Sad Update...Guinea mama chicken gave her life today to save the keets and her chick. We are not sure what took her. Three of us were in the yard and saw the keets flying towards the pen. I commented on it. A few minutes later a realized they were all screaming so I run see whats up. I find all eight keets and the one chick but no mama. I run the babies into the pen and head out to find where mama bird went.
I could not find any sign, no feathers, blood or anything just gone. We searched the woods, crossed the road, looked for dogs etc...
I have an 80 lb Bulldog that is my bird guardian. She was within 3 feet of them when it happened and never even woofed. She alerts and defends against anything except... sky danger...so it had to have been a hawk, vulture or similar.
Poor babies screamed for hours. Sad to not be able to console them. I added 3 older cochin bantam chicks to the group in hopes it would help.
They had no idea how to go to bed on their own so I had to manually catch and crate each one.
I hope tomorrow is better for them. They will not be free again until they are 6 months without a mama.
Please remember my brave mama hen....We simply called her guinea mama.
Thanks
Dena