Numi

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I guess he showed me. Lol. Hopefully he and the 7 will be as much help to Numi as Mama had, bc she has a lot of eggs under there. The 7 line up on the box and stare at her,and sleep near her on the ground instead of on the roost. Brodie checks on her and sits quietly for awhile, but duty calls w/the other 7, so he can't sit still for long. I'll have to keep Mia away;he has zero patience for the 7.
So far I've seen 5 little heads poking out this a.m. she's such a good girl; the only time she's hissed at me is when I walked up to her w/a hat on. She didn't like the hat. Other than that, she's still Numi Girl, looking for a chin scratch and a back rub.
She's made me laugh a few times. When she'd come out to eat each day, she'd do an inspection of her corner & tidy up. If one of Brodie or the 7's feathers was laying there, she'd pick it up and move it out of her area, and go over next to the jumbo coop to relieve herself.
We've been chuckling bc the look on her face seems to indicate she'll be glad when this is over, & she'd rather be in her comfy brooder & getting warm showers. lol.

Awww, what a sweet picture you paint! Array 5 keets hatching??? That’s wonderful! You have such a way with your guineas, Sydney! That’s awesome that Numi is so lovey with you.

I have two hens on eggs and I put my incubated eggs under them yesterday. Those should be hatching very soon too. My setup is pretty nerve wrecking as the hen that had been broody for a long time was killed by a bobcat last week so goonies are all locked up again. I’m very tired of bobcats. Anyway, it was 4 year old Lemon Pie who was on the eggs and was killed, so her sister Pearl actually went broody immediately after her death and took over the nest. This happened last year too, when another hen on a nest was killed, her sister immediately took it over. I wonder if it’s a Guinea thing? So Pearl hasn’t been broody long and has not successfully hatched eggs. Scout Purple is broody with her. Welch, who has hatched eggs, was there as well, but Pearl rearranged nests after I gave her real eggs so now Welch doesn’t have a nest and is roosting again. Plus the rest of the hens are still laying their eggs in these same nests - I had intended to kick them all out in the day so that wouldn’t happen but can’t do that now. I guess I could lock them in the run but they’ll be upset about that which might upset the broody hens too.

 

[Sydney65]

Awww, what a sweet picture you paint! Array 5 keets hatching??? That’s wonderful! You have such a way with your guineas, Sydney! That’s awesome that Numi is so lovey with you.

I have two hens on eggs and I put my incubated eggs under them yesterday. Those should be hatching very soon too. My setup is pretty nerve wrecking as the hen that had been broody for a long time was killed by a bobcat last week so goonies are all locked up again. I’m very tired of bobcats. Anyway, it was 4 year old Lemon Pie who was on the eggs and was killed, so her sister Pearl actually went broody immediately after her death and took over the nest. This happened last year too, when another hen on a nest was killed, her sister immediately took it over. I wonder if it’s a Guinea thing? So Pearl hasn’t been broody long and has not successfully hatched eggs. Scout Purple is broody with her. Welch, who has hatched eggs, was there as well, but Pearl rearranged nests after I gave her real eggs so now Welch doesn’t have a nest and is roosting again. Plus the rest of the hens are still laying their eggs in these same nests - I had intended to kick them all out in the day so that wouldn’t happen but can’t do that now. I guess I could lock them in the run but they’ll be upset about that which might upset the broody hens too.

can't say I know anything abt bobcats or laws regarding them. Can they be live trapped and then disposed of? Raccoons seem to be a spring thing. He still sets the traps but all he's catching are baby oppossums. Right now he's digging a trench infront of the jumbo coop bc its the only side w/o a concrete footer. Something keeps burrowing under on that end and getting into run. Assuming voles, but have read their tunnels get used by other,more predatory creatures. I don't think anything cld get into coops at night after lockdown, but don't want to be proven wrong, either. That & he just likes playing with concrete mixer. Lol.
Fortunately Numi automatically made her nest inside & wasted no time getting started. Mama is rebelling not being allowed to nest in the wild, I guess. She lays eggs wherever w/no interest in nesting.

