My Guineas are integrated with the Chickens finally...

[Tacampbell1973]

He didn't like being kissed.....
And he screamed the whole time I held him
Well, almost. He thought he might like it for a second.

It wasn't totally by choice but for lack of space. That and the fact that a Red Tail Hawk got into my run and killed one of my keets last week. So the remaining 10 babies and my nine chickens are not free ranging anymore. They had been from two months on with no problems until now. I can't stand the idea of losing another bird and it really sucked seeing how scared the Guineas were after the attack. So I covered their run and they all live together now. They had been in two little coops. The Guineas in a mini banty barn and the chickens in the larger coop, but the Guineas keep busting out their brooder light. I don't know how. I covered it with a mesh so they couldn't contact the bulb, but they still bumped the hood so many times that the bulb was hanging by an element wire. This is the fourth bulb they have destroyed in less than three months. And at ten bucks a bulb I can't afford it. Plus i am scared to death that they will either get hurt or cause a fire and die. So the other night as I was tucking in the flock, the Guineas followed the chickens into their coop. So they made the choice and they have been together ever since. I looked in on them tonight and on the first roost pole was five guineas with a chicken hen in the middle, on the second pole was two chicken roosters with four guineas and the remaining guinea was on the shelf with the last chicken rooster and the remaining hens...so they are all happy together. I included pics as they are growing through their awkward adolescent stage. They have gotten bald helmeted heads and I see bumps starting on their head. Also they are getting the cheek waddles whatever they are called. I believe they are pearl colored but not totally sure. I think they are beautiful and enjoy watching them grow. I still feel terrible about losing the one, but I am grateful that the damage could have been worse. They were smart enough to hunker down under the blackberries and ivy in the yard and camouflage.
On a separate note, I notice they stink really bad like poo. I think this was because they were all intoo small of a barn for that many. Also I covered the muddy run with straw so they aren't in muddy poo. My dad says he thinks they might just stink from the inside out like how a buzzard of vulture stinks like the deade things it eats. I disagree though. I hope I'm wrong, they really stink. poor babies. I hope nothing is wrong with them....

 

[Granny Hatchet]

lol, how cute are the kisses. i never noticed my guineas with a bad smell. the one your holding is a pearl. if they have white on them also they are called pied except if the white is only on the primary feathers then that is a defect on a show pearl. if you were showing them.

 

[Tacampbell1973]

Hi Granny H,
We've chatted a bit before but hello again. I thought they might be pearl but glad for a confirmation. I posted before about how I never thought I would think these birds were beautiful, but I do. I not only think they are beautiful, but intelligent (and loud). I love how they stick together like ducks. still bummed at losing one last week. I am burying him on the hill with his siblings that didn't survive hatch. (I dont mean they aren't already buried, they are

) They always amaze me at how adaptable they are and how they can literally disappear right in front of you. It tookme an hour the day the hawk came just to locate 8 of the 10 remaining birds and they were literally right under my nose(probably shoulda smelled them) They are expert hiders, my husband would go to take pics of them in the fall and couldn't find them on his camera viewfinder even though they were right in front of him

I think the strong smell on them is like i was saying because I have them housed in a mini banty barn. It was all I had with a roof when they were born, so I figured it woudl be fine for awhile, but they are in too cramped space until two days ago when they bunked with the chickens. Now everyone is one big happy feathered (helmeted) family. Have a safe and happy holiday and merry Christmas to you and your family.
Theresa

 

[Granny Hatchet]

i have never seen a bird that can disappear as fast as they do.their there then they're gone. mine have started something new. a warning if you will, when i wait till later in the day to feed them and they are free ranging, when they see their "food bucket" they will take flight straight at you !! its a head ducking , heart pounding moment. lol i got 3 keets this yr. bringing my total to 10 and they are all hens but one. my first guinea was a male and i guess he intends to keep it that way. these 3 babies are his so i will probably re home them. i dont like breeding blood to blood. i hope you and yours have a great christmas .

 

[Tacampbell1973]

i have never seen a bird that can disappear as fast as they do.their there then they're gone. mine have started something new. a warning if you will, when i wait till later in the day to feed them and they are free ranging, when they see their "food bucket" they will take flight straight at you !! its a head ducking , heart pounding moment. lol i got 3 keets this yr. bringing my total to 10 and they are all hens but one. my first guinea was a male and i guess he intends to keep it that way. these 3 babies are his so i will probably re home them. i dont like breeding blood to blood. i hope you and yours have a great christmas .

