Hen returns with 10 keets!

[Treg]

Quite some time ago, my ex-husband discovered one of my Guinneas along side the road (dead). We could not tell what had happened, car or predator. A few days later a second Guinnea disappeared. I figured a predator got that one as well. On Sunday morning when turning everyone (13 Chicken Hens and 2 remaining Guinneas) out of the run I notice a Guinnea on the outside and thought, man they move fast, but looked around and saw the 2 still in the run. So I look again and I see movement on the ground and she has 10 Keets with her! I am still in awe that a 3rd Guinnea is there and TOTALLY shocked she came back with keets! Awesome!

I kept checking on them, making sure water was low enough, and that they could get up over the bottom board of the run. I noticed the other Hen was picking on the keets. On one trip out, I then saw one keet had a hurt leg and was dragging it behind him. and another had a bald spot. So I gathered them up and brought them into the house/nursery area. They all survived the night and the leg looks better on the one. He does hold his foot curled in yet, but gets around pretty good and seems pretty alert.

Out of the 10, there is one White, one Lavender, possibley one Normal Grey and the rest appear to be Pied like the 3 adults.

 

[ChicksinPR]

aww, what a nice story.

 

[OneShotHunter]

Awwww, great story!

 

[PeepsCA]

Cute babies, congrats and nice save! Now you can replenish your flock!

You really shouldn't have baby keets on find shavings at this pount, they may eat them, get impacted and die. Coarse straw would be a better choice, or even a couple layers of coarse textured paper towels (like Brawny), but I use rubberized shelf liner over paper towels for the first 3-4 days then graduate to straw or grass hay with no leaves/seeds/grains for them to eat and get impacted on.

You can try putting a tape shoe on the keet's foot to help keep the toes straight... set the foot down flat on one piece of tape (medical tape, duct tape or black electrical tape), spread the toes out as they would be if the keets was standing normally on that foot, gently press them down and then stick another piece of tape down over the top and press that down well so the toes are sandwiched between the layers of tape and well held in place, then trim as much excess off as you can. What you end up with should resemble a little flipper. And make sure to leave that little back toe free.



It should stay on at least a couple days before it gathers enough bedding/brooder/poop dust to work itself off/loose and may fix the little guy by that time, if not put another shoe/flipper on him and give it another couple of days. You may need to help him up a few times until he gets the hang of walking wit his new shoe.

 

[TeamChaos]

Thanks for sharing this story- our Bellatrix has disappeared and I have to find evidence of her demise, so I am really hoping she comes home w/ keets too!

 

[chickenzoo]

Mine came out with twenty...... And i still have others setting....... Ugh

 

[critters]

what a great story as the others have said....

one of my couples came up a few days ago with 15 keets..
they are so cute....I took half inside and she still has half too...

 

[JLeigh]

Seeing your hen come home with babies has to be a good feeling. So lucky you all are!

And then having a a good hatch from an incubator should feel pretty good too!