First Run of Cornish Cross Meat Birds and Super Excited!

This evenings adventures in chicken sitting:

Rick was in the wrong coop, I walked in and bent over to pick him up and he did not say a word, he just looked at me with that I was planning on spending the night in here with my new friends..

I carried him the 100 yards or so to his coop. He made a few little squawks of protest but nothing major. I set him down in his coop and noticed I only had about 4 inches of feed in the hanging feeder. So I poured the remains of a bag of feed into the feeder, EVERY BIRD came off their roost to eat! It is not like they were out of food. They did not even know they were low, there was still 4 inches in the damp feeder. (damp typos)

There were four birds outside this evening, which is unusual, as it was 5 below and they normally all go in about 4 pm. It was after 5!

I had to chase them in. 3 went in with no problems. I had to pick up a barred rock and carry her in. She protested, I have a couple barred rocks and a Delaware that Ethel raised, they have never accepted the fact they are not turkeys. I have 6 turkeys that refuse to go into the coop and roost on the fence or the top of the coop. The first barred rock I put into the coop with no problem, the second barred rock jumped up on the fence to sit next to her Daddy JJ. I grabbed her and she raised holy double hockey sticks. She screamed like I was killing her. I went to put her in the coop and I met the other barred rock leaving the coop. She went an sat next to JJ. I grabbed her and brought her back to the coop without incident. She never said a word, but I could tell she was tee'd off. I opened the human door to the coop and out ran the Delaware!

I put the barred rock into the coop and went to get the Delaware, which incidentally had taken a seat on the fence right next to JJ. It was just a weird night. I only had 5 eggs all day, and I got them before 10 am. I suspect Guinea fowl foul play.

They are moving, that's it.

Anyways 30 minutes later I had all the birds where they belong, except the guineas which I think belong in the freezer.
 
Ralph I know some one that had guineas that killed her hens by pulling all there feathers. They even would tip her CornishX roo on his back and he died!!! She ended up butchering them all.
 
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This evenings adventures in chicken sitting:

Rick was in the wrong coop, I walked in and bent over to pick him up and he did not say a word, he just looked at me with that I was planning on spending the night in here with my new friends..

I carried him the 100 yards or so to his coop. He made a few little squawks of protest but nothing major. I set him down in his coop and noticed I only had about 4 inches of feed in the hanging feeder. So I poured the remains of a bag of feed into the feeder, EVERY BIRD came off their roost to eat! It is not like they were out of food. They did not even know they were low, there was still 4 inches in the damp feeder. (damp typos)

There were four birds outside this evening, which is unusual, as it was 5 below and they normally all go in about 4 pm. It was after 5!

I had to chase them in. 3 went in with no problems. I had to pick up a barred rock and carry her in. She protested, I have a couple barred rocks and a Delaware that Ethel raised, they have never accepted the fact they are not turkeys. I have 6 turkeys that refuse to go into the coop and roost on the fence or the top of the coop. The first barred rock I put into the coop with no problem, the second barred rock jumped up on the fence to sit next to her Daddy JJ. I grabbed her and she raised holy double hockey sticks. She screamed like I was killing her. I went to put her in the coop and I met the other barred rock leaving the coop. She went an sat next to JJ. I grabbed her and brought her back to the coop without incident. She never said a word, but I could tell she was tee'd off. I opened the human door to the coop and out ran the Delaware!

I put the barred rock into the coop and went to get the Delaware, which incidentally had taken a seat on the fence right next to JJ. It was just a weird night. I only had 5 eggs all day, and I got them before 10 am. I suspect Guinea fowl foul play.

They are moving, that's it.

Anyways 30 minutes later I had all the birds where they belong, except the guineas which I think belong in the freezer.

I look forward to hearing your antics in chicken keeping each day!

As far as the guinea convicts, what if you sent most to the freezer and only kept a few? Maybe they would realize their gang was the lower ranking one and lay off. I watched a documentary once on gangs, it wasn't pretty. I hope your barnyard ends up with fewer drive by shootings.

That said, you will NOT BELIEVE what I almost did... there was a craigslist ad I happened upon while looking for turkeys, chickens, goats, cows, you know, the usual suspects that might need my rescuing. There was an ad for free guineas. I actually hit the reply button and almost started typing, "I would love to take your beautiful guineas in need of a good home. They look so nice and friendly! I am sure they are quiet and not as noisy as Ralphie's."
Um, I think I might need my brain scanned. Or a lobotomy. Or shock treatment.
 
I have tried to sell some on craigslist with no luck, I would love to see them gone. I am thinking of butchering 3 of them this spring. Maybe one for Easter and two for whenever.

I even offered them cheap!
 
MM, If I were you, I would take the free guineas, if you have a place to keep them locked up for a month. If you cannot keep them locked up they will "runaway" Which is not a bad thing in and of itself. I packed little suitcases for mine and hobo packs and they still refuse to runaway.

Seriously, if you have a place to secure them you will do fine. They will be noisy, but your weather is way ahead of mine and you could get eggs in a month or so. You could have babies in 2 months. They sell well up here. People get 5-10 bucks for each chick. You would need to incubate them as I understand it the hens are lousy mothers. The death rate is high with the babies they are very fragile when young. I lost 5 of the ten I originally bought, as day olds, in the first week. They are easily spooked. I have read they are so fragile if they get wet they will die. Which is one of the reason the hens lose so many chicks, simply by the dew on the grass.

Now to more important things " my problems". I am sitting here this morning freezing my cute lil butt off. MY thermometer is malfunctioning, I am looking at it now, It says -28, yep that is 20 below zero F!!!! My IPhone is screwed up too. It is telling me it is -24 below, Which do I believe? The only good news is my IPhone forecast it to be 60 degrees warmer tomorrow.

I need a new thermometer. This is inhumane living at its worst. I am worried about my turkeys, sitting out in the cold refusing a coop. (only 3 hens went in yesterday.) I can bet I lost some of the tips off some snoods. It is a good thing length of snood does not matter to the hens. I was going to move the guineas today, I have worked out the plans for their move to a different coop, I am renaming Guinea Gulag. I will employ the CX's to patrol the front room of the coop and maintain peace while locking the guineas in the back section.

I expect no eggs today, and all I get will be frozen. I got 5 eggs yesterday, only one EE egg, and no dark brown eggs....

I think I will drink my coffee, catch the news, and go back to bed for a day..
 
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I just can't bring myself to get the guineas. Had I found that ad months ago, before I heard any of the shenanigans your guineas are part of, I would have.
I imagine they are especially trouble causing and loud because they are free! Or in poor health (though the pics showed healthy looking birds).

I also don't have a place for them right now. I took down my shack that the CX lived in, and there is no way I can get it back up and stable (it needs to get into the ground a few inches) with the frozen ground.

Oh well. I am sure it is for the better.

I hope your move goes well! Show those guineas who is boss!

Also, I can't believe nobody wanted your toms! If you don't want whole turkeys in the freezer, I hear they make excellent grind. Obviously people get it at the store and use in place of ground beef, but I would imagine if it was from a home grown turkey, it would be really good!
 
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