Guinea talk.

[DoeAndGander]

Saturday I woke to this bloody guy and another guinea fighting. He has healed nicely. How soon is it ok to put him back with flock? Or should I wait to integrate when coop is done. Fight may have been because of space issues. Brooder is getting tight. Really hoping coop is done soon!!

 

[R2elk]

Saturday I woke to this bloody guy and another guinea fighting. He has healed nicely. How soon is it ok to put him back with flock? Or should I wait to integrate when coop is done. Fight may have been because of space issues. Brooder is getting tight. Really hoping coop is done soon!!

The fight was probably due to dominance issues and since he has been away from the flock the issues will immediately arise as soon as it is returned to the flock. More space and hiding places will be beneficial.

 

[Dmontgomery]

I still haven’t found the courage to eat a meal worm. I assume it must be a combination of deep dish pizza and chili cheese dogs.

The keets are now 7 weeks old and have started developing their helmets. They have little bumps on top of their heads to go along with little wattles.

 

[GlennLee]

@DoeAndGander

Thanks for sharing and I'm happy you found a solution for your fur baby.

Our last female had incontinent issues and was on medication for the same reason you mentioned.

Unfortunately, I think this one's problem is more related to her temperament, lack of housetraining and her learning capabilities. She's been to the vet 3 times in six weeks for urine cultures. She just seems to have trouble "getting it" and I think it's going to take her longer for it to sink in. We talked about using a bell, but she would be ringing it all the time, just to go out and not make the connection between the bell and going to the bathroom.

The hardest part is, we are coming off from a dog that was a dream (we worked hard to get her there) and are now starting over with one that has some problems, but is completely different in temperament and learning ability. Just trying to figure her out.

Thank you for your ideas and concerns... fingers crossed that it will consistently connect with her before too long.

 

[GlennLee]

I still haven’t found the courage to eat a meal worm. I assume it must be a combination of deep dish pizza and chili cheese dogs.
View attachment 1474546
The keets are now 7 weeks old and have started developing their helmets. They have little bumps on top of their heads to go along with little wattles.
View attachment 1474547
View attachment 1474548
View attachment 1474549

Oh they are developing nicely! It's fun to watch them grow up, change and figure out who's who. Thanks for the pics.

 

[Dmontgomery]

@GlennLee
I’m sure after so much time at the shelter, she is just happy to finally be in a loving family and she will continue to do her best so show her appreciation. You said she’s already corrected some of her wild behaviors, she’ll catch on eventually.

I was initially worried the keets growth might be stunted because I saw so many posts about keeping them on game bird starter while they were young. I was only able to keep them isolated and feed them the starter the first couple weeks. Since then they’ve eaten flock raiser with plenty of protein “supplements “ (worms) and whatever they found in the yard/woods. I wonder how big they would be by now if I had actually fed them the game bird starter all this time?.

 

[GlennLee]

@GlennLee
I’m sure after so much time at the shelter, she is just happy to finally be in a loving family and she will continue to do her best so show her appreciation. You said she’s already corrected some of her wild behaviors, she’ll catch on eventually.

I was initially worried the keets growth might be stunted because I saw so many posts about keeping them on game bird starter while they were young. I was only able to keep them isolated and feed them the starter the first couple weeks. Since then they’ve eaten flock raiser with plenty of protein “supplements “ (worms) and whatever they found in the yard/woods. I wonder how big they would be by now if I had actually fed them the game bird starter all this time?.

They are looking great developmentally, so whatever you did worked. My neighbor has a flock and never feeds them high protein. They start out small and then seem to catch up to mine. Not sure of the long term effects. Most of ours don't live that long with all the predators.

Thanks for your words of wisdom on Bianca. I have to keep focused on the positive. She is making good gains and once we get the bathroom issues taken care of, she'll be a great dog.

Ended up with 14 FEMALES! No males at all! Can't believe it. No wonder they were so noisy. Am planning to keep 5 of them and so far have 6 sold. Only 3 more pied pearls left to rehome.

Including your chickens, do you know how many birds you have now? Looks like a beautiful, happy flock of birds there! Enjoy!

 

[Dmontgomery]

At last count we were “down” to 62 total birds. My wife’s nephew, down the road, lost his whole flock of 11 in one day. After he built a better coop, we gave him 6 pulletts we had hatched out this spring. He got an egg their first day there!
We also gave an obnoxious rooster to a friend of our son the same day. I think he became a gumbo dinner.

 

[GlennLee]

At last count we were “down” to 62 total birds. My wife’s nephew, down the road, lost his whole flock of 11 in one day. After he built a better coop, we gave him 6 pulletts we had hatched out this spring. He got an egg their first day there!
We also gave an obnoxious rooster to a friend of our son the same day. I think he became a gumbo dinner.

Ha! Like the DOWN to 62 birds. Sorry to hear about your wife's nephew losing all those birds. Had loss to take all at once. But it sounds like he made out okay with the lucky laying pullet! Not so lucky for the obnoxious rooster.

Sold all my extra guineas. Have a couple of broody chickens and one is on 3 guinea eggs. Not sure if anything will come of that or the chicken eggs they are laying on. Time will tell - about another week or two.

Will try to make some rounds in the next day or two and get some pics posted of the flock. Always good to see pics here.

Keep cool everyone!

 

[Dmontgomery]

I’m not sure if this is a “hooray” moment or an “oh dang it” moment. The keets will be exactly 2 months old tomorrow. They all stick close to the parents, so I’m guessing they will create a flock of 11.(?)
However, yesterday we found a guinea egg in the run! We picked it up and placed it in the nesting box Gertrude had used to hatch her eggs back in May. Today there was a 2nd egg! I’m not very good at understanding guinea behavior but it would seem to me that wanting another batch of keets this soon doesn’t make sense. Not that anything they do makes sense.
Is she lays a clutch of eggs for the next 4 weeks or so, then sits on them for another 4 weeks, that would put the hatch out around the end of September (I think).
I know Gary didn’t stray far from her when she was sitting on the nest the last times. I assume he will do the same this time too. Then will the keets go off on their own or still stick close to mom and dad, in the coop, all September? Maybe this is her way of weaning them?
I’m not opposed to more keets. Several people wanted us to give them some of this last batch, but I just couldn’t do it, since they were our first keets.