 

[Sydney65]

18 live hatches that I could count.
2 that hatched but she was standing on one and assume the same happened to the other.
I pulled out the remaining 13 eggs to give them more room. 6 were NF, 3 were early deaths. That left 4, 1 definitely alive, the other 3 full but saw no movement, all still quite warm (the NF & ED quickly cooled). Tucked the 4 back in under her bc she was getting stressed that I took her eggs.
Not sure what she thinks of the winged mice scurrying around her. Pecked a cpl, but then yelled at one for wandering too far away. Blocked the corner in bc when I went in earlier 4 were wandering around the coop. It's 82° out- I shut the fan off earlier, though I don't think it was really affecting them in the corner because it's attached to ceiling on low,blowing upward, & they're behind it.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

18 live hatches that I could count.
2 that hatched but she was standing on one and assume the same happened to the other.
I pulled out the remaining 13 eggs to give them more room. 6 were NF, 3 were early deaths. That left 4, 1 definitely alive, the other 3 full but saw no movement, all still quite warm (the NF & ED quickly cooled). Tucked the 4 back in under her bc she was getting stressed that I took her eggs.
Not sure what she thinks of the winged mice scurrying around her. Pecked a cpl, but then yelled at one for wandering too far away. Blocked the corner in bc when I went in earlier 4 were wandering around the coop. It's 82° out- I shut the fan off earlier, though I don't think it was really affecting them in the corner because it's attached to ceiling on low,blowing upward, & they're behind it.

Sounds like you are having a great hatch!!! That’s so exciting that Numi is a mom - are these all her babies?

Re trapping: yes, we could shoot or trap wildlife that attacks livestock. Unfortunately though, I am apparently the world’s worst trapper. I’ve tried trapping bobcats and snapping turtles and have had zero luck with either. I even hired a trapper and still no luck. I’m also not good with a gun, plus I have neighbors so am very nervous about what would happen with a missed shot. Birds are locked in for now, and I’ve been walking the dogs around there in the afternoon. I need to clear some brush and think I’ll try wolf urine. Most of our bobcats have been male, I think, as they will hang around for a few days then disappear for weeks or months. That also makes it really hard to trap or shoot. This one could be female though as I’ve seen it around more than our previous encounters.

 

[Sydney65]

Sounds like you are having a great hatch!!! That’s so exciting that Numi is a mom - are these all her babies?

Re trapping: yes, we could shoot or trap wildlife that attacks livestock. Unfortunately though, I am apparently the world’s worst trapper. I’ve tried trapping bobcats and snapping turtles and have had zero luck with either. I even hired a trapper and still no luck. I’m also not good with a gun, plus I have neighbors so am very nervous about what would happen with a missed shot. Birds are locked in for now, and I’ve been walking the dogs around there in the afternoon. I need to clear some brush and think I’ll try wolf urine. Most of our bobcats have been male, I think, as they will hang around for a few days then disappear for weeks or months. That also makes it really hard to trap or shoot. This one could be female though as I’ve seen it around more than our previous encounters.

As far as I know they're all hers. Mama's not really been allowed in that coop bc where Mama goes Mia goes, and that's a no go bc of the Littles. I did catch her in there once laying on top of Numi. Lol. Hopefully she won't get attached, bc I plan on selling them. I didn't really want her to breed this yr., but once she went outside it wld have been cruel to not let her blend in w/the others.
Concrete is done - and Ryu ("Dragon" - large slate with ridged feathers on back and green eyes. The one I said I knew I had a name for him but hadn't figured out what it was yet) - promptly ran into run and across the wet pad. Himself was SO SO happy. If you've seen the big green dinosaur eye from Jurassic Park commercials, that's what his eyes remind me of.
Now I just need to get the big boys in. So much activity today everyone is wound up.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

As far as I know they're all hers. Mama's not really been allowed in that coop bc where Mama goes Mia goes, and that's a no go bc of the Littles. I did catch her in there once laying on top of Numi. Lol. Hopefully she won't get attached, bc I plan on selling them. I didn't really want her to breed this yr., but once she went outside it wld have been cruel to not let her blend in w/the others.
Concrete is done - and Ryu ("Dragon" - large slate with ridged feathers on back and green eyes. The one I said I knew I had a name for him but hadn't figured out what it was yet) - promptly ran into run and across the wet pad. Himself was SO SO happy. If you've seen the big green dinosaur eye from Jurassic Park commercials, that's what his eyes remind me of.
Now I just need to get the big boys in. So much activity today everyone is wound up.

