Literally got my butt beat by a guinea today

[My2butterflies]

Goodness!
Glad your alright.

 

[Victoria-nola]

I havent been able to catch her since she was three weeks old.Shes been living as a mean "chicken". These are not her babies. She has ignored this brooder that had keets and chicks since I brought them home three ?weeks ago. There is a thread somewhere on here about my failed plan to give her babies and taking her eggs away. I had no idea she would attack me when I got the babies- but apparently she can switch on cobra foster mama mode in an instant.

I got myself a fishing net with an extendable handle and a largish net opening on Amazon for under $30. That made it possible for me to catch guineas on occasion. If you're in an enclosed space and can close the doors, like inside a coop, it's very possible to catch. Never had much luck out in the yard, but it can help if an adult is injured or whatnot. Having a pretty good chuckle here, mainly at your wonderful attitude. You seem like a kind and caring person.

Have had numerous guineas get injured as adults, their legs are vulnerable. They hobble along and sometimes cure entirely, others limp all their lives and probably fall prey to predators more easily, but hey they are happy. Never had one injured as a keet, thinking strong kind thoughts. Guineas are such tough and quirky birds, so interesting, so communal in their habits, I love them very much. We are moving to a location where guineas are against the law (Hawaii) because they could become naturalized so easily, so my days of guineas are soon to be in the past. This is perhaps the only sacrifice I'm making, but it's serious for me. Best wishes on your need-to-momma guinea hen finding her way with the keets.

 

[15WildTurkey]

Oh man. I completely understand. I had to catch my male guinea the other night. Tony went in to the duck house and he’s not allowed to sleep there because he already caused a duck injuring her leg pretty badly. He chases them relentlessly. Well when I reached in and grabbed him I have no idea what exactly hit me. But it felt like a punch in the eye. The dude gave me a shiner!!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I got myself a fishing net with an extendable handle and a largish net opening on Amazon for under $30. That made it possible for me to catch guineas on occasion. If you're in an enclosed space and can close the doors, like inside a coop, it's very possible to catch. Never had much luck out in the yard, but it can help if an adult is injured or whatnot. Having a pretty good chuckle here, mainly at your wonderful attitude. You seem like a kind and caring person.

Have had numerous guineas get injured as adults, their legs are vulnerable. They hobble along and sometimes cure entirely, others limp all their lives and probably fall prey to predators more easily, but hey they are happy. Never had one injured as a keet, thinking strong kind thoughts. Guineas are such tough and quirky birds, so interesting, so communal in their habits, I love them very much. We are moving to a location where guineas are against the law (Hawaii) because they could become naturalized so easily, so my days of guineas are soon to be in the past. This is perhaps the only sacrifice I'm making, but it's serious for me. Best wishes on your need-to-momma guinea hen finding her way with the keets.

Oh wow, Victorianola, what an exciting move! Will you be homesteading in Hawaii? What island? What will you do with your guineas?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Oh man. I completely understand. I had to catch my male guinea the other night. Tony went in to the duck house and he’s not allowed to sleep there because he already caused a duck injuring her leg pretty badly. He chases them relentlessly. Well when I reached in and grabbed him I have no idea what exactly hit me. But it felt like a punch in the eye. The dude gave me a shiner!! View attachment 2191400

Ouch!!!

 

[Mom 2em All]

I walked the guinea and her sister chicken down to the guinea pen yesterday morning- she talked a moment to the baby guineas then ran back to her chicks - chicken chicks that she didnt brood ha. While I was at work, something got her sister chicken. Now this poor chicken I didnt find a trace of her. She was not allowed to be in the pen while I was at work because she and the guinea beat up the other chickens. So she, the guinea and lilRoo free range every day. She was the only one who couldnt fly. Well, lilRoo got himself two new girls to follow him around so he doesnt miss her. But, the guinea called for her all evening.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I walked the guinea and her sister chicken down to the guinea pen yesterday morning- she talked a moment to the baby guineas then ran back to her chicks - chicken chicks that she didnt brood ha. While I was at work, something got her sister chicken. Now this poor chicken I didnt find a trace of her. She was not allowed to be in the pen while I was at work because she and the guinea beat up the other chickens. So she, the guinea and lilRoo free range every day. She was the only one who couldnt fly. Well, lilRoo got himself two new girls to follow him around so he doesnt miss her. But, the guinea called for her all evening.

I’m so sorry to hear that! It’s really hard to lose a bird.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Well...Guinea adventures continue. I definitely didnt know what I was getting in to when I got guineas.
First and foremost- I needed more than two guineas to start with. When I only had two hatch successfully, I should have pursued and found at least one more somewhere. When the one guinea was killed, I was left with The Evil Queen. And we all know that having her with my chickens was a mistake because she thinks she is a chicken. Alpha chicken. But, she and her mean chicken sister and Lil Roo all free ranged during the day, and we adapted.

The young guinea keets (three whole and one crippled) have been in the dog pen on the opposite side of the yard since my original post on this thread. Evil Queen has thought the chicken chicks were her responsibility to keep safe even though they dont think she is mom.

Sister chicken was killed by a predator Friday at some point. She was the only one who couldnt fly ( wing clipped last year at the persistence of my boyfriends mother- never ever again!) All day long non stop from the very moment the sun came up, guinea has been calling for her friend. To the point I was exasperated. If I could have captured her I would have put her in the dog pen. Or a box. Or the trunk of my car..but I digress. I just wanted her to know that there were three youngsters that speak her language five hundred yards? away. I chased, I got the net. We went around and around the chicken pen. She wouldnt go the direction she needed to go so she could hear the keets.
So I flipped the script. I got the keets out. One screaming keet managed to fly away and to the top of the dog pen where it proceeded to call its siblings below. The guinea heard the screeching babies and went in to full on protect mode. Attack and protect her chicken chicks because someone somewhere was hurting them. Not attack me- but attack the 18 adult chickens minding their own business. So I netted the keets, and I brought them to the chicken pen. This now had been eight hours of listening to her call for her sister chicken. non stop. The keets instantly joined the chicks, ate drank and ran around. And made guinea noises. And the incessant calling of The Evil Queen stopped.
Right now, everyone is roosting. Chickens, chicks, Guinea, keets. And the only sound is that of my Lil Roo and Lil RooJr having a crow- off, and I am drinking my coffee and it is peaceful.

 

[My2butterflies]

Goodness! What a day you had!
Glad at the end you were able to get some calm.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Goodness! What a day you had!
Glad at the end you were able to get some calm.

I work sales all week, my decompress time, my enjoyable off time, is spent with coffee and chickens. Peace. Listening to the guinea not go do guinea stuff, and be a broken record- definitely is not calm and peaceful. So, that became my focus. How to get her to shut up. haha. Or how to get her to go anywhere else on these six acres besides right where I sit and do her guinea nonsense.
Much better this morning, though all the chickens want out and I am not letting them free-range until mid day.