Guinea talk.

[SunHwaKwon]

Love love love the pics.  I love to see the babies with the mommas and dad.  I hope they keep them safe.  

Sorry about your DH being in a grouchy mood.  As time goes on he should be better.  It won't be to much longer he'll be able to get to the burn pile when momma hatches those babies.  You are so lucky to have all these babies.  

Thanks so much for sharing their pics she did a great job sitting on those eggs.

I'm really glad dad is helping out, especially after the cold shoulder he gave her when purple died. Of course, now pearl is unprotected on the burn pile. Up until today he has been guarding her during the day. Now I miss purple even more. The girls need him. Lavender is in heaven, though, because for now he had a harem of four. I hope I get a good male to female ratio with the other keets. It won't be too long until the girls start making a racket. That is another thing grouchy DH was groaning about yesterday (guinea sounds). Worse than PMS, sheesh. I'm glad I don't get that angry when I try to quit biting my nails lol

 

[guineapeeps]

I'm really glad dad is helping out, especially after the cold shoulder he gave her when purple died. Of course, now pearl is unprotected on the burn pile. Up until today he has been guarding her during the day. Now I miss purple even more. The girls need him. Lavender is in heaven, though, because for now he had a harem of four. I hope I get a good male to female ratio with the other keets. It won't be too long until the girls start making a racket. That is another thing grouchy DH was groaning about yesterday (guinea sounds). Worse than PMS, sheesh. I'm glad I don't get that angry when I try to quit biting my nails lol

I love your pictures! I think the lavender Guineas are such a pretty color. I have one adult lavender hen left and a few lavender keets. I currently have only one adult male and he always helps parent the little ones. I see him catching bugs for them and often see him laying in the grass with the keets standing on his back an head....funny, but sweet, to see!
It's always amazing to me how hardy the little keets are. My hens drag their babies around into the cornfields when they are just a few days old. I used to really worry about it, but the babies seem to keep up just fine and make it back to the coop each evening. I noticed that the mothers are constantly calling to the little ones and listening for the babies who may not be keeping up or wandering off. The only thing I really pay attention to now in regards to really young keets is the weather. The rain and wet grass is their biggest enemy (other than predators). If I know rain is in the forecast, I try to get them inside until the rain has passed and the grass has dried a bit. Other than these threats, I find that the mothers generally do a great job of raising the little ones.
As a side note to predators....I had a coyote come in and attack at dusk one day when I had 18 one week old keets in the yard (I've probably mentioned this before on here). I lost 1/2 of the keets, not because the coyote got them all, but because they ran into the corn and got lost just before dark and I couldn't find a lot of them (I think the coyote only got 1 or 2). When the adults noticed the coyote the adults sounded the alarm and the babies instinctively scattered and hid. They would not come back out until the mothers stopped the alarm call an resumed their normal buckwheat call. I mention this not to make you worry, but to point out that nature and instinct can really help these little ones as well. I probably would have lost all of the keets had the mothers and babies not had this basic inborn understanding between them of what to do in times of danger.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I love your pictures! I think the lavender Guineas are such a pretty color. I have one adult lavender hen left and a few lavender keets. I currently have only one adult male and he always helps parent the little ones. I see him catching bugs for them and often see him laying in the grass with the keets standing on his back an head....funny, but sweet, to see!
It's always amazing to me how hardy the little keets are. My hens drag their babies around into the cornfields when they are just a few days old. I used to really worry about it, but the babies seem to keep up just fine and make it back to the coop each evening. I noticed that the mothers are constantly calling to the little ones and listening for the babies who may not be keeping up or wandering off. The only thing I really pay attention to now in regards to really young keets is the weather. The rain and wet grass is their biggest enemy (other than predators). If I know rain is in the forecast, I try to get them inside until the rain has passed and the grass has dried a bit. Other than these threats, I find that the mothers generally do a great job of raising the little ones.
As a side note to predators....I had a coyote come in and attack at dusk one day when I had 18 one week old keets in the yard (I've probably mentioned this before on here). I lost 1/2 of the keets, not because the coyote got them all, but because they ran into the corn and got lost just before dark and I couldn't find a lot of them (I think the coyote only got 1 or 2). When the adults noticed the coyote the adults sounded the alarm and the babies instinctively scattered and hid. They would not come back out until the mothers stopped the alarm call an resumed their normal buckwheat call. I mention this not to make you worry, but to point out that nature and instinct can really help these little ones as well. I probably would have lost all of the keets had the mothers and babies not had this basic inborn understanding between them of what to do in times of danger.