Oh I love the name Dragon! Razorback was last years keet that was named for a raised ridge of mid back feathers that he had for quite awhile!

 

[Sydney65]

Oh I love the name Dragon! Razorback was last years keet that was named for a raised ridge of mid back feathers that he had for quite awhile!

Yeah, like that, except it goes further up his back. But it's Ryu
(RI-uh) which means dragon in Japanese. Lol..Rya is a female Disney dragon, but I've taken enough grief over "Mia." I lucked out in finding the Japanese version. I knew I wanted it to be something to do w/a guardian or watcher, bc he's established that w/his dragon eye!

 

[Sydney65]

Overcounted by 1. When I went out this a.m. she had managed to get them out of the barricade & had 16 following her in the run. Atleast it was dry and sunny. Found one that didn't make it, but the 16 are on the move. Had a spare baby pool & moved them into it, then let Brodie in to see. He was so wound up he refused to come inside last night,but was laying outside their window this a.m. Numi wishes they weren't so squirmy.
Introductions made,Mama got in the pool for a closer look & then left. Brodie wasn't appreciative of the 2 jumbos being in there and let me know it. After those 2 left, everyone settled quietly in the coop for awhile until the 7 came out in the garden w/me.


Got some pics of Ryu. He, the other slate and one violet have blue tinting on their heads. Ryu has more dark markings and less blue, and still has the marine buzz cut on his head.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Overcounted by 1. When I went out this a.m. she had managed to get them out of the barricade & had 16 following her in the run. Atleast it was dry and sunny. Found one that didn't make it, but the 16 are on the move. Had a spare baby pool & moved them into it, then let Brodie in to see. He was so wound up he refused to come inside last night,but was laying outside their window this a.m. Numi wishes they weren't so squirmy.
Introductions made,Mama got in the pool for a closer look & then left. Brodie wasn't appreciative of the 2 jumbos being in there and let me know it. After those 2 left, everyone settled quietly in the coop for awhile until the 7 came out in the garden w/me.
View attachment 3230952

Got some pics of Ryu. He, the other slate and one violet have blue tinting on their heads. Ryu has more dark markings and less blue, and still has the marine buzz cut on his head.View attachment 3230955

Awwww! Numi’s babies are adorable! What a good mama she is. Congratulations!!!Im on pins and needles waiting to see how things go with the keets hatching in the coop + incubator. I incubated with higher humidity, though I was out of town a lot so humidity kept dropping. So far, I have the sinking feeling that I will once again have a poor hatch rate. In the coop, I kicked all the girls out in to the run, except the three hens on nests. Poor girls were so upset. But I saw at least one keet under a hen before she pecked it back under her. I have a slate and a pied lavender or Coral blue in my incubator. I’m going to try to add them to the coop hatch but haven’t decided between just introducing them or something sneakier.

 

[Sydney65]

Awwww! Numi’s babies are adorable! What a good mama she is. Congratulations!!!Im on pins and needles waiting to see how things go with the keets hatching in the coop + incubator. I incubated with higher humidity, though I was out of town a lot so humidity kept dropping. So far, I have the sinking feeling that I will once again have a poor hatch rate. In the coop, I kicked all the girls out in to the run, except the three hens on nests. Poor girls were so upset. But I saw at least one keet under a hen before she pecked it back under her. I have a slate and a pied lavender or Coral blue in my incubator. I’m going to try to add them to the coop hatch but haven’t decided between just introducing them or something sneakier.