HI again,
I did have them do that flying at you thing. When all were free ranging, at food time, I had 11 Guineas flying at me and 9 chickens galloping at full speed toward me. They act like they never eat. Your right though, it definitely gets the blood movin'

Too bad you aren't closer, I would gladly swap you out some guineas. I beleive I have mostly female. I tried the method if you will of hanging upside down at two days old. .After that I was told by a whole lot of people that method is not only really inaccurate, but potentially dangerous. I had also thought that maybe the ones that had white on their secondary wing feathers could be a telling point but Starkasm said hers both male and female have it. Ultimately the only way they say to tell is by their call. But now I'm hearing that isn't even accurate as males will copy females on occasion. So i have no idea what I have. I am kind of basing it by behaviors now. Even their little helmet bumps are all indentical in size. I'll admit I know very little about Guinea, but I am entranced by them. They have a very primitive beauty about them. Also they are growing flaps on their cheeks. I don't know if males and females both grow those, but of their parents the dad had them and mom didn't seem too. I couldn't really get too close to them. Unless I had food, and then they would tolerate my presence.I have been trying to get them hand tamed since birth but very little success. I held them almost dailysince birth, but they always act like Im gonna eat them or something. Eventually they made me feel so bad and worry that they were going to keel over from the sheer stress that I gave up trying. Also even if I did get one to calm down for a bit, the minute I put him/her back with it's siblings the whole pack mentality took over again i think and It would just copy everyone else by shreiking and running away, Although in extreme contrast to that, they WILL let me pick them up at night and put them up on their roosting shelf in the big chicken coop. Strange crazy animals that make no sense. They probably are thinking the exact same thing about me....

Anywho, I've yapped on long enough I suppose. Have a wonderful evening and will talk to you later...

 

[Granny Hatchet]

you are half way right about the side pieces on their face and at this moment i cant think of the name of them lol when they get older the males will turn upwards and be bigger the females will stay small. turning them upside down only dislocates their legs. their legs are easier to damage then chickens the helmet on top of their head will also be a little thicker in males. if you can pick them up at night you are doing better then me. they dont sleep sound like the chickens do

 

[Granny Hatchet]

have you heard from starkasm???

 

[Tacampbell1973]

have you heard from starkasm???

Funny you should ask...I haven't. Last I heard before Thanksgiving, she was sick andhavednt heard a thing since. I asked on another forum if anyone had, but haven't checked back yet, or maybe it was this one....anywho, hope she's ok and just busy with holiday/family stuff.... Yeah, I manage to pick up the babies once a day and force them to sit on my lap. If Ising to them they quiet down.They are so darn cute with the really long neck and vulture like head. They are so curious about everything inmy house. We go room to room and look at stuff while I talk to them. I tried to band them the other day so I canname them and tell them apart. Well see. I used hair ties so they would break if they get caught on something. They are loose but not too much. Will have to watch closely for any sudden growth spurts. Starkasm said that her little girl can carry their guineas all over so I'm trying to tame mine too. They don't seem to get how to forage. I think i spoiled them by separating them from mom and dad. I still feel bad, but it was storming and mom didn' t seem to know what to do and the babies were just running all over the yard. I made a split second decision and had tostick by it. They haven't a clue what to do with worms. By three weeks you could throw a worm in with my chicken chicks (chicken chicks, get that) and they would play tug -o - war with the poor worm. I throw one in with the Guineas and they sniff it and walk away. Spoiled brats. Well anywho, nice chattin with you again, have a wonderful day....
Theresa

 

[Granny Hatchet]

i dont think i have ever seen my guineas eat a worm?? they love the grasshoppers and such.i have always heard that guineas are not good mamas. i think you did the right thing by taking them. they cant take a wet chill, it can kill them. my male guinea was bleeding from a wing i think (i never found the site) a couple weeks ago. i used corn starch on him and wrapped his wing but he took the wrap right back off . the bleeding stopped but today he is bleeding again from the same spot. i still cant find a source.

if you remember he is my only male in a flock of 10

 

[Tacampbell1973]

i dont think i have ever seen my guineas eat a worm?? they love the grasshoppers and such.i have always heard that guineas are not good mamas. i think you did the right thing by taking them. they cant take a wet chill, it can kill them. my male guinea was bleeding from a wing i think (i never found the site) a couple weeks ago. i used corn starch on him and wrapped his wing but he took the wrap right back off . the bleeding stopped but today he is bleeding again from the same spot. i still cant find a source.

if you remember he is my only male in a flock of 10

Uh oh.I hope you find it....That is kind of what motivated me to start banding them so I can identify each one in case one gets hurt or acts sick then I can keep an eye on him/her/it....Say I noticed today that when they are being held and they are scared they tend to tuck their neck to their chin like a swan, do you see yours do this. Also I have a way of hissing like they mean business....like a P.O.ed kitten, it's too funny...Well I held four more today and got pooped on for the second time by the one i named Cuervo....I think it is a he, but I was massaging his little head and his eyes would close, then all of a sudden he would remmember where he was and lurch and hiss. But it was all an act, he almost fell asleep and the more relaxed he got, the looooonger his skinny neck stuck out. Gosh I wish I could have got a pic but was home alone....maybe next time. Have a good night then and I will cross my fingers that you find the source of your young man's bleeding soon...