Guinea talk.

[guineapeeps]

They are so cute.  You have so many different colors.  That is sweet that the two hens go broody togeather and raise the keets togeather.  Do the hens stay with the keets for 6 weeks like the chickens do?  

Thanks so much for sharing the pics.  

My hens usually stay with the keets longer than that, usually a few months. The 2 hens in the pictures started laying on more eggs when their last hatched keets were only about 5 weeks and abandoned them (they were fully feathered and could fly so I guess it wouldn't really be abandonment); However that doesn't usually happen very often and they are usually fiercely protective of the keets for several months.

 

[GlennLee]

The pictures are just adorable, guineapeeps! They look like they are enjoying their stroll with the adults and that's amazing how they parent together. You always hear about Guineas not being good parents, but yours proved them wrong. The varied colors are beautiful - all of mine look the same except for the pattern on their legs. I'm going to have to get a rainbow of Guineas going here like you (and Sun)! You've given me motivation. Thanks for posting....

Patti - I always like checking out your pictures of Spider and Mary Jane and hearing about their adventures. They are usually a month behind mine in looks and activity. That's cute that Mary Jane's eggs have spots on them. Cassie's didn't have any spots and it was about the size of 1/2 of a regular chicken's eggs. I remember that you said you didn't eat your eggs, but feed them to your birds. Good protein for them! That's interesting that Mary Jane is smaller, but weighs more.

Cooling off a bit tonight - finally a cool breeze and less humidity. Sleep well!

 

[pattyhen]

Yesterday there was a hawk that swooped down in the yard and Mary Jane and Spiderman called out the hawk allert along with Bubba the rooster. Thats the first time I have heard them go to the allert call when there was a hawk. They allerted everyone in the 3 block radias that there was danger. I think they learn from the chickens they don't have another guinea to teach them or it might be instinct too.

I always put their food bowl on the back porch and they come over to this side of the gate to eat breakfast and then after they are done I let them go on the other side of the yard. I was kind of afraid that they would hurt the baby duck. She hatched two weeks ago and we had only one duck that hatched. So far they have totally ignored the baby duck and have not chased it or anything.
This is Phyllis the baby duck.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Hi, everyone-

I've been keeping up with all the posts but just haven't had a chance to write anything. I prefer to be on my computer for these replies since I can type more coherently that way. I sold my youngest keets last weekend and had to put Polly back out with the bigger kids. She started getting a tiny bit of wing feathers on her two week birthday (Tuesday) and then a day later she learned to hop out of the coop and follow the others around the yard. I had to check on her about 50 times a day because I was so worried about the turkeys or older guineas picking on her. Luckily she has been okay and she is growing enough now that I have to search the crowd a bit to pick her out. She's still smaller, but finally getting feathers, and she is just as fast as the rest of the bunch. She was feeling very left out when she couldn't leave the coop like the rest so I'm happy for her.

The other keets are so beautiful. I've been trying to get pictures but they don't do them justice. They are lovely creams and silvers with white lacing on the feathers. I do worry that the light colors make them stand out to hawks, but really I had more lavenders than pearls survive from my original flock so maybe that is unfounded. As long as they don't start trying to sleep in the trees maybe I will be okay. I am afraid to mention it but I still have not had any predator action in two months. I'm happy but nervous about that.

The guinea hen on the nest out front only leaves the nest for about 90 seconds twice a day. I have slowly been trying to go through the eggs and candle them when I catch her off of the nest. I have tossed about 13 bad ones and right now 19 are in the incubator and hopefully today I can get the rest of them to candle and then give her all the good ones back. I knew a good deal of them would be bad from being old and sitting in the sun.

I've been doing a lot of work on the coops and will have updated pictures before long. It is actually starting to look pretty nice! I still can't convince DH to let me move it all to where I can see it from the deck or a window. He gives me a hard time about my baby monitor and going out to check on them several times a day, but if I could look out the window and see nothing is amiss that would take care of that problem!

Pattyhen- I'm glad the hawk didn't get anyone! It's amazing how these birds have instincts about certain sights and sounds. My turkeys keep an eye on the sky constantly, and they have been able to tell since birth that some sounds are "dangerous" and they have learned all the various turkey sounds and behaviors of communication without having a parent turkey. To me, that is amazing.

Guineapeeps- you have joined this thread right when I need you most. My keets are due 9/11 and this is the first time I've had a broody guinea raise them so I'm not sure what to expect. I am wondering if she will keep them on her nest for the first few nights and then try to take them back to the coop or what! I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. I am happy to have her raise them but can only imagine what discord her protectiveness will cause.

Dmontgomery- I agree with you about the looks of the guineas, though I can appreciate their wierdness in a modern art sort of way. I love the light contented sounds that they make. I wish they did it more because its so beautiful, and in such contrast to the other grating calls they have.


