Guinea talk.

[SunHwaKwon]

They do really well with the chicks. Some of the chicks are 3 1/2 weeks old now, but the keets are up and running so fast that they are able to keep up. Right now I have them all in the new 8x10 coop that I built. There are 23 keets hatched this week, four keets and 7 d'Uccle bantam chicks hatched last week, 3 chicks hatched on the 27th (from the feed store), and 8 chicks from a woman nearby who placed a large order from Ideal Hatchery and was selling off the excess. So, 45 babies total lol. 13 of the keets are listed for sale, but I have to wait until I can reasonably sex all the chicks before I sort and sell them. Maybe I've gone a little bit overboard on hatching and buying this year. I also have 11 more chicks to also be sorted and sold, but they are with the broodies and in the other 6x8 coop with the rest of the flock. Right now I have 73 birds I think, and this is the first time I've counted them so I'm a bit overwhelmed lol. More hatching over the next few weeks but then I'm calling it quits for the year and it will be time to do some major downsizing. My plan is 25 chickens, 3 turkeys, and 15 guineas.






I have lattice in front of the doors to keep the turkeys and older guineas from coming in and eating all the food and kicking babies around lol. I do like them to be able to go out and integrate with the rest of the flock as young as possible, though. The only ones that are "aggressive" are the three oldest guineas. Really, they're just jerks to everyone.

 

[GlennLee]

Good afternoon, Guinea Talk! I'm not on for a couple of days and the whole world changes.

Patti, I love that picture of Squirtle in the Fairy Garden. No need to apologize for posting a turtle in a Guinea talk, Squirtle is a sibling to Spider and Mary Jane - maybe he's a turtle dove

and it was the cutest darn picture ever... so glad you shared it.

Charid - good to hear the update on Baby. You are the "therapy queen" and I appreciate your posts on how you are dealing with injuries - your information has been put to good use. The same goes for Patti and SunHwaKwon. I have learned a lot from you all and it's helped to create my own first aid for Guineas kit.

SunHwaKwon - your keets are beautiful! Their colors are soft and they look like cotton candy - just scrumptious... so very sorry to hear about Purple though. I was pulling for him that he was going to make a full recovery. It would of course be advantageous for a predator to focus in on him. It sounds as though you have numerous and constant problems with predators in your area. I will find out here this year - they are around, but so far, so good. The very things we do to domesticate animals creates a vulnerability for them when it comes to predators. I know you take so many extra precautions with safety and it's disheartening when the predator wins.

Our barn arrived a few days ago and we have been working like crazy to get everything done and ready for the electricity to be run. I have painted the interior and my husband has built a ramp, the roost and is partitioning off a section for storage. I'll send some pics now and then when it's done. We should have plenty of time to get everything set to start to transition them before the snow flies.

Keep cool and keep posting those pictures.

 

[GlennLee]

Here's the new barn/coop. You can see the flock checking it out. They like to peek in when the doors are open, but since we're still working in there, they haven't been in to visit yet. The 15 of them will have a area about 12x18 feet and that leaves me with a 12x6 storage area for everything that goes with them!



This is the inside all primed and the walls painted. I painted the floor a purple-blue color. Only the guinea fowl side has the walls painted for easier cleaning. I'm leaving the storage area natural - sick of dealing with the paint fumes and I thought it would be easier to broom out that way. I'll post more pics as we progress. Our goal is to have everything done by mid-September.

 

[GlennLee]

SunHwaKwon - thank you for sharing all of the pictures. I don't know how you do it with the numbers you have and the variety of ages as well. Their needs change from week to week, but you certainly have it down to a science. Too bad we weren't closer; your place would be a great hatchery to visit and you have such a variety. Lovely! Who knows, maybe someday (next spring) I'll be hatching here - only French Guineas though - and I'm sure I'll have many questions for everyone then. Interesting your comment about the 3 adults being pains to the others. That's how Henry (adult) was when I had him with the keets - he was constantly disrupting, bullying and taunting. It's like night and day now with the flock. Without Henry they are so cohesive. I enjoy just watching them move and communicate with one another; they are very responsive and key in on subtle things between themselves and in their environment. Good luck with downsizing.... I hope you are able to make some good sales and get your flocks where you want them to be.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Here's the new barn/coop. You can see the flock checking it out. They like to peek in when the doors are open, but since we're still working in there, they haven't been in to visit yet. The 15 of them will have a area about 12x18 feet and that leaves me with a 12x6 storage area for everything that goes with them! This is the inside all primed and the walls painted. I painted the floor a purple-blue color. Only the guinea fowl side has the walls painted for easier cleaning. I'm leaving the storage area natural - sick of dealing with the paint fumes and I thought it would be easier to broom out that way. I'll post more pics as we progress. Our goal is to have everything done by mid-September.

I love it! I can't wait to see the finished set up. One of these days I will have pictures of my coops and run that don't look like part of a trailer park reality TV show. It's a never ending project. I have time to work on it right now but the heat limits what you can do. I managed to paint one side of one coop yesterday. The paint was drying on the brush, it was so hot.

 

[pattyhen]

Sun the babies are gorgeous. Thats alot of babies I think I would be camping out in the coop holding them. I did get to hold a chick tonight. We went to rural king and they had some barred rocks and I picked one of them up. Your not suppose to but I couldn't resist. Thanks so much for sharing the pics.

