Guinea talk.

[pattyhen]

I have been reluctant to put my keets out in the add on. Its 110 heat index. An unforecasted torrential downpour occurred yesterday morning to noon and now again on sunday monday and tuesday. They are going into the add on monday..no matter what.. but i just dont trust my carpentry skills or believe it is 100% predator proof. Working on it now. Taking a break. Hot.

Be careful in this heat if your working outside. Plenty of breaks and drink lots of water. Good luck on selling your keets. There is not a lot of adds for them so you should do good on your sales.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Well I'm glad you found them and a predator didn't.  Be prepared if the predators hit at night they will be back sooner or later.  Build your coop and run like Fort Knox.  

you've got that right. I keep two games cameras pointed at my coop so I know right away what's coming around. My coop is built better than fort Knox, the run not so much right now since I'm renovating it for the turkeys and adding a second 8x10 coop to move the chickens to.

 

[GlennLee]

Update on our little keets, they have been up in the coop for several days now and seem to be enjoying it without problems from the rest

Good to hear. It's easier when they get along, but that doesn't always happen. Fingers crossed that it will continue.

 

[GlennLee]

My baby monitor finally came in handy last night. It was dark when I locked every one up last night because I was chasing a broody guinea hen off her nest in the woods. i didn't have a flashlight but I heard peepping in the outdoor brooder so I locked it up. 1230 I awoke to soft peepping noises. No distress but still unusual so I got a flashlight and went outside. 7 2-week guinea keets were running around outside the brooder and run trying to figure out how to get in. They must have been under it rather than in it when I locked it. I gathered them up and put them in. We were all relieved I was able to get them to safety before anything found them. I haven't had any predators come around at night in a few weeks but I know it'll happen again sooner or later.

Thank goodness for that baby monitor. That would have been awful. There's a lot of work that goes into getting keets through those first couple of weeks so it was good that you were able to beat the predators to it and I'm sure the keets settled in once they were safe and sound too.

 

[GlennLee]

I have been reluctant to put my keets out in the add on. Its 110 heat index. An unforecasted torrential downpour occurred yesterday morning to noon and now again on sunday monday and tuesday. They are going into the add on monday..no matter what.. but i just dont trust my carpentry skills or believe it is 100% predator proof. Working on it now. Taking a break. Hot.

The heat index has hit a lot of places. Very difficult on us and the birds. You take care charid, keep well hydrated so you don't get dehydrated or end up with cramps at the end of the day!

 

[GlennLee]

you've got that right. I keep two games cameras pointed at my coop so I know right away what's coming around. My coop is built better than fort Knox, the run not so much right now since I'm renovating it for the turkeys and adding a second 8x10 coop to move the chickens to.

You have a lot of good technology to save you steps and prevent mishaps. I was thinking a drone might help out too! Just kidding, but it's about the only thing that could keep up with my flock lately. That's why I haven't been able to post - between watering the gardens, picking veggies, and canning, the flock has decided to scale down the embankment, go into the road, head up another embankment and camp out in our neighbor's woods! All I've been doing is watching them and herding them back. Exhausting, but they're still learning... got them to a new part of the property today that they hadn't explored and that kept them happy for a couple of hours. Keep cool everyone!

 

[SunHwaKwon]

You have a lot of good technology to save you steps and prevent mishaps.  I was thinking a drone might help out too!  Just kidding, but it's about the only thing that could keep up with my flock lately.  That's why I haven't been able to post - between watering the gardens, picking veggies, and canning, the flock has decided to scale down the embankment, go into the road, head up another embankment and camp out in our neighbor's woods!  All I've been doing is watching them and herding them back.  Exhausting, but they're still learning... got them to a new part of the property today that they hadn't explored and that kept them happy for a couple of hours.  Keep cool everyone!

When mine were younger they wandered FAR. I wouldn't see them all day. Now, at a year old, they stay a lot closer. I think it's like exploring when you move to a new city.