Here are a few pictures of Polly I took today. She and her hatch mates will be three weeks old tomorrow.

 

[pattyhen]

Hi Sun glad to see you back, I thought you might be busy. Polly is growing and that is great she got her little wing feathers and can jump out of the coop now. She's so cute and I think she might be catching up with the others. I love those colors on the keets are they the lavenders?

I'm glad your broody is still determined to sit on those eggs. Guineapeeps has got some great mothers and I hope this one is a good mother with the babies. At least you can keep an eye on them from the window and see how she is doing.

I've never had turkeys before but I've heard they are very affectionate. I can just imagine sitting down and big turkey coming up trying to sit on your lap.

I hope everyone has a nice day we are in the 90s again.

 

[Dmontgomery]

...

Yesterday there was a hawk that swooped down in the yard and Mary Jane and Spiderman called out the hawk allert along with Bubba the rooster.  Thats the first time I have heard them go to the allert call when there was a hawk.  They allerted everyone in the 3 block radias that there was danger.  I think they learn from the chickens they don't have another guinea to teach them or it might be instinct too.

Our 2 new Guineas made their first real screaming alert Saturday afternoon. I looked up to see a white crane circling the yard about 10-12' off the ground. Cranes aren't too unusual here. We have a large pasture that is home to crawfish when we get lots of rain, like now. But it's unusual for them to circle the yard like that. We looked up higher and a hawk was high above the trees. Apparently the crane had come down low to evade the hawk and that spooked the Guineas. It was a cool experience the hear the Guineas alert system at work.

 

[GlennLee]

Sun - your pictures are really sweet. Don't you love how they photograph against the green of the grass? They look soft and fluffy and VERY happy.... Congrats on selling the younger keets and so glad to hear the update on Polly. She appears to be fairing well. I'm looking forward to seeing the updates in your coops. Hopefully your paint isn't still gumming up. You mentioned the color of the keets and how they would stand out for hawks. I was just talking to a neighbor about that same thing. She notices her white Guineas end up getting picked off, but for some reason hasn't seen an higher incidence of lavenders compared to pearls. I thought that was interesting and sort of counter intuitive based on their "color" and potential visibility. I hope your predators are held at bay this late summer and into the fall. It's difficult to lose them to the hawks and other critters.

Patti - the picture of Phyllis is priceless and it's good to hear that Spider and Mary Jane aren't chasing her. Maybe it has something to do with her size, but I would have thought smaller would have enticed them to chase more. What will you have to do for the ducks in the winter? Will they be under shelter with the rest of your poultry or do they have a separate housing area? Will the little one be big enough by then to be with the adults or will Phyllis require some TLC from you? Good to hear that the hawk was chased off by your 3 watch dogs! I think some of the Guinea's reactions were due to instinct, but I'll bet Bubba encouraged them. Don't you notice that? It's like a flock of sheep - no one is making noise, then one makes noise, then they ALL make noise. Hopefully, they will keep all the hawks away for you. My flock actually squawked away a big skunk late one afternoon. I was surprised to see it hightailing out of the tall grass! It's a good feeling to watch those things happen.

 

[GlennLee]

Dmontgomery - good to see you posting in this thread... I mentioned that in another thread and realized you were already here when I got back to check. We have a lot of fun and there's a great collective experience in the group. Enjoy!

Guineapeeps - I hate to say this, but I hope I don't have to tap into your experience on laying Guineas and hatching eggs until next spring. I had two eggs in the coop this morning..... please don't go broody on me ladies!

 

[GlennLee]

Oh! I just went from "Out of the Brooder" to "Chillin' with my Peeps". How cool is that?

 

[pattyhen]

dmontgomery I bet that was an awesome sight the cranes and the hawk above them and the guineas sounding their alarms. Welcome to the group we are a friendly bunch and love to talk about our guineas.

We have a duck coop for the ducks. They will go in there this winter. Phyllis should be full grown in about 3 months. They grow fast. She is running with all the adult ducks on this side. I always say she running with the big dogs. My husband said she is not even last in the line she's about 4th when they file out of the yard. I'm thinking Phyllis might be a Philip I'm not for sure. Usually the female ducks are really loud and Phyllis is quiet I don't hear any quacking from her. It has surprised me that the guineas haven't bothered her at all. She is pretty fast when she runs I can't catch her at all.

Two more eggs that's great. Mary Jane doesn't lay everyday. I find about 2 a week unless she has hid them somewhere I can't find them.It's like an easter egg hunt in this yard trying to find all the duck eggs.

I hope everyone has a nice day it's been in the 90s all week here.

p.s. I think they change your advitar to chillin with the peeps after so many posts. That is neat.