Some Old Guy
Chirping
I was introduced to guinea fowl when a neighbor got some about 4 years ago. It quickly became apparent that they do work quite well for tick control. Those birds have all fallen victim to predators, because they were never penned at night.
In March, I ordered 10 guinea fowl from a hatchery. 10 keets arrived, healthy as could be, until about 4 weeks old. One of them developed some kind of paralysis, then another got the same condition. Internet search suggested vitamin supplements, which I purchased, and fed (or watered) to all my birds. One of the sick guineas recovered, the other died.
So, I was left with 9 guineas. Over the next 5 weeks or so, I noticed nothing remarkable about the guineas. Then, the flock simply rejected one of it's members. I believe, but can't be certain, that the guinea that had been sick is the reject.
The guineas are 13 weeks old now, and I have a flock of 8 that hangs together like you would expect, and one lone guinea that gets picked on if/when it tries to rejoin the flock. The flock doesn't chase it very far, but they do chase it away when it approaches too closely. That guinea is the smallest of all the flock, I presume that it was physically stunted due to it's illness.
The guineas are penned at night, in the same coop as my banties and Australorps. That rejected bird seeks shelter at one end of the coop, staying out of the way of the others. He doesn't really "mingle" with the other chickens, but he does get along with them.
I can't imagine any way in which I can improve that rejected bird's life - but I'm open to suggestions!
In March, I ordered 10 guinea fowl from a hatchery. 10 keets arrived, healthy as could be, until about 4 weeks old. One of them developed some kind of paralysis, then another got the same condition. Internet search suggested vitamin supplements, which I purchased, and fed (or watered) to all my birds. One of the sick guineas recovered, the other died.
So, I was left with 9 guineas. Over the next 5 weeks or so, I noticed nothing remarkable about the guineas. Then, the flock simply rejected one of it's members. I believe, but can't be certain, that the guinea that had been sick is the reject.
The guineas are 13 weeks old now, and I have a flock of 8 that hangs together like you would expect, and one lone guinea that gets picked on if/when it tries to rejoin the flock. The flock doesn't chase it very far, but they do chase it away when it approaches too closely. That guinea is the smallest of all the flock, I presume that it was physically stunted due to it's illness.
The guineas are penned at night, in the same coop as my banties and Australorps. That rejected bird seeks shelter at one end of the coop, staying out of the way of the others. He doesn't really "mingle" with the other chickens, but he does get along with them.
I can't imagine any way in which I can improve that rejected bird's life - but I'm open to suggestions!
