Literally got my butt beat by a guinea today

[Mom 2em All]

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

Very sad to report that I found her feathers- behind the pen and then, ninety percent of her feathers beside the pen in the tall grass. I will never clip another chickens wings- I do not care who demands it. If she could have flown, she would have been inside the pen. Of course, If she wasnt so mean, she would have been inside the pen with the others, as well.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Very sad to report that I found her feathers- behind the pen and then, ninety percent of her feathers beside the pen in the tall grass. I will never clip another chickens wings- I do not care who demands it. If she could have flown, she would have been inside the pen. Of course, If she wasnt so mean, she would have been inside the pen with the others, as well.

Sounds like you have a lot going on your flock right now. I hope you are able to keep them peaceful and safe so you can drink you coffee and unwind!

 

[15WildTurkey]

Oh I’m sorry. Sucks finding the feather patch.

 

[Mom 2em All]

tried to upload a video, cant do it. Mom and three of the four babies were out in the yard, bug hunting. Very nice to watch them. They are a family, finally. The fourth, the one with a bad leg cant keep up, so it stayed behind in the pen.

 

[Victoria-nola]

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

We will probably homestead but we're going to rent until we get familiar with the microclimates and options over there. Big Island. That's the part that I am struggling with so badly-- we can't catch the guineas we have because they rejected our huge airy coop and roost in trees. So we are asking the Universe to have whoever buys our farm want to have the guineas. There are only 7 now. I will sell them hard because ticks are a huge problem in our area and we rarely see any ticks since the guineas came.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

We will probably homestead but we're going to rent until we get familiar with the microclimates and options over there. Big Island. That's the part that I am struggling with so badly-- we can't catch the guineas we have because they rejected our huge airy coop and roost in trees. So we are asking the Universe to have whoever buys our farm want to have the guineas. There are only 7 now. I will sell them hard because ticks are a huge problem in our area and we rarely see any ticks since the guineas came.

Best of luck with the new buyers and with your move! I’m sorry to hear that only 7 guineas remain. I’m curious about how it went trying to combine your new keets from last summer with the established flock?

 

[Mom 2em All]

Oh I’m sorry. Sucks finding the feather patch. ☹

unfortunately, I have a day-time or early twilight predator. I lost the guinea with the hurt leg from the coop, and then yesterday I lost a "sibling: New Hampshire pullet. Whatever is taking them is taking one at a time. I dont know if its an owl...could be. I have to take some safety measures but this weekend, my boyfriends father passed away and I have his funeral to go to.

 

[Victoria-nola]

Best of luck with the new buyers and with your move! I’m sorry to hear that only 7 guineas remain. I’m curious about how it went trying to combine your new keets from last summer with the established flock?

You remember! Before I ever combined the new keets (that were hatched from eggs I bought on ebay-- 7 total hatched out of about 48-- a real disaster), we decided it was time to sell our place and move on. So rather than release those 7 to free-range, we rehomed them as a group last fall to some folks nearby who did keep them initially confined, but 5 died on the road and 1 died on a nest in early spring, so they have a lone male left. Our current 7 are adults incubator-hatched from the eggs from our original group, plus a group from a natural hatch last year. They've had two natural hatches this year and all of the keets were lost, even the adolescent one that survived the first hatch. I rescued one keet that was a day old, could not keep up with the group and was flailing, and the nanny guineas were going in circles in panic as dusk was falling and they were going to have to leave it behind. I picked the keet up and told them I'd take care of her, and the guineas went "yeah ok" and went about their business. She slept a lot (gave her a tented heating pad like a casual mama-heating-pad), and I got her eating and drinking and pooping, which took 3 days, and then entrusted her to the young-adult daughter of the same folks who adopted the guinea group, who is treasuring her. This little keet loves being held and petted and has been named "Pam". So yes, Pam should be in a group, but she was saved from perishing with the others. Those folks have an enclosed, safe chicken yard, and when she's old enough will probably be integrated there (and possibly become friends with the lone male guinea, though they want to protect Pam from predators). The chickens they have are actually my chickens-- we also rehomed our flock with them-- so these chickens already know and respect guineas. I guess that's the full report.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

You remember! Before I ever combined the new keets (that were hatched from eggs I bought on ebay-- 7 total hatched out of about 48-- a real disaster), we decided it was time to sell our place and move on. So rather than release those 7 to free-range, we rehomed them as a group last fall to some folks nearby who did keep them initially confined, but 5 died on the road and 1 died on a nest in early spring, so they have a lone male left. Our current 7 are adults incubator-hatched from the eggs from our original group, plus a group from a natural hatch last year. They've had two natural hatches this year and all of the keets were lost, even the adolescent one that survived the first hatch. I rescued one keet that was a day old, could not keep up with the group and was flailing, and the nanny guineas were going in circles in panic as dusk was falling and they were going to have to leave it behind. I picked the keet up and told them I'd take care of her, and the guineas went "yeah ok" and went about their business. She slept a lot (gave her a tented heating pad like a casual mama-heating-pad), and I got her eating and drinking and pooping, which took 3 days, and then entrusted her to the young-adult daughter of the same folks who adopted the guinea group, who is treasuring her. This little keet loves being held and petted and has been named "Pam". So yes, Pam should be in a group, but she was saved from perishing with the others. Those folks have an enclosed, safe chicken yard, and when she's old enough will probably be integrated there (and possibly become friends with the lone male guinea, though they want to protect Pam from predators). The chickens they have are actually my chickens-- we also rehomed our flock with them-- so these chickens already know and respect guineas. I guess that's the full report.

Sounds like you’ve had an exciting year! Maybe a little too exciting... Your Pam reminds me of @sunnie7 hand raised keet. Thanks for updating us!

 

[Victoria-nola]

Sounds like you’ve had an exciting year! Maybe a little too exciting... Your Pam reminds me of @sunnie7 hand raised keet. Thanks for updating us!

Thank you for your interest. I would love to read stories about hand-raised keets. I've been close-up to quite a number of keets now after doing several incubator hatchings. I've never experienced a keet before who got CALMER in my hands. Who was not the least bit skittish. It allowed me to see who she is much easier. When the young woman came over to pick her up, in the birdcage with the heating pad and all, I brought her out in my hands and handed her to her new human, saying you are going home with L now, and I want you to bond with her. I got the things done I needed to do while L just marveled at her, then took her back in my hands and showed L how Pam was eating and drinking and that she still needed encouragement. After she ate and drank, she came to the middle of the cage door, wanting to be cuddled, which I did. Then it was time to carry the cage out to the truck, where we put it on the backseat. I was concerned that Pam might get thrown around as they were driving, so I got up in the truck and tucked her back in her heated soft cave. Out she popped, sitting up on top of the cave, looking at me a bit but mostly looking forward, straight out the windshield, as if to say, I'm excited about the future and I want to see where I'm going. There I was fearing she would feel afraid and wouldn't bond with a new person, and there she was full of courage, bravely facing forward, letting me know I had done the best thing. I am so impressed with the nature of this bird. Here's a photo from the new family.