The coop is over the top. Shutters and a double door. Those are 15 very lucky guineas to have a coop like that. They look like they can't wait to move in too. They look so cute standing there in front of the door. Thanks so much for sharing the pics I can't wait to see it finished.

Today I was collecting eggs and I found 3 guinea eggs. They are very small and tan with spots on them. We got them March 26th so she is not 5 months old yet. So far their temperments have not changed a bit. Spider is still loving the lap time and Mary Jane seems more docile then she's ever been. I'll let you know if anything changes but so far so good.

p.s. is the coop going to have a doorbell?

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Pattyhen -

I was out there the other day and wished I had a cot. I love spending time with my birds but my husband looks at me funny if I spend too much time out there (or on here). He's about to leave town for a few days, though, so guess where I'll be?

 

[pattyhen]

Sun do you have a laptop so you can take it out to the coop with you? We've always brooded the babies in the hallway in the house. You better believe I have a chair beside the brooder watching them. It's better then watching tv.

 

[GlennLee]

Sun - would love to see pics of your coops. I think it's neat how you've been able to add on - just like you are building a poultry city. And you are right, tt has been very difficult working lately. Everything is sticky, damp and hot. It feels like a jungle and is starting to look that way too, with all the weeds taking over.

Patti - congrats on your Guinea eggs! I know you have been waiting for them to arrive and Mary Jane has been practicing for a while now. I can't wait to have some next year and sure will be posting many questions for all of you experienced poultry people. No doorbell on the coop. Ha! Ha!

I did tell my husband that we should contact TWC though because I'm sure the Guineas would want WiFi and cable TV! We were fortunate to work with Amish Structures - we shopped around and for the size of the building we needed, it was by far the best made and the most economical - even with adding the cute shutters and barn door. One of my friends thought it was going to be a playhouse for the grandkids - I told her the grandkids weren't allowed in; it was for my Guineas!

Then, my parents thought they could use it as a "tiny house". We've had a lot of fun with it all and are going to have a party in it before transitioning the birds into it.

I do miss that baby keet stage... they were so much fun to watch and hold and perch in my hand. A cot would be a great addition to the coop or even a hammock! I sat down on the grass with them yesterday and just watched them. The leader, I call him Boss, ran right up to me and then stopped - they have a thing at about 2 feet away. That's as close as they want to get. I have a lawn chair and I sit in with them in their current run/coop area - sometimes for over an hour. They like my being there - but aren't keen on the lawn chair itself. Silly birds!

How have your birds been doing in this heat? Mine are very stressed and are spending more time at our neighbors (unfortunately across the road) where they have a wooded area - more shade and it is about 5 degrees cooler. I thought I was going to lose one last night. She came back to the coop and didn't even want to eat - she just collapsed in the coop, leaned against the wall and slept. I wonder if she got dehydrated. Anyway, she's fine today... they all scooted out this morning together to pick away in the tall grass.
So blessed to have these birds and to be able to chat about them with others.

 

[GlennLee]

Did anyone else get those severe thunderstorms late night? It looks like they swept through the east coast. Hope there wasn't any damage for you.

We had some excitement here. I'll start with the end of the story first - everyone is fine. So here it goes - when it looked like it was going to be rain and thunderstorms for the night, I decided to bring the Guineas in early. They come into a bell for their food, so I rang the bell and they all came in - except two. They were doing a new Olympic track and field run - the Fighter Pilot Dash - running way out and back but in tandem - amazingly close to one another - maybe it was more like Olympic Couples Ice Dancing. I thought it may have been a male and female, but it was actually two males.

While the rest of the flock was in the coop, they were out in the rain and got soaked.... we did get a break in precipitation and in trying to get the other two in the coop, the rest of the flock busted out. I just let them range - they stayed close to coop - until sunset. Then I tried to gather them in again, but of course there wasn't the same motivation to respond to the bell since they had full stomachs.

It took me working on and off for over an hour into the dark - I turned on a small battery LED light to illuminate the coop and was finally able to get 11 of them inside then had to get a flashlight to find the remaining 4. The entire flock was acting strange early on about returning to the coop, even before it was dark. They were a bit scattered and not as cohesive as usual. I herded 3 more in and then went back for the remaining one - VERY reluctant to enter the run. Once he was in, I recognized him as the one I call BOSS as he seems to be a strong leader in the flock. He was one of the pair involved in the mad dash earlier and had to spend time outside in the thunderstorm. I wasn't sure if he was afraid to go in because the storm experience earlier had spooked him or if he had lost his dominance in the dash.

Thankfully, they were all in the coop at that point, because we ended up with the most severe thunder and lightning storm we have ever experienced here. The flock was very spooked. I stayed in with them until things calmed down and left the nightlight on for them. I wonder now if they had sensed the storm coming and that's why they didn't want to go into the coop. I would have thought they would have preferred to seek shelter. It will be interesting watching their interactions today. Hope this isn't the start of a new pattern.

Have a good day everyone and when you begin to modify your free ranging schedules, please post what is working for you. I have been keeping them out for 12 hours during the summer months, but that will change as the daylight decreases.