Making introductions

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

It was intentional. I don't have room for a lot more. I sold all the rest of the keets. This one was the biggest Coral Blue of the group. I am hoping it is a male. At two months old it has never buckwheated even when cooped up alone while the adults were outside.

Poor confused keet was raised with 10 poults for the first four weeks and now has spent the last 4 weeks alone surrounded at first by adults that were trying to kill through the cage wire. Only during the last few days did they stop pecking at the cage wire.

Wow - trial by fire! (not mad but I don’t get to use the flaming emoji very often...). I really hope he’s a boy!

 

[Sydney65]

I kept one Coral Blue keet this year. It was hatched on July the 1st or 2nd. When it was approximately a month old, I moved it into my temporary introduction cage in the guinea coop. Today, approximately a month later, I opened the door to its cage and let things happen without watching or interfering. I did see it in the weeds around midday keeping its distance from the adults.

After herding the adults into the coop this evening, I went searching for the keet. It was sitting in some grass and very calm. I herded it to the coop (first time ever being herded), and it went right in without any hesitation. I was amazed that not one of the adults offered to peck at it. After gathering their eggs, I went back to the coop and watched it fly up to a roost and settle in right beside one of the male adults. I really was surprised that the male did not even try to peck at it.

It appears to have been a successful introduction. I intend to remove the introduction cage tomorrow.

A month old...that's today for my two. I've been thinking abt moving them out bc ..they're just so diff from the last crew. They're bigger,more independent,and already taking flight. I've been taking them out during the day and the eldres pretty much ignore them except PJ, who has thunked them on the head a few times.
How big is the intro cage you use? I've realized that he made my doors so narrow that I'm not going to get anything very big inside. I'm actually wondering if our live trap can safely be used for this, bc it's the perfect size w/small holes. Do you think they'd get hurt on the trigger plate if I tuck bedding under and on top of it? I thought of it bc it could fit under the drop board up against the wall so they'd be able to see what's going on but feel safe.
Yesterday was a fiasco-gran chased them into the weeds then himself started the mower. The elders were sounding the alarm but they wouldn't come out, and the boys stood outside of the weeds yelling at them but wouldn't go in.
I gave up and left them til later then used the pole to guide them out- and they went straight to the coop..that they don't live in. Lol
I figured today I'd just let them be in the coop when I take them out, mb leave Rosie in with them. She's been in kennel w/them and not appeared bothered by them.

 

[R2elk]

How big is the intro cage you use?

It is 3' wide by 4' long and 33" high. I made the door to the coop a standard 3' 0" door. This allows me to turn the cage so that the 33" side will fit through the door. It is a 3 sided cage which gets screwed to the inside wall of the coop.

I'm actually wondering if our live trap can safely be used for this,

I don't know how big your live trap is, but I wouldn't put keets in my biggest live trap which is 15"x15"x42".

 

[Sydney65]

It is 3' wide by 4' long and 33" high. I made the door to the coop a standard 3' 0" door. This allows me to turn the cage so that the 33" side will fit through the door. It is a 3 sided cage which gets screwed to the inside wall of the coop.

I don't know how big your live trap is, but I wouldn't put keets in my biggest live trap which is 15"x15"x42".

Yeah, predicted temp drop overnight nixed that idea before it even got off the ground. I've got some thinking to do, bc The Mouse (the gray) gets on everyone's nerves, I think-even Rosie's, as it turns out.
Think 2nd hatch is epic fail. Eggs sent were small, gritty and feel thin. Don't think the hens were getting calcium? 2 wks to lock down, only see life in one.

 

[EarlJ]

The Pearls kept venturing in the road, so they're on lockdown for now. Think that with just one adult around, the juveniles are setting the wandering itinerary - the adults never ventured off the property like that, except into the field.

The lavenders are going loose 2 or 3 at a time, but still don't go far from their confined brethren. They haven't strayed far enough to "discover" where the pearls live.

Still bummed the other pearls haven't turned up, but I suppose if there are fewer guineas around... it'll be easier to sell my gf on getting more hatching eggs next season. I want to get more colors, so there's some suspense in future generations' hatch time.

 

[Sydney65]

The Pearls kept venturing in the road, so they're on lockdown for now. Think that with just one adult around, the juveniles are setting the wandering itinerary - the adults never ventured off the property like that, except into the field.

The lavenders are going loose 2 or 3 at a time, but still don't go far from their confined brethren. They haven't strayed far enough to "discover" where the pearls live.

Still bummed the other pearls haven't turned up, but I suppose if there are fewer guineas around... it'll be easier to sell my gf on getting more hatching eggs next season. I want to get more colors, so there's some suspense in future generations' hatch time.

You may have seen my story before- or I may have told you. My goons never left the yard until mating season kicked in, and then the girls were all abt building nests somewhere else. Whereever they went, the boys followed. This is why I only have one female left - and why she isn't allowed to roam. The boys are, but she stays in the run or goes in a kennel, and the boys don't leave the yard. We'll see if that holds when the two in the brooder go out.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

The Pearls kept venturing in the road, so they're on lockdown for now. Think that with just one adult around, the juveniles are setting the wandering itinerary - the adults never ventured off the property like that, except into the field.

The lavenders are going loose 2 or 3 at a time, but still don't go far from their confined brethren. They haven't strayed far enough to "discover" where the pearls live.

Still bummed the other pearls haven't turned up, but I suppose if there are fewer guineas around... it'll be easier to sell my gf on getting more hatching eggs next season. I want to get more colors, so there's some suspense in future generations' hatch time.

Guineas and roads!!!

 

[Sydney65]

Guineas and roads!!!

Right?

 

[EarlJ]

Pearls will be 14 weeks tomorrow.

Today I saw this in their enclosure:

I've never seen a poultry egg so small.

Naturally, my gf and her sister want to incubate it. There's a roughly 0% chance anything can hatch from such a thing. But there's nothing in the incubators now so no harm humoring them.

 

[Sydney65]

I remember getting those when my girls 1st started laying. At first I thought the size was the diff btwn guinea vs French Guinea but then read somewhere that it happens w/immature hens.