 

[charid]

When mine were younger they wandered FAR. I wouldn't see them all day. Now, at a year old, they stay a lot closer. I think it's like exploring when you move to a new city.

Definitely agree. Mine went so far the first few months I had to drive around in the car to find them. Then guide them home and go back and get the car. Need a gator bad, yard tractor died.

I put deer guard on the inside of the coop add on so the babies cant get caught in the chainlink fencing. They always seem to think there is an opening where there isn't.

Sometimes I think a too large coop is worse than too small because they get too comfortable and fly too much and hit into the joist hangers which have sharp edges. Only way to control that is to limit their containment constantly. Mine have no run, the bought babies will start free ranging August 1 which is ahead of schedule.

My egg babies should have been free ranging first but injury, illness, and predator attack required splitting the flock which is a HUGE set back. I refused to let the egg babies free range without baby because they would never allow him back in the flock. As it is they guard him and he is still one with them and this I hope will help to prevent the older flock from ostracizing baby due to his injury. I suspect 100% recovery is not possible. The splint seems useless in keeping the tendon lengthened. I did a much better job with the stretching rehab but...I am no expert and am now following the advice of a bird doc (d.v.m).

Gonna get some game cams and a baby monitor. Predator populations are through the roof. Got me worried.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Definitely agree. Mine went so far the first few months I had to drive around in the car to find them. Then guide them home and go back and get the car. Need a gator bad, yard tractor died.

I put deer guard on the inside of the coop add on so the babies cant get caught in the chainlink fencing. They always seem to think there is an opening where there isn't.

Sometimes I think a too large coop is worse than too small because they get too comfortable and fly too much and hit into the joist hangers which have sharp edges. Only way to control that is to limit their containment constantly. Mine have no run, the bought babies will start free ranging August 1 which is ahead of schedule.

My egg babies should have been free ranging first but injury, illness, and predator attack required splitting the flock which is a HUGE set back. I refused to let the egg babies free range without baby because they would never allow him back in the flock. As it is they guard him and he is still one with them and this I hope will help to prevent the older flock from ostracizing baby due to his injury. I suspect 100% recovery is not possible. The splint seems useless in keeping the tendon lengthened. I did a much better job with the stretching rehab but...I am no expert and am now following the advice of a bird doc (d.v.m).

Gonna get some game cams and a baby monitor. Predator populations are through the roof. Got me worried.

The baby monitor is wonderful, especially since my coops are not able to be seen from the house. I got the cheapest one, though, and regret it. The interference from lights and phones is terrible. I'd love to have a camera one but there's no wifi out there and I'm not going to run coax out there.

 

[pattyhen]

You have a lot of good technology to save you steps and prevent mishaps. I was thinking a drone might help out too! Just kidding, but it's about the only thing that could keep up with my flock lately. That's why I haven't been able to post - between watering the gardens, picking veggies, and canning, the flock has decided to scale down the embankment, go into the road, head up another embankment and camp out in our neighbor's woods! All I've been doing is watching them and herding them back. Exhausting, but they're still learning... got them to a new part of the property today that they hadn't explored and that kept them happy for a couple of hours. Keep cool everyone!

It sounds like you have been busy. What are you canning? I planted some leaf lettuce and the ducks enjoyed that. I've got 2 cherry tomatoe vines and one large tomatoe plant that hasn't got a tomatoe on it yet. If I was a farmer we would starve to death. I don't have a green thumb.

Is George still with the guineas? Those little stinkers with all your property they have to visit the neighbors. At least your neighbors won't have any ticks left. Do they still come running to the cow bell? That is such a good idea.

Spiderman still remains his gentlemanly self. If you sit down in the yard it's an open invitation for lap time. I just wonder how they are going to survive the winter. Their necks do not have any feathers at all. Just those long hair like feathers sticking out.

Rhonda did you get your new coop built?