I know you mentioned before, and I read it other places, about what a danger the cold wet morning grass is. I was really worried she would try to venture out this morning in the dewy grass so I set some crumble and a shallow water dish near her and the nest to try to stall any urge to go get food or water. Like a good mama she waited until the grass was dry and it was warming up a bit before they left. In the meantime I was able to peek out the window and see the keets running around her in the weeds/landscaping surrounding the nest. I'm not sure if/when she will try to take them back to the coop. The coop is 4' up so I do worry about them falling off the ramp but I know they can make it up the incline. It amazes me how quick keets are so soon after hatch. They haven't taken them near the coop or the rest of the flock yet. The only ones who might try to mess with the babies are the turkeys, but the guineas have no problem standing up to them.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

You guys, I am very distraught right now. I was busy in the house and so I didn't get anyone locked up until 7:30. I did my normal routine and locked up the run then did a head count of the keets and chicks in the new coop. I noticed the male guinea was in the tree near the old coop and figured the mama must be on her nest so he didn't want to be in the coop in case she needed him. Then I had to run to the neighbors and feed their goats and lock up their chickens because they are on vacation. I got back and went to pick up the food I placed by the nest so that predators wouldn't smell it and... no mama or babies. I though hmm I guess she took them to the coop after all. Checked the coop. Not there either. I went and got a very bright flashlight, searched the property, searched the soybeans about 3-4' in from our property as best I could. I can't find them

I saw them with the male around a little after 6. Around 7 I glanced out the living room window and thought I saw her on the nest. I don't see feathers or anything anywhere... which is a good sign but if she was taken in the field I wouldn't know it. I am not going to sleep well tonight. I am trying to be hopeful, but also not getting my hopes up.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

4AM

I heard a strange noise on the baby monitor so I got up to investigate. It was a guinea alarm call. I walked around with a light and rifle and checked the male and pearl and they were fine. No breaches the run or coops. Alarm started again and it was mama way up high in a tree.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I went back out at 630 and mama and dad were already walking the edge of the field. I feed everyone then walked over to them and the lavender baby was with them. She's sitting on it about two feet into the field, warming it up. I don't know if they found any more of them. I did see some feathers to of the soybeans so there was definitely an attack and, as @guineapeeps described, the babies must have scattered. Perhaps one cried out in the night and that's why she sounded the alarm call again, to say "stay put". After she stopped the call she was making very distressed noises. I think she was upset to not be able to get to them right away. I'll post an update after a while.

 

[GlennLee]

Once again, I am off BYC forum for a few days and when I return, I read about the bedlam that has occurred!

Charid - very sorry to read about your experience trying to find the keets in the dark and so far away from home - all by YOURSELF! There should be a warning that comes with Guinea Fowl - "Do not attempt to do this at home, all by yourself". I'm in awe of your tenacity and thankful that the ending of your story was a good one. It's too bad you had to go through the terror for so many hours. Very sorry... it was good to get an update on Baby and to hear that you have raised such a fine cuddler!

Sun - you mentioned mama was up in the tree, what about the keets? Please let us know. Your pictures were stunning as always... You are a dedicated Guinea mom and take such good care of your birds - and are doing it pretty much alone as well. I have learned so much from you and guineapeeps on the intricacies of managing and raising a flock. It's a tough time now with all the predators and I'm almost afraid to pull up our thread to read about more Guineas being taken by a hawk or raccoon or coyote, fox, etc. We walk a fine line free ranging our birds. Though they are domesticated, they are in the wilds with all the dangers that go with that. Nature is a harsh mother - much harsher than we are!

