- Mar 26, 2007
- 108
- 2
- 141
Hello everybody!
I am so excited! We currently have 5 hens of varying breeds, 3 roos (2 are permanently cooped for OUR safety), 3 Peking decks (1 male, 2 female and the girls seems to be getting broody), 8 (or hopefully 8 - 6 are visible) guineas, and 1 Jersey Buff turkey. Last month about this time, Snowbird, our turkey disappeared. Since we've been unable to find any guinea eggs since about then and she's the same age as the guineas, we figured that either she'd gone to the coyotes or local dogs at worst or was sitting on some eggs. For a few days ds and I looked for her around the 40 ac of pine woods but saw nothing. 2 weeks later, dad found her a few yards from the dogs' pen sitting on eggs - whose eggs we did not know yet. One day - it was a warm one - she showed up in the back yard again, so we ran to look and were surprised to find she's been sitting on about 15 of her own eggs and 4-5 guinea eggs.
We can not be sure her eggs are even fertilized, but since she's free to come and go, anything is possible. On top of that, we haven't been able to be sure whether we have any male guineas. They aren't very accommodating now, are they? Yesterday, she showed up again, looking stiff and uncomfortable, and gee I understand - sitting there all the time must get uncomfortable. Ds ran to check her nest and count the eggs - I guess to see if there were more - and he heard it, Pip pip pip but couldn't see anything. By the time I got there, she was almost back to the nest and there it was! A tiny keet, hatched by a turkey, a guinkey to us. Yes we know there's no biological connection, but still. We are still new to the fowl-raising thing and this month has completed our first year - fraught with trials and loses and lovable girls and scary boys, but a new baby that was hatched right here is BIG! Dad is sure that there is special care for guinea keets, but I don't remember anything when we got the first ones other than heat, and I've got that. The guineas are my dad's and he wasn't even here for the first keet. Worse, he won't be back for at least 2 weeks.
Anyway, today, Im off to the Co-op to get a proper heat lamp and whatever else I need for this one. There are more to go and I'm sure they will be here in a day or two. This will be a busy Spring Break for my son and me. I hope it doesn't go too quickly.
BTW should I be getting a larger box for guinea keets? This one wants out BAD and keeps running and jumping into the walls of the box (a printer paper box) we've got. It seems pretty smart to know to run and get some momentum up before jumping. It is funny to watch. I'll try to get a pic as I get more chicks.
Wish me luck - or is it "kluck"?
:yiipchick
I am so excited! We currently have 5 hens of varying breeds, 3 roos (2 are permanently cooped for OUR safety), 3 Peking decks (1 male, 2 female and the girls seems to be getting broody), 8 (or hopefully 8 - 6 are visible) guineas, and 1 Jersey Buff turkey. Last month about this time, Snowbird, our turkey disappeared. Since we've been unable to find any guinea eggs since about then and she's the same age as the guineas, we figured that either she'd gone to the coyotes or local dogs at worst or was sitting on some eggs. For a few days ds and I looked for her around the 40 ac of pine woods but saw nothing. 2 weeks later, dad found her a few yards from the dogs' pen sitting on eggs - whose eggs we did not know yet. One day - it was a warm one - she showed up in the back yard again, so we ran to look and were surprised to find she's been sitting on about 15 of her own eggs and 4-5 guinea eggs.
We can not be sure her eggs are even fertilized, but since she's free to come and go, anything is possible. On top of that, we haven't been able to be sure whether we have any male guineas. They aren't very accommodating now, are they? Yesterday, she showed up again, looking stiff and uncomfortable, and gee I understand - sitting there all the time must get uncomfortable. Ds ran to check her nest and count the eggs - I guess to see if there were more - and he heard it, Pip pip pip but couldn't see anything. By the time I got there, she was almost back to the nest and there it was! A tiny keet, hatched by a turkey, a guinkey to us. Yes we know there's no biological connection, but still. We are still new to the fowl-raising thing and this month has completed our first year - fraught with trials and loses and lovable girls and scary boys, but a new baby that was hatched right here is BIG! Dad is sure that there is special care for guinea keets, but I don't remember anything when we got the first ones other than heat, and I've got that. The guineas are my dad's and he wasn't even here for the first keet. Worse, he won't be back for at least 2 weeks.
Anyway, today, Im off to the Co-op to get a proper heat lamp and whatever else I need for this one. There are more to go and I'm sure they will be here in a day or two. This will be a busy Spring Break for my son and me. I hope it doesn't go too quickly.
BTW should I be getting a larger box for guinea keets? This one wants out BAD and keeps running and jumping into the walls of the box (a printer paper box) we've got. It seems pretty smart to know to run and get some momentum up before jumping. It is funny to watch. I'll try to get a pic as I get more chicks.
Wish me luck - or is it "kluck"?
