LOL, yes, those guinea cocks and their testosterone. Did you see the thread with the giant cahoons??!! I think it was an old thread in the meat section. They were from a rooster and he must have been crazy with hormones!
Two batches sound good. If I start early I should be able to hatch my own. When do they start to lay eggs? Around 20 weeks?? ...Hm, well, not quite enough time to get in a batch from my first group (No July babies again. I don't like fattening up lots of birds in the cold!). So your plan sounds good. I'll have to order eggs to keep the numbers down, or split an order of keets with someone.
I've also been considering a larger 'tractor' of panels for the older birds to spend some time on grass but not drive me crazy wandering. I probably won't get such well behaved and trainable birds again (and they were becoming impossible and braver that last week, week and a half)
I could always drive to the hatchery near me, but I'm not bothering with Jumbos from them again when they clearly don't care about overall genetic health.
I wouldn't mind two nice pet silkies to do my broody work, but a good dual purpose could do it and still provide full sized eggs.
Hmmm, so many decisions.
...you could go into a rent a roo business yourself. Encourage folks to make sex-links with your ruggedly handsome boys
ETA: Actually, July 1st would probably be the hatching cut off. I could slaughter closer to 12-14 weeks if the weather went bad early... Hmmm.
I really do miss having guineas around, even though the plan is to eat the poor things! Such a strange mix between enjoying life and enjoying home raised meat. It's a relief not to have to take care of the flock right now, but I don't get to see their antics or care for them and it's a little depressing.
