Chicken hen with keets

[red horse ranch]

I've often seen the question on here about whether chickens make good moms for baby guineas. This is my 6 yr old Light Brama who is doing a great job with the 7 keets that she hatched. But she has also adopted 5 older keets that I hatched in the incubator.



Good job Midge!

 

[Tuhmu]

I'm glad to see that someone else has done this. I ordered a batch of guineas from efowl (the special was too good to refuse) and plan on giving them to my broody partridge brahma. She's been desperately trying to hatch her two golf balls for about 3 months now, after being repeatedly taken off the nest and even locked in the "baby house" with all the chicks. (usually does the trick, haha)

So I cracked, and decided to try and give her some guineas. I've been considering it for awhile because of the horrible tick problem we have this year. They should be arriving Wednesday/Thursday, so hopefully she hangs in there another 2 days.

 

[red horse ranch]

Some of my Bramas have never gone broody. But when they do they make very good mothers.
I hope it works out well for you. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[Tuhmu]

Seems mine are constantly broody, I have a buff, buff laced, gold laced, partridge that so far have all gone broody at least once.

They came a bit early, I get to go pick them up in a few minutes!

 

[red horse ranch]

Great! That means they haven't been in shipment too long. Keep us posted on how it goes.

 

[Tuhmu]

everyone was quite happy and vocal. Mama hen was a little bit confused why the golf balls are suddenly moving. When one came out from under her she tucked it back in . when I left she was making her happy Cluckey mama noises.

I'm quite impressed with the assortment they sent I was expecting just a couple of the regular colored ones and maybe like one white one.

 

[Tuhmu]

Going to be a long long 4 hrs, until I can get back home. My neighbor is going to check in on them a couple times but still....... I just put them in the nest box with her, sprinkled some feed, and put some mesh in front of the opening. So hopefully when I get home they are all bonded and I can move them to a pet carrier and into the other coop.

 

[red horse ranch]

The keets will need water pretty quick. Scrambled egg is a good thing to get them off to a good start.

 

[Tuhmu]

Mama already loves her babies.

I made a temporary playpen just to get them out of the best box, going to work on something more elaborate today.

 

[Tuhmu]

Mama hen looks ruff, molting and has been broody for awhile.