Surviving Minnesota!

[Cebarmlds]

Yesterday I got rid of the rooster and three 3 year old mutt hens. One of the hens had a bunch of meaty globs, (not bloody) in her oviduct. It was disgusting and didn't smell good. Another had one meaty glob and lots of eggs of various size.

 

[duluthralphie]

Yesterday I got rid of the rooster and three 3 year old mutt hens. One of the hens had a bunch of meaty globs, (not bloody) in her oviduct. It was disgusting and didn't smell good. Another had one meaty glob and lots of eggs of various size.

"got rid of" as sent to camp?

 

[Cebarmlds]

"got rid of" as sent to camp?

Yes, freezer camp. But the ones with internal problems went to the woods to feed wild critters. Maybe they would have been ok for soup but it just grossed me out.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Owwwww....my ears were burning.
(I wonder why....hmmmm?)
Guineas!!!
The coop my guineas reside in is about 70 feet from a main gravel road. They do go out on the road sometimes...I hear the vehicles slow down and then speed back up...lol. I try to run them down (only sort of) to scare them off the road. They're catching on ever-so-slowly. I can also call them off the road by clapping if they're within earshot...they know clapping means tossed eggs...lol.
Hug a guinea.

Gee, I sound violent. I was writing under a time limit whilst waiting in the doctor's office last night. Perhaps I should clarify...I don't try to run them down. I'm trying to encourage them to get off the road when they see a vehicle approaching instead of standing in the middle of the road with their necks outstretched looking at the approaching vehicle.
It's a slow process.

I think the proper question is "why would you want to hug a guinea?"

It would be like hugging a mongoose in one arm and a cobra in the other.

No, hugging guineas is perfectly logical. It just has to be a really tight hug around the neck.

Banty sort of has the right idea. I like to hug mine nice and tight when I decide to trim nails or wings or something like that. They do quite fine without the loving hugs I give my chickens. I'm quite content to leave it at that.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

There must be better lines of guineas and worse lines. The guineas we had as a kid were WILD! Like walk in the barn and they burst out the windows type of wild.

The line of guineas I have now are extremely workable for guineas. The first four I got 2 years ago...we kenneled them each night because I didn't have a coop yet. They ran wild in the day. My female picked the nicest male out of the three we ended up with (whew!) and I've never had trouble with them or the offspring. They don't fly into our trees. They go into the coop faithfully each night on their own. I've seen them warn the chickens with overhead birds so the chickens can scatter for cover. Mine will on the chickens that run from them. 14 or 24 guineas are better than four. They keep to themselves more and split into pairs or quads.

I like 'em 'cause they're tough and healthy. I can respect that even if I have to put up with the other stuff. (Hug a guinea)

 

[duluthralphie]

I got the approval for having a qualifying show for cream legbars at the Minnesota Poultry show in Oct!

I am attaching the premium booklet for those that want to bring cream legbars to the show. The more the merrier.

Cream legbars will not be listed in the premium booklet and they will be registered as "non-standard Breed". This year...

Thanks all!

 

[hmarg06]

I'm interested in guineas, but it doesn't sound like yours are ones I'd want! Hopefully Im not ridiculous to think I could have both chickens and guineas. No birds until next year regardless...

I'm curious, holm - did you raise them as keets together with chicks or poults? (I've read raising them with chicks can cause problems down the line because they think the chickens are guineas and treat them accordingly rough.)

I keep my Guineas, Chickens, and Scovies all together with minimal fighting. They all seem to have their order worked out and stay out of each others way. The only fighting I really have is my roosters. Something keeps eating my hens so I'm down to a 5:2 ratio and the roosters are just terrible to each other and the duck hens, I'm working on getting more hens at the moment. The Guineas usually hop the fence during the day though, the ducks have their own group, and the chickens have their own group. They all get locked up at night together though. I am down to one guinea only though, 15 ducks, and 5 roosters, 2 cockerels, and 2 hens.

 

[holm25]

I am going to get my show papers filled out early this year. I can't wait for Hutch. I locked birds up for conditioning all ready. I figured the Guineas would destroy the roosters new feathers so he is locked up... I think I will have a Buckeye Cockerel, Buckeye Cock, Silkies and maybe my Dom pullet? I can enter single birds can't I?

 

[Momof3plustwins]

So Miss Yellow of the Toads died a couple days ago. Tuesday I believe. Not sure why. Thought it was the heat so I brought her in the shop and put a fan on her. She was drinking quite a bit and looked perked up. Checked mid morning the next day, I had put her in the coop over night and she was dead.

Sold 4 hens and it looks like my RIR rooster is now where to be seen. No trace of him anywhere. Just weird.Off to the lake again this weekend. Off to get the chores done and finish packing everything up.

Just wanted to check in.

 

[duluthralphie]

I am going to get my show papers filled out early this year. I can't wait for Hutch. I locked birds up for conditioning all ready. I figured the Guineas would destroy the roosters new feathers so he is locked up... I think I will have a Buckeye Cockerel, Buckeye Cock, Silkies and maybe my Dom pullet? I can enter single birds can't I?

You can....

No legbars? We need some legbar cocks. I only have Andy and one eyed jack. I was told they would disqualify one-eyed jack.


Enter your guineas and sell them at the show as champion Guineas. I think there were only one or two last year.