest I haven't found yet. I know she went broody because she was around the morning after she stayed out, but didn't range with the flock. She is one of my older birds and has gone broody before. I had 14 birds before she left, so I was down to 13. About a week later, a guinea entered the flock, so I had 14 again. At first I figured it was the broody hen returned, but as I looked over who was around, i soon realized that the broody is not one of the birds in the flock. I have no idea where the extra bird came from. Last night, I counted all fourteen when I put them in the coop, but this morning another guinea was outside! This one was one of my older birds, but not the broody! I don't know what is happening, but it appears that two new guineas decided to join my flock! I know another house on my road has chickens and ducks, but I don't think they have guineas. What is going on here?!!

 

[GlennLee]

@Dmontgomery

Thank you for your kind words about losing our Chloe. She was a sweetheart and it's left a big hole. We have been working with our new fur baby, Bianca and in time, she will feel like part of the family. So sorry to hear about your Bassett as well. I know how much they were a big part of all that happened there. I still remember your stories about them moving the eggs around. I'll bet the one you have left is feeling the loss as well. They are such good companions - give so much and expect so little in return.

I am sure your grandkids are loving all those keets. They are so cute and so busy. How wonderful that you all were able to get a good hatching this year. You know how it is.... once you start, you don't stop. It won't be long and you'll be supplying guineas to the whole neighborhood!

I hear you about keeping all the mamas and babies safe. The rest of the crew seems to be way to interested in trying to help out or sticking their beaks in where they don't belong! You'll have to let me know how the flock continues to evolve. I find that if there are two groups, they continue to remain as two groups. At this point, my two flocks tolerate one another, but the interactions are different within the small flocks than between them. There's usually a bit more aggression between the males. Nothing too over the top though...

Good girl, Gertrude for alerting you on the snake. That saved everyone! She's the best and here you go again - snake hunters. I guess it never stops for you there.