Patti - I love to hear about your stories with Spider and Mary Jane - and to think that you have them potty trained? You are amazing! There are times that I wish mine would enjoy being closer than their 2 foot rule, but having so many, even though I handled them all as keets, they really didn't get enough one-on-one time.

We have a beautiful coyote here

- looks like a husky and is bigger than my 60 lb. dog - stalking my Guineas. Ella left her nest and rejoined the flock - good thing - and I am down to 10 birds (plus the 4 new gals still in quarantine). Since I only had 5 females to start with, I know all of them and they are still alive - amazing! At this point, we're 5 females, 5 males and 4 newbie females to be added to the flock in another week. So, the way I look at it, I've just opened a convenience food store for predators and it's going to lure in more to pick off my birds one by one. I've decided to keep them in the coop and run area for a couple of days to encourage the coyote to look elsewhere and my husband is keeping vigilance with his rifle.

 

[guineapeeps]

I went back out at 630 and mama and dad were already walking the edge of the field. I feed everyone then walked over to them and the lavender baby was with them. She's sitting on it about two feet into the field, warming it up. I don't know if they found any more of them. I did see some feathers to of the soybeans so there was definitely an attack and, as @guineapeeps described, the babies must have scattered. Perhaps one cried out in the night and that's why she sounded the alarm call again, to say "stay put". After she stopped the call she was making very distressed noises. I think she was upset to not be able to get to them right away. I'll post an update after a while.

I'm so sorry to hear about the predator attack. I should have mentioned that I try to get them in before dark but most of my hens will bring them into coop before that time. I have had a few hens that try to lay on them outside the coop at night but I try to herd them in at dusk. I feel bad, now, encouraging you to let momma raise them. I'm so sorry if I've given bad advise...I've just found it works well for me and have only had that one predator incident, so I've been fairly lucky. There is hope that a few more may still be alive in the field and will come out when they hear mom call, especially if it was warm last night where you live. Good luck and keep us up to date on what happens.

 

[pattyhen]

Sun I hope she finds them all I'm so sorry. They maybe hiding still.

I hate predators I know they need to eat but there are plenty of mice and other critters for them to find.

Rhonda are you going to sit a trap for that coyote? I'm sorry for your losses it sounds like he is picking off the males. They might be protecting the females and that's why they are getting picked off.

I would keep them in the pen to until the coyote is caught. This is all so sad everyone worked so hard to protect their birds and then they can't have the freedom they love so much.

No I didn't potty train Spiderman and Mary Jane I wish I could tho.

They just picked a good time to come in and visit. Our worst predator is the hawk. Fall is coming soon and I dread that time. The hawks migrate threw this area.

I hope everyones birds stay safe and god bless and have a nice day.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I'm so sorry to hear about the predator attack. I should have mentioned that I try to get them in before dark but most of my hens will bring them into coop before that time. I have had a few hens that try to lay on them outside the coop at night but I try to herd them in at dusk. I feel bad, now, encouraging you to let momma raise them. I'm so sorry if I've given bad advise...I've just found it works well for me and have only had that one predator incident, so I've been fairly lucky. There is hope that a few more may still be alive in the field and will come out when they hear mom call, especially if it was warm last night where you live. Good luck and keep us up to date on what happens.

I think when I went to close up she was already in the tree and that's why I couldn't find her. I think the attack must have occurred between 6 and 7 and I didn't actually see her out the window. I am questioning memory as to whether I heard anything or not during that time frame. I knew there was a risk with her raising them. Unfortunately, I only have one broody pen and my sebright is in it with two speckled Sussex chicks. Even with this remaining lavender keet, I am telling myself not to get attached, but it's hard. You always have hope and wish for the best, even though I didn't want any more anyway.

This morning around nine I was out by the coop and pearl came flying off the burn pile hollering. I didn't see anything but the burn pile was between me and the crops.i checked her nest and it has six eggs but I'm 90% sure it should have 7. I have so much to do today and need to run to town but I feel paranoid about predators again.